James Bond’s suits were the work of English bespoke tailors for decades, until Italian house Brioni took over at the beginning of the Brosnan era. Then, for last year’s Quantum of Solace, an American designer—Tom Ford—won the job of dressing 007, while the jilted label, Brioni, began training a new generation of British fashion superstars via a three-year collaboration with London’s Royal College of Art. Now in its second year, the program aims to teach a new generation of design talent Brioni’s sophisticated tailoring techniques before they pass into extinction. RCA students work under one of Brioni’s master tailors, learning tools of the made-to-order trade while also honing their handcrafting skills. At the end of the course, they spend week abroad at the Scuola de Sartoria de Brioni for intensive one-on-one training. All the while, the participants are competing for a coveted year-end prize, which goes to the piece of student work that “best expresses creativity and tailoring expertise” as determined by a panel of prominent press members and fashion buyers. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime for budding sartorialists—so don’t blow it, guys, if you ever want to get Bond back in British hands.

KEYWORDS: Brioni, fashion, James Bond, Royal College of Art, School, Tom Ford