From Cary Grant to David Beckham: The Story of Kent and Curwen

In 2015, David Beckham became a brand ambassador and creative leader for designer apparel brand Kent and Curwen. The match between the football celebrity and the men’s tailor may seem strange at first glance, until you learn some of the history behind this famous British brand.

While the ties and garments made by this famous British brand may have belonged to the officers’ and cricket clubs of traditional England, the likes of Mick Jagger and Paul Weller have made the brand more popular.

Now that David Beckham is aboard the brand, the fashion house’s latest range is sure to make its mark on the world of fashion. It is the perfect combination of the traditional and the modern.

The synergy between David Beckham and the old traditional British fashion brand runs deeper than the Three Lions logo shared by the England football team and the brand; it is also a sporting tradition match.

Established in 1926 by Eric Kent and Dorothy Curwen, the fashion brand began life as a small Saville Row tie, but by 1929, it had already become a provider of links to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

In 1930 officers of all British Army regiments and boys in many of the major public schools wore Kent and Curwen ties. In 1932, the brand expanded its operation by purchasing a knitwear factory and they began manufacturing cricket sweaters.

The 1930s also saw the brand’s first adventure with the stars, when they struck a deal to supply the Hollywood Cricket Club, a club that had a membership that included Laurence Olivier, Errol Flynn, Aubrey Smith, and Basil Rathbone.

The Hollywood Cricket Club was just the beginning. In the 1940s, a legion of Hollywood stars began wearing ties with the label and The Palm Springs Racquet Club also chose the tie maker to make their club ties, adding David Niven, Bob Hope and Cary. Grant to the list of celebrities who could do it. be seen wearing Kent and Curwen ties.

The brand continued to expand in the 1950s and 1960s and its association with celebrities continued to grow. In addition to supplying ties to more than 29,000 clubs, they also expanded their range of blazers and knitwear.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the style of designer-made clothing began to catch on, and people ranging from Michael Caine to Paul Weller to Mick Jagger began wearing regatta jackets and traditional items. Similar.

1972, in particular, was a turning point for the fashion brand, when they were point guards for the England and Australia teams for the 1972 Ashes and that began a relationship with the England cricket team that lasted twenty years.

In the 1980s, the label gained more exposure when they supplied the costumes for the hit movie Chariots of Fire. In 1982, they registered their iconic Three Lions logo as a trademark, and the brand also became the official apparel licensee for the Wimbledon Championships.

David Beckham has influenced menswear for the past several decades and his association with Kent and Curwen will ensure that he continues to do so. It seems that the combination between the soccer star and the traditional men’s clothing brand could really be a perfect match after all.