Kent & Curwen
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retailer |
| Founded | 1926 in London, United Kingdom |
| Founder | Eric Kent Dorothy Curwen |
Number of locations | 83 stores in 29 cities (Mar 2020) |
Key people | Daniel Kearns (Creative Director) |
| Products | Menswear, Clothing, Fashion |
| Parent | Shandong Ruyi |
| Website | www |
Kent & Curwen is a British menswear retailer, founded in 1926 in London by Eric Kent and Dorothy Curwen. Kent & Curwen first made its name supplying ties to universities in Oxford and Cambridge. The brand went on to introduce a cricket sweater in the 1930s.
The Three Lions Herald trademark was registered in 1982.
Kent & Curwen is now owned by the Hong Kong conglomerate Trinity Ltd[1] who were put into liquidation in January 2021.[2]
History[edit]
- 1926 - Eric Kent and Dorothy Curwen established E.W Kent & Curwen in London. They began as a manufacturer of regimental, club and college ties, supplying Oxford and Cambridge universities.
- October 1931 - Eric proposed to Dorothy whilst travelling through Europe. They married the following year
- 1932 - The company bought a knitwear factory in London to manufacture its first cricket jumpers. In the 1930s, E.W Kent & Curwen dressed the Hollywood Cricket team.[3]
- 23 June 1937 - E.W Kent & Curwen was registered as a limited company becoming simply Kent & Curwen Ltd., trading on Silver Street in the City of London.
- 12 February 1939 - Eric Kent died suddenly, aged just 46.
- 1940s - Kent & Curwen moved from Silver Street during WWI due to bomb damage, to Warwick Street in the West End.
- 18 December 1972 - Dorothy died at her home on Sussex Coast.
- 1973 - Kent & Curwen moved from Warwick Street to a leasehold premise on Domingo Street.
- 1975 - Jane Bourvis joined the company, eventually becoming the Director for Knitwear Sales and Design.
- Early 1980s - Kent & Curwen opened their own store at 39 St. James’ Street, close to Piccadilly Circus. They also became the costumes sponsor of the Oscar winning film Chariots of Fire.
- December 1982 - Kent & Curwen was taken over by a Swiss trading company called Giselle. Through this merger, the company was introduced to the Japanese company, D'Urban, with whom a trading agreement was formed.[4]
- Mid 1980s - Kent & Curwen began to explore the export market, exhibiting at trade shows in New York and Paris. In 1986, they opened on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills. In Asia, Kent & Curwen opened across Singapore and Hong Kong.
Kent & Curwen's Advertisement in 1980s
- 1990s - Tie manufacture was down.
- 2000s - Moving into the 21st century, each of the stores closed in quick succession, including the St. James store in 2002, leaving Kent & Curwen no obvious retail presence.
- 2006 - Kent & Curwen opened a new flagship store on Conduit Street.
- 2008 - Kent & Curwen acquired by Trinity Limited of Li & Fung Group with headquarter in Hong Kong.
- February 2010 - Kent & Curwen opened a new shop at No. 2, Piccadilly Arcade.
- 2015 - Kent & Curwen started a 5-year global business partnership with David Beckham.
- 2016 - Kent & Curwen appointed Daniel Kearns as Creative Director.
- 2017 - They opened a second London shop at Covent Garden.[5]
Collaborations and Sponsorship[edit]
Uniforms Sponsorship of Hong Kong's representatives for Olympic and Asian Games
Kent & Curwen was the official uniforms supplier of Hong Kong’s representatives for the London Olympic Games in 2012. Kent & Curwen's designs included white knit jacket and casual polo shirts.[6]
At the 17th Asian Games at Incheon in 2014 Kent & Curwen were the official uniforms supplier for the Hong Kong representative.
Business Partnership with David Beckham
Kent & Curwen announced a 5-year partnership with David Beckham in September 2015.[7]
Daniel Kearns was appointed in February 2016 to oversee all collections, including the partnership with David Beckham.[8][9]
Other
- Kent & Curwen has sponsored the “Kent & Curwen Centenary Sprint Cup” since 2010[10]
- In 2012, they sponsored a charity cricket match in support of British servicemen through the charities Help for Heroes and Walking with the Wounded.[11]
- They were the sponsor of The Kent & Curwen Royal Charity Polo Cup between 2012 and 2014.[12]
- In January 2019, Kent & Curwen launched a collection produced in collaboration with the BBC TV show Peaky Blinders, which included frock coats, tailored suits, and the flat cap featured in the television show.[13]
- In 2019, David Shrigley created motifs and statements to fit with the brand's style. The collaboration included sweatshirts, T-shirts and accessories.[14]
Stores[edit]
As of March 2020, Kent & Curwen has 83 stores in 29 cities.[15]
References[edit]
- ^ "Kent & Curwen and its Hong Kong connection". South China Morning Post. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ Boland, Hannah (4 January 2022). "Gieves & Hawkes in jeopardy as owner goes into liquidation". The Telegraph.
- ^ "Mencyclopaedia: Kent & Curwen - Telegraph". fashion.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ Geoghegan, Jill (5 November 2013). "Kent & Curwen to extend wholesale following store launch". Drapers. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
- ^ UK, FashionNetwork com. "David Beckham's Kent & Curwen to open London flagship store". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ Cheung, Tim (2012-03-28). "Kent & Curwen Unveils the 2012 Olympic Uniform for Hong Kong". Hong Kong Tatler. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ UK, FashionNetwork com. "David Beckham partners with Kent & Curwen". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ "Meet the Irish designer hand-picked by David Beckham to transform Kent & Curwen". www.irishexaminer.com. 2019-06-14. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ "Kent & Curwen Appoints Daniel Kearns As Creative Director – Trinity Group". Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ "Kent & Curwen Proudly Announces the Title Sponsorship of the Kent & Curwen Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse, Sunday, 31 January 2010 - Racing News - Horse Racing - The Hong Kong Jockey Club". www.hkjc.com. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ Shearn, Charles (2012-06-27). "Kent & Curwen "Flannels for Heroes" June 15, 2012". Charles Shearn. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ Thomas, Glyn (2014-07-21). "Kent and Curwen Royal Charity Polo Cup". Sentebale. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ Cochrane, Lauren (6 January 2019). "David Beckham's menswear label doffs cap to Peaky Blinders". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ "Kent & Curwen: David Shrigley X Kent and Curwen". Milled. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ "Kent & Curwen – Trinity Group". Retrieved 2020-04-03.