Walpole: What is your career background – and how did that lead to launching your company?
Rav: My career began in professional football. I played at a high level until I was 21, but I always had a strong creative side and a passion for art and design. After leaving football, I completed a foundation course in Art and Design at Loughborough and was accepted into Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion. However, due to the financial realities of studying in London at the time, I returned to Leeds and later completed a BA in Fashion Design and Editorial Fashion at Leeds Arts University.
After graduating, I moved back to London and worked for a small company producing bespoke hoodies, where I developed my pattern-cutting, tailoring and garment construction skills. During university, I had already started experimenting with a unique approach to garment cutting using a scalpel instead of scissors. I found it allowed me to shape garments more intuitively and precisely, almost as if I was drawing directly into the fabric.
That concept eventually became the foundation of clothsurgeon. After years of refining the idea, we officially launched the company in 2012 from a one-bedroom apartment in Dalston before growing into our first studio. The business evolved from a desire to combine craftsmanship, creativity and personal expression in a way that felt completely authentic to my background and vision.
What does your company do, and what sets you apart?
Rav: clothsurgeon is a bespoke menswear company that blends the worlds of Savile Row tailoring and contemporary streetwear. We offer clients a truly bespoke experience, where they can create garments entirely around their own vision using exceptional fabrics and high-level British craftsmanship.
What sets us apart is that we're not simply making traditional suits. We apply the same level of precision, skill and craftsmanship associated with bespoke tailoring to more contemporary silhouettes, whether that's an oversized cashmere bomber jacket, a tailored tracksuit or a completely unique piece designed collaboratively with the client.
We sit at the intersection of heritage and innovation, respecting traditional tailoring techniques while viewing them through a modern lens. That combination creates something genuinely distinctive within the luxury menswear landscape.
Why was launching this company important to you?
Rav: Launching clothsurgeon was important because it allowed me to create a vision of British luxury that felt authentic to my own experiences and culture. Coming from a background in sport and growing up outside of the traditional luxury world, I felt there was an opportunity to challenge perceptions of what bespoke craftsmanship could look like.
I wanted to build a brand that honoured traditional British craftsmanship while making it relevant and inspiring to a new generation. The company became a platform to express a different perspective on luxury, one rooted in creativity, individuality, and cultural relevance without compromising on quality or craftsmanship.
How does your company represent the future of British luxury?
Rav: I believe the future of British luxury lies in preserving craftsmanship while expanding the way it is expressed. Luxury no longer needs to be confined to traditional categories or expectations.
At clothsurgeon, we take centuries-old tailoring techniques and apply them to garments that reflect modern lifestyles and contemporary culture. We demonstrate that bespoke craftsmanship can exist beyond the classic suit and be applied to garments that feel relevant to today's consumer.
By combining heritage, innovation, personalisation, and cultural authenticity, we're helping redefine what British luxury can be for future generations.
