When it comes to exploring brands and their collections we're always undeniably drawn to those that have a strong heritage, a personality and a story - something that makes buying and wearing their clothes feel a bit more special and personal.
Whether it be Barbour with their strong roots in South Shields dating back to 1894, or Seasalt a brand synonymous with the coast of Cornwall - if a brand has a story, we want to share it.
This time, we're delving into the story of one of our most popular men's brands, Fynch Hatton. In doing so, we turn right back to 1887 when a certain Denys Finch Hatton was born. The son of an English Earl he was born into privilege and could have easily lived a safe, comfortable, congenial life in England. Yet for Finch Hatton, adventure called and in 1911 he left for Kenya, (then British East Africa). Once there, Finch Hatton was overwhelmed by the rugged beauty of Africa. His love of the landscape led him to lay down roots, and over time he became a well-known safari leader who led wealthy tourists, including the soon-to-be King of England, on tours of the land.
During this time, Finch Hatton struck on a relationship with the author Karen Blixen which lasted until his death in 1931. Karen Blixen ran a coffee plantation at the foot of the ngong mountains. As an author, her most famous work was her collections of personal essays about her time in Africa and, of course, her relationship with Finch Hatton. The compilation of these essays resulted in the book Out of Africa.
We could spend a lot of time exploring the rich stories and themes within that book, but the obvious question for this article is how does all this relate back to a clothing company? Well, we have Hollywood, a shared love of Africa, and a family history of textile making to thank for that. We jump forward now to 1985, when Karen's book has been adapted for the big screen. Playing her is Meryl Streep, whilst Robert Redford plays Finch Hatton in what was a huge Hollywood romantic epic.
In the same year that this film is released a man named Roger Brandts is visiting Africa. His family are textile makers and he is visiting on a 6-month internship before starting his own further studies in textile technology. Roger had seen the film 'Out of Africa' and much like Finch Hatton did all those years ago, felt an immediate affinity with the landscape, but also to the story and free spirit of Denys Finch Hatton that he had watched in the film. By 1988, the culmination of his passion for Africa, his own pull towards adventure, his commitment to quality clothing and his family history in textiles lit the touch paper for Roger to launch his own fashion label.
It didn't take long to settle on a name - Fynch Hatton - a tribute to Denys Finch Hatton who's love of Africa, freedom and spirit of adventure left an undeniable mark on Roger. It is little wonder then that the brands motto is - 'To live is to explore' whilst the brand logo is the umbrella acacia, the typical tree of the African savannah.
Today the brand is flourishing. The Fynch Hatton mens clothing collection spans coats and jackets, knitwear, polo-shirts, shirts and sweatshirts to offer gentlemen a comprehensive wardrobe uplift. And of course, the inspiration of Africa continues to permeate all the Fynch Hatton collections, particularly through its use of colour and through its slightly rugged, yet reliable robustness.
We hope you have enjoyed this exploration of one our favourite brands. As ever, if you have any questions, we are here to help whether it be by phone, email or in-store. For further peace of mind, we offer free returns on all UK orders.