Since 1750, Swaine is the oldest name in luxury goods in London providing handmade luxury leather goods, elegant Brigg umbrellas and timeless Herbert Johnson, Indiana Jones’ headwear.
As one of the longest-established luxury goods houses – it embarks on a new chapter of its 273-year history, refreshing its image and range for 21st-century life, while retaining the heritage craft skills that made it a revered name in luxury.
Established in 1750 as an equestrian whip maker, Swaine later expanded its offering to suit shifting lifestyles, moving into leather goods and luggage, umbrellas and hats. Swaine represents a thread leading back to a more elegant time. Their products are made to last generations and proudly encourage their customers to look after your item and trust them for repair. Swaine is one of the most prestigious luxury brands in London. Their techniques are nearly a lost art, kept alive by their master craftsmen.
As part of this, it acquired businesses of comparable quality and reputation, bringing their expertise under the same roof, including umbrella maker Brigg and hatter Herbert Johnson, long-time supplier of the British armed forces. This unique blend of expertise earned Swaine the patronage of numerous discerning clients and 16 royal warrants.
It has also been a long-time champion of style on the big and small screens. Swaine’s products have cemented the cultural image of film’s most iconic characters, including James Bond’s self-destructing Swaine attaché case in From Russia with Love, Indiana Jones’s dust- speckled trilby, Mary Poppins’ Brigg parrot-head umbrella and most recently, Thomas Shelby’s Herbert Johnson newsboy cap in Peaky Blinders.
Now, as the brand attunes to the times, its latest evolution cements its place as a leading light in British luxury goods. Formerly known as Swaine Adeney Brigg, it has been rechristened as Swaine after its forefather, James Swaine, with a revamped house logo, while a new flagship store will opened earlier this year to complement the current boutique in Mayfair’s Burlington Arcade. This flagship, located at 126-127, New Bond Street, has been designed by leading architectural firms Malherbe Paris and Atelier Architecture and Design, who created an immersive space that reflects both the brand’s pedigree and fresh direction. The 7,000 sq. ft. store will showcase the full men’s and women’s leather goods range and Herbert Johnson hats, alongside a ‘Rain Room’ for Brigg umbrellas and spaces for private appointments and bespoke services. Bespoke workshops for leather goods and Herbert Johnson hats will also be housed above the store, continuing the brand’s long tradition of production in the heart of the British capital.
This clean, contemporary rebrand is mirrored in Swaine’s revitalised product offering. Its iconic James Bond Attaché Case, for example, has been reimagined in a sleeker, lightweight form, making it more suited to busy urban life and for the first time, a women’s equivalent has been introduced to the range. However, for those who prefer to stay true to tradition, Swaine will continue to make its legacy products to their original specification, including the heritage Bond Attaché Case, made from English bridle leather – a signature material for the brand. “Swaine is the oldest luxury brand in the world and that history is one of our greatest assets. This rebirth is about investment, elevation and moving forward to capture a new audience and generation, while maintaining our hallmark of understated British elegance”, says Carine de Koenigswarter, Chairman and CEO of Swaine. While this rebrand is its most pivotal in nearly 300 years of trade, Swaine remains a byword for enduring luxury goods and the best of British craftsmanship.
