Hackett London traces its roots back 35 years to the hustle and bustle of the Portobello Road market in London’s Notting Hill. It was there that Jeremy Hackett met Ashley Lloyd-Jennings and started selling second-hand vintage British clothes and accessories. Demand soon outstripped supply so Hackett and Lloyd-Jennings began making their own clothes from natural fibres in traditional British styles. From these humble beginnings, via a shop at the wrong end of the King’s Road, Hackett now has over 1,000 points of sale in 65 countries across the world.
Hackett prides itself on providing accessible luxury with the unique Hackett signature. ‘Hackett is a brand that dresses men of all ages,’ says founder and chairman Jeremy Hackett, ‘in a style that is classic but not old-fashioned.’
In June 2019, to mark the 150th anniversary of British Army Polo, Hackett – as its long-term brand partner – launched the SS19 British Army Polo range. To celebrate this milestone Hackett mounted an exhibition at Christie’s curated by Carrie Scott documenting 150 years of the sport. The highlight of the exhibition was a limited-edition collection of specially commissioned photographs by Uli Weber.
Hackett opened its new London store at No.14 Savile Row, giving it a presence on a street whose name is synonymous with fine tailoring the world over
These images highlight, as Weber puts it, ‘The raw and powerful nature of equine power versus human strength, yet also show the beauty and grace of that relationship.’ The inspiration for the photographs was drawn from ‘the relationship between horse and rider and the mysterious, symbiotic, and ancient relationship between man and beast.’
In November Hackett opened its new London store at No.14 Savile Row. This address gives Hackett a presence on a street whose name is synonymous with fine tailoring the world over. No.14 is a building steeped in history as it was formerly the studio of Sir Hardy Amies, fashion designer and for many years the Queen’s couturier. Sir Hardy’s career spanned almost seven decades, and No.14 was his professional home for most of his working life. Now, having been restored to its former glory, this Grade II-listed four-story Georgian townhouse is dedicated to bespoke and made- to-measure tailoring.
Jeremy Hackett worked closely with British architect and interior designer, Ben Pentreath, on the restoration of No.14. Commenting on the renovation, Pentreath says: ‘It’s been an invigorating experience working with Jeremy and the Hackett team on breathing new life into the fabled interiors of No.14 Savile Row – one of the most beautiful early Georgian townhouses I’ve seen in London. We’ve all had a shared intuitive sense as to the right approach to the restoration and I feel we have created something timeless, quintessentially British and in places, hopefully, a little unexpected.’
No.14 Savile Row will become the headquarters of Hackett Bespoke Tailoring, overseen by a dedicated Head Cutter and a team of craftspeople, alongside the ready- to-wear range and the new S/S’20 collection from February. This latest evolution of the Hackett brand demonstrates that it remains wedded to tradition but with its eyes firmly on the future.
