Kent & Curwen


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.

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 2021 Kent and Curwen cease trading in the UK after liquidation of the Chinese owner and Trinity Group. The closure led to the shutdown of the UK head office and the termination of the retail shops. The brand also closed its UK website.
  • 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.

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.
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.
Daniel Kearns was appointed in February 2016 to oversee all collections, including the partnership with David Beckham.
Other
  • Kent & Curwen has sponsored the “Kent & Curwen Centenary Sprint Cup” since 2010
  • In 2012, they sponsored a charity cricket match in support of British servicemen through the charities Help for Heroes and Walking with the Wounded.
  • They were the sponsor of The Kent & Curwen Royal Charity Polo Cup between 2012 and 2014.
  • 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.
  • In 2019, David Shrigley created motifs and statements to fit with the brand's style. The collaboration included sweatshirts, T-shirts and accessories.