Huntsman apprentice wins The Golden Shears Award 2025
Joanna Spreadbury, an apprentice at Savile Row tailors Huntsman, has been announced as the latest winner of The Golden Shears Award in the 50th anniversary year of what is dubbed the "Oscars of the tailoring world".
As well as being awarded The Golden Shears at the ceremony on Monday evening, held at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in the City of London, Spreadbury received a £3,000 prize.
From almost 90 entries, 25 finalists were selected based on their technical excellence to compete in the Golden Shears Final 2025. The highly anticipated final featured a live catwalk show judged by industry leaders, and three winners were awarded prestigious trophies as part of the evening.
Style judges for this year’s awards included AllSaints Founder, Stuart Trevor, Head of Fashion at The Daily Telegraph, Lisa Armstrong, and renowned Fashion Editor and Creative Director, Catherine Hayward, while technical judges included Will Adams from Dunhill and Brigitte Steputis from Vivienne Westwood.
London College of Fashion Student, Tilda Jonathan, scooped second place winning The Silver Shears and £2,500, while Connock & Lockie apprentice, Kasia Hughes, came in third place winning The Rising Star Award and £2,000.
Held every two years, the prestigious competition unites skilled fashion students and apprentice tailors, providing a platform to showcase their creative vision and technical excellence and celebrate the next generation of UK tailoring and fashion talent.
The evening was hosted by Nick Hewer and Simon Cundey from Savile Row tailors Henry Poole & Co., and the awards were supported by The Pollen Estate, landlord of a large number of properties in and around Savile Row, The Merchant Taylors’ Company, The Drapers’ Company, and CAPITB Trust.
Jenny Casebourne, Head of Portfolio of The Pollen Estate, said: "The Pollen Estate is proud to support The Golden Shears awards again this year. As custodians of Savile Row and surrounding streets, the next generation of tailors are important to our community and these awards are a testament to craftsmanship in the UK.
"We are excited to help nurture the future generations in their knowledge and skills of suit making and we look forward to seeing more young talent entering a career in tailoring."
The Golden Shears Committee Chairman, Lady Annie Harding, added: "The Golden Shears 2025 at Merchant Taylors' Hall was an exemplary showcase of tailoring excellence.
"The event highlighted the participants' remarkable skills and creativity, leaving an indelible mark on all who attended. A huge thank you to the sponsors CapitB, The Pollen Estate, and The Drapers’ Company, the fantastic judges, and of course, all who entered and supported the event. Huge congratulations to the winners."
