Founded more than 250 years ago as royal whipmaker to King George III, luxury goods manufacturer Swaine has long since moved beyond its equestrian origins, expanding into leather goods, hats, and umbrellas – all rigorously handmade in Britain. In many ways, the business has operated as a luxury conglomerate before that was a thing, undergoing several transformations since its establishment in 1750. Today, leather accessories remain at its heart, complemented by the later acquisitions in the mid-20th century of Herbert Johnson headwear and Brigg umbrellas.
Despite a stellar client roster – from Queen Victoria to Tsar Nicholas II of Russia – and a history of outfitting some of cinema’s most enduring characters, the brand remains defined by discreet understatement. “We are so British we just don’t like to shout about ourselves much,” says development director Monty Lowry Corry as he walks us through the New Bond Street flagship in London, pausing to point out pieces that have left their mark on the history of cinema.
There is the attaché case carried by James Bond in From Russia with Love, ingeniously rigged with lifesaving gadgets – still available today, minus the gold coins and ammunition. The whangee bamboo-handled Brigg umbrella, twirled by Gene Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain. The parrot-headed model from Mary Poppins. Not forgetting the Herbert Johnson Poet hat worn by Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones and the more recent flat caps that featured in Peaky Blinders. The list, in truth, goes on.
Leaning into its cinematic legacy, Swaine has returned to the US after a long hiatus (its San Francisco branch closed in 1993), opening in the Beverly Center in Los Angeles this past April. “Our anglophile American friends now account for more than 50 percent of our clientele,” adds Lowry Corry. They’re drawn to the heritage, craftsmanship, and that quiet British sensibility. The store offers Swaine the opportunity to showcase its manufacturing process firsthand, step by step, behind some of its most popular pieces. A digital wall connects the West Coast with the workshop beneath the London store, where a craftsman can take more than 30 hours to complete a single attaché case.
A self-declared patriot, Lowry Corry – whose family have been loyal customers for generations – proudly points out how Swaine’s story is intertwined with that of Britain itself. “Our success is rooted in an unwavering dedication to handcrafted perfection and a forward-thinking, entrepreneurial spirit,” he says. “We have been making goods, without pause, for 276 years – 26 years before America was even founded,” he smiles with confidence. Swaine may trade on understatement, but its history speaks loudly enough.
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