DAKS
Industry | Fashion |
---|---|
Founded | City of London, England (1894) |
Founder | Simeon Simpson |
Headquarters | London, UK Japan |
Key people | Paul Dimond (deputy chairman) Luigi Veccia (creative director) |
Products | Clothing Accessories |
Owner | Sankyo Seiko Co. Limited (since 1991) |
Website | www |
DAKS is a British luxury
Worldwide, DAKS is exported to 30 countries and sold in over 2,000 speciality shops, major stores and concessions. Since 1991 the company is owned by Sankyo Seiko Co. Limited.[1]
Name DAKS
The name DAKS was introduced in 1935 for Simpson's new line of self-supporting trouser, and later expanded to suits.
History
Early years – S Simpson
In 1894 Simeon Simpson, aged 16, rented a room on Middlesex Street,
Alexander Simpson, his second son, joined the business aged 15 in 1917, and by 1929 had planned and opened a larger factory in Stoke Newington where production could be centralised, this again had to be enlarged a few years later.[6]: 3
20th century – DAKS and Simpsons Piccadilly
With the continued growth of the company Alexander Simpson began to take more control of the business, and in 1935 DAKS tailored the first self-supporting trouser.[2] The trousers were available in many colours and fabrics that weren't generally associated with menswear. Soon after a DAKS womenswear line was released, using the patented waistband for skirting.[6]: 52
At the turn of the 21st century when the company was acquired by Japanese group Sankyo Seiko Co. Limited in 1991, the S Simpson name was dropped and DAKS became the new brand name.[9]
The ease-of-wear of the trousers and how they allowed movement, as intended from Simpson's invention, led to DAKS being popular in sporting wear: kitting tennis, golf, motor racing and football players, and even for the British Olympic team in 1960.
After the war, DAKS started selling to the public again. Queues of people would form along Piccadilly. Simpson tailors would measure them in the line, and present suitable pairs of trousers to them when they arrived in the Simpsons of Piccadilly store.[6]: 58
Simpsons of Piccadilly
Simeon Simpson's son Alexander Simpson founded
Simpsons continued to trade in the Simpsons Piccadilly building for several decades more, helping officers and civilians during
Royal warrants and house check
Larkhall was built in 1948 to Simpson's specifications and was opened by
The company developed a house check in 1976 by Johnny Mengers, the Group managing director of the time and last family chairman.[16]
See also
References
- ^ (in Japanese) DAKS Archived 22 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine sankyoseiko.co.jp
- ^ a b c "Our History". DAKS. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ "Recent Decisions in Trademark Cases in the United Kingdom". The Trademark Reporter. 52 (10): 1081. October 1962.
- ^ Havinden, Ashley (1955). "The Importance of 'Company Handwriting'". The Penrose Annual. 49: 52.
- ISBN 9781845200862.
- ^ ISBN 1-899163-158.
- ^ Green, Jonathon. "daks, n." Green’s Dictionary of Slang. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ a b "The Story". December 2012. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
- ^ "DAKS - Fashion Brand | Brands | the FMD".
- ^ "The Story". Daks.com. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
- ^ "Laszlo Moholy-Nagy". Bauhaus-Online. 28 November 2012. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012
- ^ DAKS website – history Archived 1 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 27 December 2012
- ^ "Checking out London's new Daks store". October 2012. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012
- ^ "Real 'Grace Bros' Store Closes". BBC. 1 February 1999. Retrieved 27 December 2012
- ^ a b Number 10. Retrieved 27 December 2012
- ^ Telegraph. Retrieved 27 December 2012