Since the end of the ’60s, Edward Sexton has been a legend on Savile Row. Financially backed by Cilla Black, he opened Nutters of Savile Row with the late tailor Tommy Nutter on Valentine’s Day, 1969, when the pair broke onto the scene like one of the rebellious youth cultures to which their clothes appealed. It was the first new establishment on the street in over a century. Unlike the owners of many businesses there, the partners hadn’t inherited their shop. This gave them the freedom to pioneer luxury clothing befitting the revolutionary generation of artists, actors and musicians who rose to fame over the next decade.

Combining traditional tailoring techniques with innovative designs, Sexton cut many of Elton John’s most extravagant suits, including those iconic, sequin-studded pieces. He made John Lennon and Yoko Ono linen jumpsuits in several colours, and crafted a short jacket with accentuated, wide, square shoulders for Bianca Jagger. He designed exaggerated silhouettes for those, like Andy Warhol, who wanted to make a statement. And Nutters of Savile Row even dressed three members of The Beatles for the Abbey Road album cover.

The pair had identified in young people the demand for different, interesting clothes. Acting as the company’s master cutter, Sexton materialised Nutter’s creative vision by crafting the garments, though he contributed his own ideas, too. On their typical suit jackets, tremendously wide lapels were Nutter’s idea, while a long, lean torso was Sexton’s.

Dynamic, sizeable shoulder pads and long, flowing jackets captured the rebellious energy of the era, in accordance with which the partners also decorated their shop. Among the first on Savile Row to dress a shop window, they showcased statement pieces in their window display and adorned it with champagne bottles and other objects. Inside the boutique, there were burning candles in the unequivocal shape of large male genitals.

After this fruitful partnership ended, the brand Edward Sexton moved to Knightsbridge in 1990. Thankfully, he maintained Nutters of Savile Row’s penchant for pairing the elegance of traditional suits with bold twists. Sexton still has an affinity with suits from the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, and continues to be inspired by 1940s jackets that accentuate shoulders, chests and hips. Having remained a favourite among artists and musicians, his clientele has recently included Tinie Tempah, Harry Styles and Adam Lambert.

Sexton has also continued making bespoke suits for women. These typically feature elegant architectural lines and accentuated shoulders. While women have historically worn his masculine tailoring for striking, androgynous effect, for decades Sexton has also designed slightly more curvaceous, figure-hugging womenswear, and garments for those who covet a tapered silhouette.

This year, the designer has finally left Knightsbridge and returned, after 32 years, to Savile Row. Marking the revival of his ongoing legacy there, the autumn/winter 2022 collection from his new flagship store is rooted in Art Deco glamour. It features bold shapes and colours. The versatility of his suits is derived from them being at once both playful and opulent, and they can be easily separated and worn in different contexts.

As Edward Sexton’s creative director Dominic Sebag-Montefiore says, ‘We’ve stayed very true to our sense of structure and style with our new collection, while making it feel relevant for today. We’ve noted a return to formality, elegance and ceremony with the way our clients are dressing, so we’ve channelled this feeling but rendered it in a more modern way.’

Standout pieces include yellow and black geometric wool blazers and rich velvet suits in navy, chocolate brown and emerald. The garments come in a striking range of materials and colours, from royal blue flannel to bottle green velvets. While signature Sexton looks including a double-breasted, charcoal flannel suit and a navy “stardust” single-breasted, wool suit with a fine speckled pattern are on offer, there are also much bolder pieces designed to make a statement.

In recent years, Sebag-Montefiore, who designed Edward Sexton’s ready-to-wear collection, launched the brand’s “Offshore Bespoke” suits. The customer’s measurements are taken in the shop, where the pattern cutting also happens. Unlike full bespoke suits crafted wholly under Sexton’s eye, however, the fabrics are then sent to China and the suit is finished there. This option makes the brand’s suits more affordable and accessible. While full bespoke suits cost around £6,000, Offshore Bespoke alternatives will set you back less than half of that.

The autumn/winter collection is also in part designed for accessibility. Sebag-Montefiore notes, ‘Of the eveningwear, our hero piece is the Sexton rock-and-roll black tie; a three-piece complete with satin taped edges, wide peak lapels and parallel-leg trousers. We’ve made it over and over again in various guises for musicians, but now seems to be the time to offer it as part of our ready-to-wear collection.’

Sexton believes there are no longer any rules in fashion to be broken. For those who want to embrace this unconstrained era in which one may combine sneakers with a suit, casualwear with formal, Edward Sexton on Savile Row is no doubt a great place to start.

Edward Sexton, 35 Savile Row, London W1S 3QD; edwardsexton.co.uk