As a high-end fashion designer and bespoke tailor, Jo Baker Waters has gained recognition across the UK and now the US because of her innovative designs and exquisite craftsmanship. With a wealth of experience gained from working with renowned fashion designers and tailors in London and New York, she has tailored pieces for celebrities and fashion icons. Her expertise as a tailor has also been recognized by the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors Savile Row, established in 1327.

Jo Baker Waters‘ unique cutting style is characterized by sharp tailoring, imaginative and innovative designs, and a high fashion aesthetic. Her pieces are inspired by popular culture, gender fluidity, art, sculpture, historicism, and cinematic film noir references, with a signature style of power dressing, power suits, and strong shoulders. As an artist of clothing, she explores handmade tailoring techniques to create lavish individual clothes for her customers. Her creative pieces re-enter mass media in the form of magazines, film, fashion shows, and Instagram.

Jo had to work hard to support her dream of working in the luxury fashion industry. She gained a highly coveted tailoring apprenticeship at Gieves & Hawkes in Savile Row, London, where she specialized in cutting and tailoring. In 2013, Jo relocated to New York to work for Calvin Klein to design for the CK menswear line and remained with the brand for seven years, witnessing its transition of creative leadership. Here, Jo had the opportunity to work under the halo of creative leaders like Kevin Carrigan, Raf Simons, Pieter Mulier, and Tim Coppens.

Jo’s mastery lies in customized hand-made pieces designed with a sustainable vision to highlight the complexities and beauty of the craft. She documents the process via video master classes on a digital platform, where she shares designs, 3D draping, creative pattern cutting, complex mathematical formula to draft pattern systems from measurements, and hand tailoring techniques.

During her 10-year residency as a Savile Row tailor, she made clothes for King Charles III, Prince William, Prince Harry, Jack Black, Russell Brand, Jude Law, Nicky Clarke, Marie Helvin, Ray Winstone, Stephen Dillane, Ian McShane, and John Hurt.  She also tailored coats and suits that featured in the British film 44 Inch Chest.

In 2005, Jo won two awards at the Savile Row Bespoke Competition, a Golden Shears award for the Best Overall Winner and a Silver Shears award for Best Women’s Wear. As a fashion designer, she has worked with famous designers like Anna Sui on women’s wear collections for New York Fashion Week, Joe Casely-Hayford on the ”Gieves” menswear collection for Paris Fashion Week, Jonathan Saunders for both menswear and women’s wear collections, Nicholas Oakwell couture, and Richard Nicoll.

In collaboration with the late designer Richard Nicoll, Jo created some of the most iconic showpieces at London Fashion Week, including tailored jackets with silk bows, mixing dress draping techniques with traditional tailoring, LED dresses, and also British artist Linder Sterling.

Jo is also an author and published her first book in 2017, titled Pattern Cutting Techniques for Ladies’ Tailored Jackets, with the Cromwood Press. The book is dedicated to Richard Nicoll and documents draping techniques and the skills needed to design and cut tailored jackets.

Through her bespoke tailoring mentorship platform, A R T I S A N • 44, Jo aims to teach and inspire others to develop their individual design identities, free from the constraints of trends and mass consumerism.

With her exceptional talent and dedication to the craft, Jo Baker Waters is set to continue making a significant impact on the fashion industry. She plans to expand her profile and business while sharing her skills through master classes and training in-house apprentices. With her penchant for luxury tailoring, it will be exciting to see what innovative designs she creates next.