Mr Tailor— Headingley Leeds

Samir, Mr Tailor, hails from Aleppo in Syria, one of the oldest cities in the world, a major Silk Road trading hub and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding dress included brocade from Syria. Here, Samir learned his trade as a tailor from his family, taught by his relatives, and working from his teenage years. “And I’m still learning!” says Samir.

He came to Leeds as he had a friend here, and fell on his feet, soon becoming part of the city’s long-established tailoring community. He now lives in Headingley, on Wood Lane, and loves the atmosphere. Among other things, he enjoys the music at HEART.

Samir first opened a shop on Monk Bridge Road, on the corner of Wilton Grove, in 2009, and then in 2016, he moved down the hill to his present address in a group of units on the very edge of Headingley, beside Monk Bridge.

Mr Tailor employs three part-time staff, and draws customers not only from Headingley, but from all over Leeds. Inspired by the courage and the drive evident in the works of his exemplar Alexander McQueen, he does alterations and repairs for ladies and gents, as well as made-to-measure suits and wedding dresses.

One of his most interesting challenges was adjusting a kilt! And one of his hardest was altering the size of a military-style cap.