Joe Allen outside his shop in Blackstock Road with daughters Jade and Jillian

ISLINGTON’S “tailor to the stars” is getting ready to hand the reins over to the next generation, although he’s not taking retirement just yet.

It is 40 years since Joe Allen set up his own business, taking over from his father James, whose shop in Blackstock Road, Finsbury Park, had catered for everyone from high commissioners from Caribbean islands to neighbours in the local Irish community.

Since going out on his own, Mr Allen has designed outfits for royalty and pop stars, counting Annie Lennox, Lulu, and Princess Anne among his clients.

He told the Tribune that when he got a call saying the princess had requested his services, he thought it was his friend pulling a prank. But eight months of work later, and after a few trips to Buckingham Palace to take Anne’s measurements and make adjustments, the princess wore the dress to the opening of an airport in Montserrat, Mr Allen’s home island.

“She got to say, ‘It was someone from Montserrat who made it’. It was excellent,” he said.

Mr Allen now runs the business alongside his two daughters, Jade and Jillian, who are looking to take over from their dad once he finally decides to relax.

“I’m going to pass it on soon,” said Mr Allen, “But I can’t just yet. They know quite a bit already but we just have to enhance it. I keep telling them, ‘You can’t have a restaurant but can’t cook’. You can’t do everything yourself, but you must know.”

Jade started designing wedding gowns in 2016, and set up her own label, Missy Khora, named after her great-grandmother. Meanwhile, Jillian plans to look after the menswear side of the business, and said her dream would be to design a suit for Oscar-nominated actor Coleman Domingo or Green Party leader Zack Polanski.

Mr Allen in the shop with Jade and Jillian when they were children

“We’ve always really loved it to be honest,” Jillian said of the tailoring business. “It’s really hard to escape. It’s all around us.”

Jade told the Tribune: “There’s nothing like getting your own stuff tailored. I remember when Dad made me a pair of cashmere trousers. I was a kid, and didn’t think much of it. I put them on and I was wearing them all the time. When we went back to school I had to wear jeans for an event, and I remember them being so uncomfortable. I remember Mum called Dad immediately and said, ‘You’ve spoilt her!’”

Indeed, the two women grew up with their father travelling across the world, attending fashion shows and celebrity events. In fact, Mr Allen was busy walking the catwalk when Jillian was born.

Mr Allen’s name even appeared at the V&A Museum, where an iconic Union Jack suit designed for Annie Lennox’s appearance at the Brit Awards was exhibited.

But it’s the clothes Mr Allen has made for his family that hold a special place in his heart: a navy dress with detachable skirt for Jade’s graduation and a two-piece with a reversible waistcoat for Jillian’s.

The world has changed since Mr Allen’s father first set up shop – making entire suits for just £20. Now, they said, the cost of fabric has skyrocketed and fewer people are turning to tailors to make their clothes.

“It’s outrageous,” said Mr Allen. “It’s gone up so far. In the shops, there are people who buy 10 rolls of fabric and get a better rate. We are buying maybe three to five metres, so the price is really high, and the customers have to pay for it. People are coming back, the grandchild of someone that my dad made for, because they know of us. We always have people, but we need new people of course at all times.”