at Lachasse, financed Hardy Amies' move to 14 Savile Row. The following January, Amies established his own couture fashion house business: Hardy Amies Ltd. Although Savile Row is the home of English bespoke tailoring, the Hardy Amies brand became known for its classic and beautifully tailored clothes for both men and women. Hardy's business quickly took off in the postwar years when customers, who had been deprived of couture for the preceding years, snapped up his elegant, traditional designs. Hardy was quoted at the time as saying, "A woman's day clothes must look equally good at Salisbury Station as the Ritz Bar". Amies was Vice-Chairman of the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers (1954–56) and chairman (1959–60). Starting in 1946, the fashion house was located at 14 Savile Row. It changed ownership several times over the course of its history. In 1950, Amies established a ready-to-wear boutique with suits, sweaters, coats and accessories. In 2018, the company went into administration for a second time and was attempting to sell its assets in 2019. The Savile Row store was closed in March 2019 and the space taken over by Hackett London in June as its flagship store. The Label is continuing to prosper in Australia. The brand is run by Austico apparel and has an online presence. Their products are available at Hardy & Harper, David Jones and other private retailers across Australia. Commercial success Amies was successful in business by being able to extract value from his designs, while not replicating his brand to the point of exploitation. In 1959, Amies was one of the first European designers to venture into the ready-to-wear market when he teamed up with Hepworth & Son to design a range of menswear. In 1961, Amies made fashion history by staging the first men's ready-to-wear catwalk shows, at the Savoy Hotel, London. The runway show was a first on many levels, as it was both the first time music was played and that the designer accompanied models on the catwalk. Menswear designing In 1959, Amies was one of the first women's couturiers to design for men. He used to be more conservative than other menswear designers. His designs were characterized by an emphasis on youthful and rich-looking clothing. He signed numerous licensing agreements to produce popular garments in various countries. Sports Amies also undertook design for in-house work wear, which developed from designing special clothes