‘We make sure you look the business, we don’t let people leave the shop when something is not right,’ says Leonard Silver owner Chris Sykes
From left: Chris Sykes, Brett Rogers and Peter Fletcher at Leonard Silver in Hull.
A renowned menswear shop in Hull city centre is making 80 years in business. Leonard Silver on Savile Street has become a go-to destination for Hullensians looking for sharp tailoring.
The business dates back to the 1920s when it was a factory on the city’s Sykes Street, making uniforms for the police and army. Leonard Silver – who had started a business with Maureen Lipman’s father in the 1930s – set up under his own name in the 1946, in Silver Street. The firm later migrated to Jamieson Street before moving to its current location on Savile Street some time in the 1970s.
Leonard’s son, Eric, later took over running of the business through to 2016 when current owner Chris Sykes acquired the firm, bringing with him more than three decades of experience in the clothing industry, including retail and wholesale. Chris, who spent ten years working as an agent for fashion brands in Manchester, had developed a relationship with Eric over many years.
He explained: “One day, I popped in to see Eric. I’d actually been paid off from one of my agencies and I was twiddling my thumbs for a few months. Eric said ‘why don’t you buy this’. And I was like, ‘well, I don’t really want to get into retail’.
“It’s a very challenging thing to do. There are lots of moving parts and clothing, especially, is extremely difficult as you’ve got to cater for all shapes and sizes. It’s not like you’ve got one product to sell – you’ve got to be on top of it.”
Chris brought the brand he set up – John Victor, named after his father – to the shop. It manufacturers its own suits and shirts, in the UK predominantly as well as factories overseas.
But as much as the shop’s stock of suits, jeans, coats and shirts is a draw for fashion-conscious customers, it’s the years of knowledge and an eye for detail among its team of five full time staff, which Chris says is the crucial element. One-to-one service is where he believes the shop outshines larger high street rivals.
“The staff have been very important at Leonard Silver – we’ve got amazing people,” said Chris. “And I can’t speak about that without mentioning Peter Fletcher who has been with the business nearly 40 years. He’s really the backbone of the business and it’s his perfection that we all strive for.
“Every job that comes through his workshop he does to perfection. He’s renowned. He’s really the secret sauce. He’s a very skilled tailor.
“It’s not just about cutting suits, it’s also about alterations and having garments that are ready made that can be made to look like they’re actually made for you. That’s a skill in itself.”
Under Chris’ tenure, Leonard Silver has introduced a new and more dynamic website along with presence on social media. There has also been a renewed focus on contemporary styles.
A wide age range of customers come through the doors, some seeking smart looks for proms, weddings, interviews and a myriad of special occasions. Others are there for casual outfits.
“Some guys have been coming here for 50 years,” said Chris. “There are guys who still remember Leonard, never mind Eric! They’ve been coming in since they were kids of maybe 16 or 17.
“They’re old guys now. And it’s a evolution of those men as they’ve grown up.”
A host of Hull football and rugby players have been kitted out at Leonard Silver throughout the years – as has James Bond star Roger Moore. Eric Leonard had been a huge Hull City fan and dressed its players including up to the Phil Brown years between 2006-2010, as well as other stars in the sport such as Kevin Keegan.
Chris explained: “We’ve always had a long relationship with Hull City and did the suits throughout the 70s. Eric’s had a strong relationship with the club. And Pete is a big City fan – it’s still in the business.”
A Beverley shop had also been part of the business, but closed prior to Chris taking over. And for now, he is happy to operate from the single Hull premises while expanding the business online.
The savvy businessman has been studying artificial intelligence (AI) via university courses and plans to launch a separate, app-based company that is still firmly rooted in fashion. His idea looks at fitting remotely using scanning technology.
“We’re really conscious of things changing, and about how that’s going to be implemented into the business,” said Chris. “Retail in general is very tough.
“We rely on local people but we also have people who travel a long way to see. We’ve had customers come up from London to see us, people from over Manchester way and from further north – those people found us through the website.”
He added: “It’s really about quality for us. That’s our hallmark.
“And I guess that’s what we’re known for really. We’re a destination store – and people know us through work of mouth.”
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