Sir Hardy Amies (1909 - 2003) is a fashion icon; a designer best known for pushing the boundaries of what fashion was, the way it could be presented and what it could become.

Hardy made fashion history in 1961 by staging the first men’s ready- to-wear catwalk show. The runway show was a pioneering effort on many levels as it was the first time that music was played, and that a designer accompanied the models on the catwalk.

Hardy's creative spirit and versatility, as a designer is evident in the various projects he undertook. Although he served as official dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II for more than 40 years, he was never short of other commissions. Over the course of his life he tailored the suits for the England 1966 World Cup winning team, the 1972 British Olympic squad, and even created the visionary costumes for Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

When Hardy wasn't designing or dispelling quirky witticisms on men's fashion for Esquire magazine, he could be found in his beloved garden in the Cotswolds.

After serving as an SOE officer in the war, Hardy returned to London in 1945. With the help of a generous benefactor, he bought the lease of Number 14, Savile Row, which had been damaged during the Blitz. The following January, Hardy's fashion house was born.

Although Savile Row is the home of English bespoke tailoring, the Hardy Amies brand became known for its classic and elegantly tailored clothes for both men and women.