Swaine opens key New Bond Street flagship in radical rebrand

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Mar 28, 2023

Swaine, which claims to be the UK’s oldest luxury goods brand, has opened a flagship store on London’s New Bond Street. And it’s an important statement for the brand, “becoming the centrepiece of its most radical rebrand in 273 years”.

That means its Swaine’s biggest bricks and mortar venture in its history and marks a wider brand refresh.

After trading in nearby St James’s for almost three centuries, Swaine left the district in 2022, opening a boutique in Mayfair’s Burlington Arcade, with the aim of later establishing a new flagship store “to better serve the needs of a future-facing heritage brand and its clientele”.

That has now become a reality, with the new flagship store at 126-127 New Bond Street to complement the existing Burlington Arcade boutique. 

The 7,000 sq ft. space is the largest store in the brand’s history and will showcase its growing product offer “in an environment that mirrors its new creative direction”.

To design the flagship, Swaine enlisted the services of architects Malherbe Paris and Atelier Architecture and Design, which have created concept spaces for LVMH, Harrods and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Housed in a 19th-century building, the flagship includes a ground floor and mezzanine. This displays Swaine’s full range of men’s and women’s leather goods and luggage alongside Herbert Johnson hats and Brigg umbrellas – sister brands of the Swaine family. 

However, its ‘Rain Room’ is the store’s focal point. The space is hung with Perspex column ‘icicles’ that create an abstract impression of rain to display its handmade umbrella range. 

There are also dedicated areas for private appointments and bespoke services, as well as a museum, charting the brand’s extensive history. 

Workshops for both Swaine leather goods and Herbert Johnson hats are located above the store, where leather artisans and hatters will handcraft bespoke orders for clients and the UK armed forces.

A separate, lower ground floor is set to open in the future. 

“The flagship will not only showcase the full range of luxury products, but is where each customer, new or connoisseur, will be able to fully engage with the spirit of Swaine through an immersive brand experience”, says Swaine chairman and CEO Carine de Koenigswarter.