Kent & Curwen

Kent & Curwen

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Retailer
Founded	1926;99 years ago (1926) in London, United Kingdom
Founders	Eric Kent Dorothy Curwen
Key people	Daniel Kearns (Chief Creative Officer)
Products	Menswear, Womenswear, Clothing, Accessories, Fashion
Owner	Biem. L. Fdlkk Garment Group
Website	www.kentandcurwen.com

Kent & Curwen is a British retailer, established in 1926 in London by Eric Kent and Dorothy Curwen. It is owned by Biem. L. Fdlkk Garment Group. First making its name supplying ties for Oxford and Cambridge universities, over the decades, Kent & Curwen expanded its offerings, introducing the cricket jumper in the 1930s. The brand has also outfitted staff uniforms at several British institutions including the Wimbledon Championships. Today, it is under the direction of Designer Daniel Kearns.

Kent & Curwen's trademark with Three Lions logo

History

• 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.
• 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. ^[1]

Kent & Curwen's certificate of Incorporation, 23 June 1937

• 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.
• 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.

Kent & Curwen's store in St. James’ Street, London (Photo taken in 1980s)

• 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. ^[2]
• 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 and had a store on Fifth Avenue in New York. In Asia, Kent & Curwen opened across Singapore and Hong Kong.

  

  Kent & Curwen's Advertisement in 1980s

Kent & Curwen Silk Ties

• 2000s - Moving into the 21st century, each of the stores closed in quick succession, including the St. James store in 2002.
• 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. ^[3]
• 2023 - After the global pandemic Kent & Curwen is brought by Biem. L. Fdlkk Garment Group. Daniel Kearns rejoined the brand as Chief Creative Officer.
• 2024 - Autumn/Winter 2024 is the first company's first co-ed collection, released with a campaign photographed by Glen Luchford and Look Book by Jack Day.
• September 2024 - Kent & Curwen presented its Spring/Summer 2025 fashion show at the Royal Academy Schools during London Fashion Week.

Design Drawings of Kent & Curwen's clothing

Collaborations and Sponsorship

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. ^[4]

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. ^[5]

Daniel Kearns was appointed in February 2016 to oversee all collections, including the partnership with David Beckham. ^{[6] [7]}

Other

• Kent & Curwen has sponsored the “Kent & Curwen Centenary Sprint Cup” since 2010 ^[8]
• In 2012, they sponsored a charity cricket match in support of British servicemen through the charities Help for Heroes and Walking with the Wounded. ^[9]
• They were the sponsor of The Kent & Curwen Royal Charity Polo Cup between 2012 and 2014. ^[10]
• 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. ^[11]
• In 2019, David Shrigley created motifs and statements to fit with the brand's style. The collaboration included sweatshirts, T-shirts and accessories. ^[12]

References

1. "Mencyclopaedia: Kent & Curwen - Telegraph". fashion.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
2. Geoghegan, Jill (5 November 2013). "Kent & Curwen to extend wholesale following store launch". Drapers. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
3. UK, FashionNetwork com. "David Beckham's Kent & Curwen to open London flagship store". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
4. Cheung, Tim (2012-03-28). "Kent & Curwen Unveils the 2012 Olympic Uniform for Hong Kong". Hong Kong Tatler. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
5. UK, FashionNetwork com. "David Beckham partners with Kent & Curwen". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
6. "Meet the Irish designer hand-picked by David Beckham to transform Kent & Curwen". www.irishexaminer.com. 2019-06-14. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
7. "Kent & Curwen Appoints Daniel Kearns As Creative Director – Trinity Group" . Retrieved 2020-02-17.
8. "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.
9. Shearn, Charles (2012-06-27). "Kent & Curwen "Flannels for Heroes" June 15, 2012". Charles Shearn. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
10. Thomas, Glyn (2014-07-21). "Kent and Curwen Royal Charity Polo Cup". Sentebale. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
11. Cochrane, Lauren (6 January 2019). "David Beckham's menswear label doffs cap to Peaky Blinders". The Guardian . Retrieved 17 February 2020.
12. "Kent & Curwen: David Shrigley X Kent and Curwen". Milled. Retrieved 2020-02-17.