Since the brand's foundation in 1851, John Emery's Aquascutum have been the pioneers of the trench coat and the establishment of waterproof textile within outerwear. In more recent times, the brand has become one of the pioneer brands for the British cultural industry, with music, sport and fashion heavily influenced by the Club Check pattern that has become distinct and the stand-out representation of Aquascutum's image. Being based in a city like Portsmouth that embraces the island's football club as a staple of the city, HemingCo recognises all too well the importance of Aquascutum in modern day menswear.
We have stocked Aquacsutum for decades, and have always kept up with their ever-evolving style while continuing to embrace the traditional roots that helped embed Aquascutum within our store and the wider industry. Pre-COVID, Aquascutum was known as 'Aquascutum London', with their flagship Regent Street store an iconic landmark and representation of the British designer industry.
However, the brand has struggled with financial issues within the 21st Century. In 2012 and 2020, Aquascutum entered administration, with the pandemic and its everlasting financial hardships forcing a dissolution of Aquascutum in 2021, with liquidators triggering the brand's closure. Throughout this period, Aquascutum's strong Asian market representation began to slide in the face of numerous licensing issues, complications with pricing and inconsistency in the quality of the products, representing a major dent in the company's revenue. This ultimately foresaw the closure of Aquascutum London, with its licensing formally dissolved in 2024.
While the fashion industry saw the closure of the brand as a major loss to Britain's designer output, the longstanding reputation and historical innovation the brand provided meant that the brand's image would remain a tempting investment for those looking for business investment throughout the pandemic. This was ultimately proven true when Asian conglomerate Shandong Ruyi purchased the brand in early 2023. The conglomerate relaunched the brand as 'Aquascutum Active' as a result of the licensing issues with 'London', and began a partnership with Italian manufacturing company Icons srl, which began a change in the material and structure of future Aquascutum products.
Since the partnership with Icons srl, Aquascutum's product design has branched out to include more trendy pieces such as the SP Blazer and the Club Check Details t-shirt. This has helped not only re-introduce Aquascutum into the designer mainframe but has also introduced a new direction for the brand to explore, and with Italian backing, this will only continue as the brand examines the current market. The long-term plan for Aquascutum Active is to continue to lead the way in product regeneration and design evolution by introducing new styles and products that blend the historic heritage of the brand with the modern-day Club Check-led trendsetting that dominates the modern day designer industry.
HemingCo have launched their Summer Sale, with ALL Aquascutum Active products discounted up to half price. To view the collection, click here.