Joshua Kane’s bespoke tailoring is music’s best-kept secret
The British design maverick talks us through his journey from bedroom beginnings to becoming music’s go-to tailor
The world of British tailoring is steeped in tradition, with Savile Row long considered its pinnacle. Yet in the same city that birthed punk, rebellion was inevitable. Enter Joshua Kane: the London-based maverick reshaping suiting for today’s biggest names in music.
From Ozzy Osbourne’s final Grammy red carpet look to Sabrina Carpenter’s Kingsguard-inspired jacket at the 2025 Brit Awards, Kane’s client list reads like a backstage roll call. It’s a reflection of his ability to merge the codes of tailoring tradition with the drama of performance. The result? Looks that strike that brilliant balance of theatrical yet romantic, rebellious yet refined.
“I really want who I’m dressing to feel like an amplified version of themselves,” he tells me. Harnessing the transformative power of dress, for Kane, fashion is the key to unlocking hidden potential and revealing parts of ourselves waiting to emerge. “I often use the superhero analogy… when you put the outfit on, you become 10% bolder, 10% more confident.”
Launched in 2014, the brand remains fiercely independent, with Kane involved in every step. “I started in my bedroom making bespoke suits for friends and people that I had relations with in the public eye,” he recalls. That instinctive, personal approach continues to define the label.
“Having that one song or album constantly going over in my head creates this rhythm… this beat to the design process” – Joshua Kane
Born in Oxford and trained at Kingston University, Kane honed his craft at Brooks Brothers, Burberry and Paul Smith, where he served as Senior Designer. Yet despite this design pedigree, his path was never rigid. “I never kind of sat down and thought what I was going to do… I really just evolved and trusted my gut,” he says.
That gut instinct has evolved from his bedroom beginnings into a Marylebone showroom and atelier, where clients seek out bespoke pieces. Among them are Cara Delevingne and longtime client David Tennant. Still, it’s musicians like Rod Stewart and Brandi Carlile that highlight the symbiotic relationship Kane has with music.
“Music is such a massive inspiration,” he says. “Having that one song or album constantly going over in my head creates this rhythm… this beat to the design process.” It’s a method that gives his tailoring its unmistakable cadence. Among his favourite tunes is The Rolling Stones’ genre-defining “Gimme Shelter”.
That deep-rooted connection to music culture feels perfectly aligned with rock’s theatrical greats. Kane himself dreams big: “It would have been iconic to work with someone like Prince or, of course, Michael Jackson.” The sentiment speaks to his love of performers who push visual identity as far as sound.
Like his musical inspirations, world-building is at the heart of Kane’s practice. Through his annual runway show, Bespoken Dreams, the designer transforms tailoring into an immersive experience, merging fashion, storytelling and live performance. Built around narrative and theatricality, the presentation captures the same energy that draws musicians to his work.
Last year’s showcase explored the contrast between the softness of a British garden and the structure of Kane’s signature tailoring, featuring hand-stitched rose appliqué, sculptural silhouettes and frilled collars. These details reflected his ability to balance romance with rebellion – tradition with transformation.
“It’s really just about making clothing that reflected my personality” – Joshua Kane
For Kane, these moments are more than fashion presentations; they are fully realised worlds where clothing becomes part of a wider narrative. Music pulses through every look, reinforcing his belief that fashion should move, provoke and perform. It’s this synergy that has made his runway a magnet for artists who exist beyond the mainstream.
While Kane offers ready-to-wear, it’s his bespoke and made-to-measure service that defines the brand. Operating from his private Marylebone showroom, each piece is crafted with precision using fabrics he designs and weaves in the UK. “I have menswear design, womenswear design, couture, handmade tailoring… everything made in London,” he says.
The process is deeply collaborative, rooted in personality as much as fit. “It’s really just about making clothing that reflected my personality – and then the personality of the customer.” The result is tailoring that feels intimate, expressive and entirely individual – exactly what today’s most compelling performers demand.