All these pictures were taken at our latest photoshoot in London.

The photographer was the much-feted Dan Kennedy (www.danielkennedy.com) who has shot everyone from Angelina Jolie and Keira Knightley to Richard Branson and Tom Jones.

Richard Biedul, a lawyer by trade (and a good-looking one at that), was our mannequin for the day and put his heart and soul into every shot. Even when we asked him to stand in the rain for half an hour at the end he did so with good humour.

Beth Alderson made sure Richard looked different in every picture and Lloyd Sturdy did an amazing job of capturing the behind-the-scenes footage.

So what really happens on a photoshoot? Naturally there’s a lot of faffing, fiddling and fretting but we got Dan to do a time-lapse video of the whole day so you can see a speeded up version.

We got photographer Dan Kennedy to pull together a stop-motion video from the day, allowing you to see our efforts the way Buster Keaton would have liked it.

As you can see by the pictures, Mark Cuban has done a lot of modelling and has a keen eye for design. He has trained with our leading tailor, Graham Hall, and is now bringing an extra level of contemporary detail to the Norton & Townsend stable.

Bringing him in to join our London office was one of the easiest decisions we have ever made – he loves his clothes, has a distinctive style and is now working alongside both Graham and Jamie to ensure our clients in the capital are impeccably dressed.

His impact has been instant (apart from the obvious spike in office girls fainting) and we believe we can now bring our beautiful bespoke creations to an even wider audience.

So it’s a huge welcome to Mark and no doubt he’ll be appearing in our next photoshoot (although don’t ask us to stand next to him).

For years we have sat at the back of church, watching the bride sashay down the aisle in an extravagant number only to be met by the groom in a hired suit worn by thousands of others.

But the tide is definitely beginning to turn.

“Grooms now want to take as much care with their outfit as brides, with younger men generally much more aware of just how good a bespoke suit can look and feel,” said our Midlands’ tailor Tim Nash.

“Sharp tailoring is most definitely making a comeback, partly due to trend-setting programmes such as Mad Men but also because young men are taking a greater interest in their appearance and happy to invest in a suit which will last a lifetime.

“This has certainly made an impact on the wedding industry where we have seen more and more grooms keen to put an individual stamp on their day rather than just go down the traditional route of hiring a standard suit. With a bespoke suit they can add personal touches from statement lining to cutting-edge details which are all part of the lasting memories of the day.

“The Vintage Chic Wedding Fair was the perfect fit for us because it was all about a unique take on style and creating a celebration which has just the right mix of glamour and personality,” Tim added.

Norton & Townsend joined more than 30 other specialists from the wedding industry at the exhibition, teaming up with I Am Staggered to provide a one-stop-shop for soon-to-be grooms.

In a world where fashions come and go, Allen has always ensured that our quality and attention to detail remains ever-present.

So it’s with great sadness that we bid him farewell, even though at the grand age of 77 we have done our best to hang on to him as long as possible!

Graham Hall, who has worked closely with Allen in Spitalfields, paid him this tribute: “Allen has been our on-site tailoring encyclopedia, our conscience, our tutor and, above all that, a good friend to us all.

“While today, of course, marks the end of an era but it also reminds me of the wonderful passion for knowledge that drew me into this business – and which will continue thanks to Allen’s inspiration.”

Best of luck, Allen!

As you will have seen by the video and pictures from our latest photoshoot, the Norton & Townsend team put a huge amount of effort into making sure our bespoke suits looked absolutely incredible.

But while you’d expect us to say that, it’s nice when other people recognise that effort too – especially the Press.

Our suits, modelled by Rich Biedul, have appeared in all manner of publications across the country and this latest shot was used in the Best Scottish Weddings Magazine at the start of its Grooms section.

Norton and Townsend’s tailors throughout the country have seen the average waistline drop from a 36 to a 34.5, due in no small part to the reduction in business lunches.

Our story was picked up by national and trade press, with CNBC among those covering the news.

We do a huge amount of wedding suits for stylish grooms and their entourages, so it was great to see our powerful Prince of Wales check feature in the winter issue of Best Scottish Weddings

Our suits start at just £495 and not only will it make you look amazing on your wedding day you can also wear it again and again and again.

Remember, it’s your big day too so wear what you want – just make sure that it fits.

We have been making something of a splash in the national press recently, featuring in both The Sunday Times and The Sunday Express in the last two weeks!

We have always known that our story is unique – our expert tailors cover the whole of the UK and deliver a simply phenomenal service at an incredible price – but it is great to get the endorsement of two heavyweight publications.

Retailers are definitely struggling to keep their heads above water during the economic crisis but we are proving that bespoke is for the masses, especially when the service matches the product.

Another great saving – trim the cost.

These Holland & Sherry fabrics are woven from Merino wool which has cleaner & stronger fibres resulting in a superior quality and high performance cloth.  The 2 by 2 twill weave construction complements this by equally distributing the interlacing of the yarn in both directions, giving superior strength and drape characteristics.  With a saving of £135 making a 2 piece £660, this offers fantastic value.