Kent & Curwen
Kent & Curwen is a British heritage clothing and accessories brand founded in London in 1926, known originally for institutional ties and later for cricket-inspired knitwear, tailoring and sportswear.
Last updated August 22, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Kent & Curwen is a British heritage apparel brand whose roots lie in the manufacture of regimental, club and college ties. Eric Kent and Dorothy Curwen established E.W. Kent & Curwen in London in 1926, initially supplying Oxford and Cambridge universities. This institutional beginning shaped the brand’s long-running association with British sporting, academic and ceremonial culture. In 1932 the company acquired a London knitwear factory and began producing cricket jumpers, expanding beyond ties into a broader clothing business. During the 1930s it also dressed the Hollywood Cricket team, helping connect the label’s British sporting identity with international visibility. The business was incorporated as Kent & Curwen Ltd. in 1937. After Eric Kent’s death in 1939 and Dorothy Curwen’s death in 1972, the company continued to operate through changing ownership and locations. It moved to Domingo Street in 1973 and later developed a retail presence in central London. During the 1980s the brand opened a store on St. James’s Street and expanded into export markets, exhibiting in New York and Paris and opening locations on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and Fifth Avenue in New York. It also established retail activity in Hong Kong and Singapore. The period broadened Kent & Curwen’s identity from a specialist supplier into an internationally oriented British lifestyle label. The company’s heritage credentials were reinforced through cultural and institutional work. In the 1980s it sponsored costumes for the film Chariots of Fire. It later supplied uniforms for the Wimbledon Championships and became the official uniform supplier for Hong Kong representatives at the 2012 London Olympic Games and the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. Its involvement in cricket, polo, horse racing and charitable sporting events further linked the brand to British and Commonwealth sporting traditions. Retail conditions changed in the early 2000s, when the international stores closed in succession, including the St. James’s Street store in 2002. Kent & Curwen returned to a London flagship format with a Conduit Street store in 2006 and later opened at Piccadilly Arcade in 2010 and Covent Garden in 2017. In 2008, the brand was acquired by Trinity Limited, part of the Li & Fung Group, whose operations were headquartered in Hong Kong. A major repositioning began in the mid-2010s. Kent & Curwen entered a five-year global partnership with David Beckham in 2015, combining Beckham’s public profile with the label’s British heritage. Daniel Kearns became creative director in 2016 and was responsible for the collections, including the Beckham partnership. The brand subsequently used heritage sports references, tailoring and contemporary casualwear to reach a broader international audience. Collaborations included a 2019 collection inspired by the BBC television series Peaky Blinders and a range featuring motifs and statements by artist David Shrigley. Kent & Curwen ceased trading in the United Kingdom in 2021 after the liquidation of its Chinese owner and Trinity Group. The UK head office and retail shops closed, and the UK website was discontinued. In 2023 the brand was acquired by the Guangzhou-based Biem L. Fdlkk Garment Group, alongside Cerruti 1881. Daniel Kearns rejoined as chief creative officer. Under the new ownership, the label resumed development as a heritage-focused fashion brand. Its Autumn/Winter 2024 range was described as its first co-ed collection, supported by a campaign photographed by Glen Luchford and a look book by Jack Day. In September 2024 it presented its Spring/Summer 2025 collection at the Royal Academy Schools during London Fashion Week. The contemporary brand continues to draw on cricket, tailoring, collegiate clothing, British uniforms and sporting culture while operating within a new Chinese-owned corporate structure.
History
Kent & Curwen was founded in London in 1926 by Eric Kent and Dorothy Curwen as E.W. Kent & Curwen. The company began by making regimental, club and college ties, with Oxford and Cambridge among its institutional customers. Its early business established the themes that would remain central to the brand: British institutions, formal dress, sport and club culture. In 1932 the company acquired a London knitwear factory and began making cricket jumpers. The move diversified the business and gave Kent & Curwen a product category that became one of its most recognizable heritage references. During the 1930s the company also dressed the Hollywood Cricket team. Kent & Curwen was incorporated as a limited company on 23 June 1937 and subsequently traded as Kent & Curwen Ltd. Eric Kent died suddenly in 1939, aged 46, while Dorothy Curwen died in 1972. In 1973 the company moved from Warwick Street to leasehold premises on Domingo Street. The brand developed a stronger retail and export presence in the 1980s. It opened a store at 39 St. James’s Street in London, explored export markets through trade shows in New York and Paris, and established stores on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and Fifth Avenue in New York. It also opened in Asian markets including Singapore and Hong Kong. During the decade, Kent & Curwen became the costume sponsor of Chariots of Fire. In December 1982 it was taken over by the Swiss trading company Giselle, an ownership change that also led to a trading relationship with Japan’s D’Urban. The international stores closed in the early 2000s, including the St. James’s Street store in 2002. The company later re-established a London flagship on Conduit Street in 2006 and was acquired by Trinity Limited, part of the Li & Fung Group, in 2008. A shop at No. 2 Piccadilly Arcade opened in 2010, followed by a second London store in Covent Garden in 2017. Kent & Curwen continued to build its sporting and institutional profile. It sponsored the Kent & Curwen Centenary Sprint Cup from 2010 and supported charitable cricket and polo events. It supplied uniforms for Hong Kong’s representatives at the 2012 London Olympic Games and the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. The brand also supplied staff uniforms for the Wimbledon Championships. In 2015 Kent & Curwen announced a five-year global business partnership with David Beckham. Daniel Kearns was appointed creative director in 2016 to oversee the collections and the Beckham relationship. The brand expanded its contemporary cultural activity through a 2019 Peaky Blinders collaboration featuring items such as frock coats, tailored suits and flat caps, and through a collaboration with artist David Shrigley involving graphic motifs and statements on clothing and accessories. The UK business ceased trading in 2021 after the liquidation of the Chinese owner and Trinity Group. Its UK headquarters and shops closed, as did the UK website. In 2023 Biem L. Fdlkk Garment Group acquired Kent & Curwen together with Cerruti 1881. Daniel Kearns returned as chief creative officer. The renewed brand presented its first co-ed Autumn/Winter collection for 2024 and showed its Spring/Summer 2025 collection at the Royal Academy Schools during London Fashion Week in September 2024.
- 2024
First co-ed collection and London Fashion Week presentation
[1]The Autumn/Winter 2024 collection was the brand’s first co-ed collection, followed by a Spring/Summer 2025 show at the Royal Academy Schools.
- 2023
Biem L. Fdlkk acquisition
[1]Biem L. Fdlkk Garment Group acquired Kent & Curwen and brought Daniel Kearns back as chief creative officer.
- 2021
UK trading ends
[1]The brand ceased trading in the UK following the liquidation of its Chinese owner and Trinity Group.
- 2016
Daniel Kearns becomes creative director
[1]Daniel Kearns was appointed to oversee all collections, including those developed through the Beckham partnership.
- 2015
David Beckham partnership announced
[1]Kent & Curwen began a five-year global business partnership with David Beckham.
- 2008
Acquired by Trinity Limited
[1]Trinity Limited, part of the Li & Fung Group, acquired the brand.
- 2006
Conduit Street flagship opens
[1]The brand returned to a central London flagship retail format with a new store on Conduit Street.
- 1986
Expansion into the United States
[1]Kent & Curwen opened a location on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and maintained a store on Fifth Avenue in New York, alongside Asian expansion.
- 1982
Acquired by Giselle
[1]The Swiss trading company Giselle took over Kent & Curwen and helped establish a trading relationship with Japan’s D’Urban.
- 1937
Kent & Curwen Ltd. registered
[1]The business was registered as a limited company and adopted the Kent & Curwen Ltd. name.
Products and positioning
A British heritage fashion label combining collegiate and regimental traditions with cricket, tailoring, sport and contemporary casualwear. Its positioning is built around institutional authenticity, British sporting culture and modern interpretations of archival clothing.
Accessories · 1926
Institutional and heritage ties
Kent & Curwen began as a manufacturer of regimental, club and college ties. These products connected the brand to British universities, institutions and sporting clubs, particularly Oxford and Cambridge, and established the formal and collegiate vocabulary that continues to inform its later collections.
Knitwear · 1932
Cricket jumpers
Introduced after the company acquired a London knitwear factory in 1932, cricket jumpers became one of Kent & Curwen’s defining heritage products. The style represents the brand’s connection to British sport and has provided a foundation for later interpretations of cricket-inspired knitwear and casual clothing.
Apparel
Tailoring and outerwear
Kent & Curwen’s modern apparel offer has included tailored suits, frock coats and outerwear. These pieces combine formal British dressing with references to institutional uniforms, period clothing and sporting culture, as demonstrated by the brand’s Peaky Blinders collaboration.
Sportswear
Polo shirts and casualwear
Polo shirts, sweatshirts and T-shirts extend the brand’s heritage language into more accessible casualwear. The range allows sporting and collegiate references to be expressed through everyday garments rather than only through formal ties, knitwear or tailoring.
Accessories · 2019
Flat caps and accessories
Flat caps and other accessories have been used to express Kent & Curwen’s British period and sporting associations. The flat cap was particularly visible in the collection developed with the BBC television series Peaky Blinders.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024Autumn/Winter 2024 co-ed campaign
International
The first co-ed Kent & Curwen collection was supported by a campaign photographed by Glen Luchford and a look book by Jack Day.
Outcome. The campaign accompanied the brand’s post-acquisition relaunch under Biem L. Fdlkk Garment Group.
- 2019Peaky Blinders collaboration
United Kingdom · International
Kent & Curwen launched a collection made in collaboration with the BBC television series Peaky Blinders, featuring frock coats, tailored suits and flat caps associated with the show’s period aesthetic.
Outcome. The collaboration extended the brand’s heritage and British cultural positioning into television-led fashion.
- 2019David Shrigley collaboration
International
Artist David Shrigley created motifs and statements for a Kent & Curwen collaboration spanning sweatshirts, T-shirts and accessories.
Outcome. The project introduced an artist-led graphic dimension to the brand’s heritage-oriented product offer.
- 2015David Beckham global partnership
Global
Kent & Curwen announced a five-year global business partnership with David Beckham, using his profile and creative involvement to modernize the brand’s British heritage positioning.
Outcome. Daniel Kearns was appointed creative director in 2016 to oversee collections connected with the partnership.
- 2012London Olympic Games uniforms
Hong Kong · United Kingdom
Kent & Curwen supplied uniforms for Hong Kong’s representatives at the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games, including a white knitted jacket and casual polo shirts.
Outcome. The work gave the brand a high-profile institutional and international sporting role.
- 1980Chariots of Fire costume sponsorship
United Kingdom · International
Kent & Curwen sponsored costumes for the film Chariots of Fire, reinforcing its association with British sporting history and period clothing.
Outcome. The sponsorship linked the brand to an internationally recognized film centered on British athletics.
Brand decisions
2024
Launch of the first co-ed collectionProduct launchBackground
Following the 2023 ownership change, Kent & Curwen developed a renewed contemporary expression of its heritage positioning.
Action taken
The brand released its first co-ed Autumn/Winter collection and later presented Spring/Summer 2025 during London Fashion Week.
Aftermath
The presentations marked a visible return to fashion-led brand activity after the end of UK trading.
2023
Acquisition by Biem L. Fdlkk Garment GroupM&ABackground
After the disruption to the previous ownership structure, the brand required a new corporate owner.
Action taken
Biem L. Fdlkk Garment Group acquired Kent & Curwen alongside Cerruti 1881.
Aftermath
Daniel Kearns returned as chief creative officer, and the brand proceeded with new co-ed collections and London fashion presentations.
2021
Withdrawal from UK retailStrategyBackground
The Chinese owner and Trinity Group entered liquidation, affecting the brand’s UK business.
Action taken
Kent & Curwen ceased UK trading, closed its UK head office and retail shops, and discontinued its UK website.
Aftermath
The brand lost its UK retail operation until its later acquisition and relaunch under Biem L. Fdlkk Garment Group.
2015
Five-year David Beckham partnershipStrategyBackground
Kent & Curwen sought to make its British heritage proposition more relevant to a global contemporary audience.
Action taken
The company announced a five-year global business partnership with David Beckham.
Aftermath
Daniel Kearns joined as creative director in 2016 and oversaw the collections associated with the partnership.
2008
Acquisition by Trinity LimitedM&ABackground
Following earlier ownership changes and the development of international retail operations, Kent & Curwen entered the Li & Fung corporate structure.
Action taken
Trinity Limited, part of the Li & Fung Group, acquired the brand.
Aftermath
The brand continued developing its London and international retail presence before later UK trading difficulties.
1932
Move into knitwear and cricket clothingStrategyBackground
The company had established itself through institutional ties but sought to broaden its manufacturing and product base.
Action taken
It acquired a London knitwear factory and began producing cricket jumpers.
Aftermath
Cricket knitwear became a durable part of Kent & Curwen’s heritage identity.
Recent events
- 2024
Kent & Curwen introduces first co-ed collection[1]
Product launch · Product generation · Campaign
The Autumn/Winter 2024 collection was presented as the company’s first co-ed collection and was supported by imagery from Glen Luchford and Jack Day.
- 2024
Kent & Curwen presents Spring/Summer 2025 collection in London[1]
Product launch
The brand presented its Spring/Summer 2025 fashion show at the Royal Academy Schools during London Fashion Week.
- 2023
Biem L. Fdlkk Garment Group acquires Kent & Curwen[1]
M&A · Leadership change
The Guangzhou-based Biem L. Fdlkk Garment Group acquired Kent & Curwen alongside Cerruti 1881, with Daniel Kearns returning to the brand.
- 2021
Kent & Curwen ceases UK trading after Trinity Group liquidation[1]
Bankruptcy
The brand stopped trading in the United Kingdom, closing its UK head office and retail stores and discontinuing its UK website.
- 2016
Kent & Curwen appoints Daniel Kearns as creative director[1]
Leadership change
Daniel Kearns was appointed to oversee Kent & Curwen’s collections, including work connected with its David Beckham partnership.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/kent-and-curwen · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled