FASHION FROM THE NORTH
I knew the brand ETON when Pierre-benoit Duhamel, the founder of Clusier, told me about it during an interview with him. ETON is a family affair, they have been making refined men’s shirts since 1928. Their factory and headquarters are in Gånghester, Sweden, where their very first shirts were sewn. Based on Swedish know-how and attention to detail, Eton is today one of the world’s leading shirt manufacturers. It is present in 49 markets in some of the most exclusive stores in the world as our partner Clusier precisely.
The story.
In many ways, Eton’s story is that of its founders, David and Annie Pettersson. At the beginning of their marriage, Annie began sewing kitchen dresses for the family and neighbors. However, when the crisis occurs in the 1920s, David is forced to close the family sawmill. This leads him to join his wife, whose business is growing rapidly. Together, they launched Syfabriken Special (Swedish for “The Special Sewing Factory”) and chose to focus their attention on creating men’s shirts, which quickly became popular among locals.
As the sons of the Pettersson couple, Rune and Arne Davidson, begin to roam the world in search of new fabrics well suited to fine shirts. Their travels will inevitably take them to England, which, as you certainly know, has long been a world leader in fine fabrics. During one of these excursions, in 1948, they cross the small town of Eton, a name that carries a strong allure for the brothers. Together, they carry home a new garment and soon, “The Eton Shirt” is released.
The company Skjortfabriken Special is so famous for the Eton t-shirt that it adopts “Eton” as the new name in 1950. Faced with the increased demand that almost burst the seams of the factory of the company, it is imperative for them to find a bigger site. In order to stay in the city that saw her birth, Gånghester, the brand designs and starts working on a new, very modern factory. Drawing heavily on Inge’s innovative technology (son of Eton funders Annie and David), which will eventually be transformed into a clean company, Eton Systems, the new space is a marvel, setting the tone for many years of superior shirt production.
Although Eton is known for its high-quality garments, the company is still struggling to get its message across to retailers worthy of their quality. To combat this problem, Eton hires a new sales team, including Rune Hallgren. Although he barely speaks English, Hallgren makes sure to meet a small British clothing store. After examining the superior craftsmanship of Eton’s garments, the owner placed a small order in 1955. The first success abroad was acquired.
The process of transporting and storing Eton garments from the factory is far too inefficient for the volume anticipated by the company. Inge Davidson (son of the founders of Eton, David and Annie)—who spent much of her childhood tinkering with sewing machines—proposes to create a solution. The result is an automated transport line which carries pieces from each stage of development, making planning, storage and quality control of shirt production much more economical. Established in 1963, this innovation will not only help Eton resist growing competition from newly industrialized countries, but also revolutionize the entire clothing industry.
In 1992, Eton introduced Eton Etastar, the world’s debut crease-resistant shirt in 100% cotton. The first retailer selling the product is Harrods, who sells an impressive volume of about 600 shirts in the first week alone. To further boost the output, Eton designer Jan Borghardt convinced the department store to launch its firstever promotional campaign. This campaign is echoing around the world and Eton is quickly becoming Harrods best-selling shirt.
In 2010, Eton opened a flagship store in the center of the Upper East Side in Manhattan. Housed in a two-story venue, this New York location is home to Eton’s complete collection, as well as a showroom and VIP area for guests. Over the next three years, the brand opened new flagship stores in London, Stockholm and their own online store.
2016 is a new chapter for Eton, where the story becomes clearer and more diverse. They reveal a new identity with an updated logo and labeling, as well as new interior design and changes to their collections. Red Ribbon is renamed Eton Collection, Green Ribbon in Eton Green and Black Ribbon in Evening. They also present a new collection of stylish shirts for all casual occasions—unbuttoned.
For the fall and winter of 2019, it is the arrival of new innovative materials and tribute to ancient Egypt, a link with the Mummy exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, which knows, at Eton. The Autumn-winter 2019 collection is one of the most important of ETON to date.
Looking to the future and moving forward—that’s what Eton’s Horizons collection is all about. By taking what is good from the past and mixing it with new and innovative ideas, Eton’s design team has created luxurious clothes for a modern man on the move. The models and color palettes of this collection pay tribute to the aesthetics of ancient Egypt and can be found in many pieces of the collection—on shirts and accessories.
Ranging from a subtle and playful activity to a casual look, the collection is the most complete of Eton’s variety of styles. Hand-painted intricate prints are mixed with discrete micro-patterns and sets of textured luxurious causality.
Eton’s invaluable fabric innovations are widely distributed this season with Eton’s signature technical fabrics. You will find the natural stretch 100% cotton and wrinkle resistant, the flannel resistant to wrinkling, durable materials such as cotton-tencel and yak wool become the fibers.
Eton is also expanding its product line by adding shirts inspired by classic sports jackets and a luxury 100% Italian wool tuque—in true Eton spirit.
Visit etonshirts.com to find out more or make an appointment with our partner Clusier who offers you $ 100 on your first purchase when you are a member of Club Gentologie.