Savile Row has long been a man's world -- a rich, well-dressed man's world.
For two centuries, men with means have made their way to the legendary street in London to be measured, fitted, and ultimately suited up in fine apparel by male tailors serving the city's wealthiest set.
But now that world has been infiltrated by a woman who has earned her place on the street, she says, by being a top-notch tailor.
"I think the fact that I'm a woman is incidental, it's more the fact that I'm a brilliant tailor... I hope," said Kathryn Sargent, who moved into Savile Row and opened her shop earlier this year.
In doing so, Sargent shattered a glass ceiling and smashed a tradition -- but she says she wasn't trying to make a point, rather to find a way to pursue her craft at the highest level.
"I didn't set out to change the world, I'm just very pleased to be here and do a job in the home of tailoring," she said.
Sargent's bespoke suits -- interestingly, the term “bespoke” is believed to have originated in Savile Row -- take three months to make, and three visits are required to get the fit just right.
They are designed with care, creativity, and craftsmanship that hasn't changed much in the years since Savile Row first became a magnet for those seeking fine, hand-cut clothing in the heart of London.
She's dressed royalty, famous actors, and anyone else with the pocketbook to pay for a made-to-measure suit worth close to CDN$10,000.
Sargent said the street and the well-established tailor's shops on it have survived by refusing to follow trends, but rather by following the principles of good design and craftsmanship -- something she said is key to her business model as well.
“When I make something I always advise clients to avoid extreme fashion trends. The goal of a tailor is to enhance the good features and disguise the not-so-good features,” Sargent said.
Her advice to clients: "Go with what looks good on your body. Go with your style."
Famously, along with the tuxedo or dinner jacket which was invented by one of Savile Row's original tailors, the trouser was also invented there.
Now, a woman who not only wears trousers, but makes them as well, plans to carry on the traditions set by those who went before her.
With a report from Paul Workman in London