British heritage brand Aquascutum for sale

British heritage brand Aquascutum has been put up for sale. Jaeger-owner Harold Tillman, who controls the company, has reportedly consulted Rothschild to handle the process. Aquascutum has been floundering in the past year:

it lost £10m on sales of £28m in the year to February 2010.

Aquascutum was established in 1851 by John Emary, a tailor, who opened a menswear shop at 46 Regent Street. In 1853, after succeeding to produce the first waterproof wool, he had his discovery patented and renamed the company ‘Aquascutum’, Latin for ‘watershield’.

In 1901, Emary moved to 100 Regent Street in the heart of London, which remains Aquascutum’s flagship store to this day.

Domestic and fashion applications followed, promoted in the 19th century by royal fashion leader King Edward VII. His majesty was Aquascutum’s first royal client, ordering an Aquascutum coat in the Prince of Wales check. In 1897, Aquascutum was granted a royal warrant, the first that would mark the British royal family’s long patronage of the company.

In 1900, Aquascutum opened a womenswear department, offering water-repellent capes and coats, which were extremely popular among British suffragettes.

The company has created other fabrics and coats using similar names, such as the Eiderscutum light overcoat and the multicoloured wool-yarn weave, Aquaspectrum.

The company has supplied aristocrats, political leaders, and actors, including three Princes of Wales, Prince Rainier of Monaco, Sir Winston Churchill, Baroness Thatcher, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Sophia Loren, Cary Grant, and Michael Caine.

Aquascutum was family owned until 1990, when it was purchased by Japanese textile conglomerate company Renown Incorporated. After it suffered three years of losses, it off-loaded the company to Harold Tillman in September 2009.

Image: Aquascutum SS12