Faces of No.16: Hayden Wallace

Sales and Tailoring Assistant

If you've visited us recently, there's a good chance you've already met Hayden. He joined us at 16 Savile Row not long ago and has quietly become a familiar face to a great many of our clients, guiding them through cloth, fittings and the process of having something made at Norton & Sons.

We thought it was about time we properly introduced him so we asked him a few questions about his day to day role here at No.16.

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What does your morning look like before you arrive at the Row?

Hayden's mornings tend to start early and deliberately. A podcast on the way in and, as a keen runner, he'll often make the 10km journey into work on foot, rewarding himself with a pastry en route. "Engaging my mind and body before I get in really sets me up for a productive day," he says. By the time he steps through the door at No.16, he's already switched on.

Walk us through what happens when a new client comes in for the first time.

"Everyone who comes through the door has a story," Hayden explains. "Being able to express that story visually is why I think it's crucial to spend the time getting to know each client on a more personal level. Whether you're just ordering a suit for work or for your wedding day, I like to take the time to talk, because the more I know, the better placed I'll be to advise and bring that story to life."

Over coffee, or something stronger, Hayden takes his time with every client. There's no script, no rush, just a proper conversation about cloth, cut and what someone is actually trying to say through what they wear. "I'm always open to listening to new ideas and hopefully am trusted to give a few of my own."

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How does your role shift when you take yourself away from the front shop and into the back workshop?

Not every hour is spent on the floor. When appointments ease off, Hayden heads into the workshop to help out with Norton & Sons' daily Bespoke production. It's a change of pace he genuinely looks forward to. "There's something satisfying about the precision of it," he says of striking out a new commission or helping rip down a baste.

With a background in trouser making, Hayden is used to getting involved with the back of house process just as much as the client-facing role, using this experience to bring a new perspective to the cloth he suggests to his clients. "The variety this industry can provide is incredibly engaging... It's a different kind of focus entirely, and I think it makes me better at my job on the floor too."

What has surprised you most about learning the workshop side of things?

That workshop time has quietly reshaped how he thinks about fittings, too. "The technicality that goes into every garment still surprises me," he admits. "Just when I think I understand it, I learn something new. These types of garments account for an almost infinite number of body types, and yet, by the end of the process, they fit exactly right. Understanding how a garment is built is what lets you know how to improve it."

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Is there a cloth, a project, or a particular order that has stuck with you since you started?

Hayden recently made a dinner suit for a young groom, whose fiancée he'd known since the age of eight. "It's the stories behind the clothes that make this job what it is, and these encounters so special," he says. "You get to know people properly over the course of a few fittings, and there are countless examples like this every day."

What's something about Savile Row you love to share with clients when they visit for the first time?

For Hayden, it's the view into the workshop, where the craft actually happens. "You can watch centuries-old craft still happening, in exactly the same way it always has. It's like stepping back in time and witnessing history at once. I still find that quite magical."

If you haven't yet had the chance to meet Hayden, we'd love to introduce you properly.

Book an appointment today to get started. 

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