Through The Years: Aquascutum’s Key Moments

Posted by Styloko

As we bid a tearful farewell (yes, we’re still squeezing those out) to legendary British brand Aquascutum, we take a look back at the house’s key fashion moments throughout its 161 year history…

1851 – John Emary opens a high quality menswear shop at 46 Regent Street, London.

1853 – Emary invents the first waterproof wool and renames the brand Aquascutum, meaning ‘water shield’ in Latin. His outerwear becomes popular with officers in the Crimean War, and they later supply trench coats to soldiers during WW1 and WW2.

1900 - Aquascutum introduces a womenswear line, which becomes particularly popular among the Suffragettes. The store relocates to 100 Regent Street, where the London flagship remains until today.

1942 – Humphrey Bogart – a loyal customer of Aquascutum – wears a trench coat by the British brand in Casablanca.

1990 – Aquascutum is purchased by Japanese textile company Renown Incorporated.

2000 – Michael Herz is appointed creative director of the brand and is joined by Graeme Fidler in 2001, who becomes head of menswear.

2004 – 2005 - Aquascutum relaunch the Raincoat Room at the Regent Street store, re-igniting the fashion pack’s interest in the brand and its legendary outerwear. In February 2005, Herz and Fidler make their London Fashion Week debut with the label’s autumn/winter 2005 collection.

2009 – Harold Tillman buys Aquascutum from Renown, bringing the brand back to British ownership.

2010, March - British shoe designer Beatrix Ong designs the footwear for Aquascutum’s AW10 and SS11 collections. In March, Michael Herz and Graeme Fidler resign. Herz takes his final bow after showing a highly lauded AW10 collection at LFW.

2010, May – St Martins graduate Joanna Sykes is appointed creative director. Sykes, who had just been awarded her second NEWGEN sponsorship, put her own label on hold to concentrate on Aquascutum.

2011 – Having taken a season off from LFW, Joanna Sykes makes her Aquascutum debut with the brand’s AW11 collection, which receives positive reviews from press.

2012, January – With the aim of appealing to all generations, Sykes chooses Guinevere Van Seenus, 34, to front Aquascutum’s SS12 campaign.

2012, March – Joanna Sykes shows what turns out to be her last collection for the iconic British brand at LFW.