Mark Williams, creative director of Ben Sherman
With its distinctive target logo, British menswear brand Ben Sherman has been an icon of London style since it was founded in the city in by Arthur Benjamin Sugarman. Boasting 18, doors worldwide and with UK stockists including Asos, Debenhams and Thread – the brand has extended its reach far beyond the capital, thanks to its distinctive s-inspired designs.
The brand does not disclose wholesale prices. Retail prices range from £35 for a T-shirt to £ for a suit. The brand’s signature polo shirts start at £
Mark Williams has been the creative director for Ben Sherman for almost five years, and has worked for the brand since , when he joined as global head of menswear. He speaks to Drapers about his life with the brand and his creative inspirations.
What’s the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
I have to have a cup of tea to get moving first thing, then I help my youngest get ready for school – if I’m not going for an early run.
Ben Sherman spring 20
What was your first job?
The first proper job I had once I got my National Insurance card was working in my local garden centre, building and selling
He raised a family in the San Fernando Valley and began working for his father-in-law, who owned a successful clothing manufacturing company. It was also while in America, when applying for citizenship, that Arthur decided to change his name. Ben is what his family called him and Sherman was a surname that he felt was a good, solid, strong American name.
Unfortunately his mother, who lived back in England, became very ill, so he quit his job and relocated the family back home to Brighton. Without a job, Ben Sherman decided to use his clothing manufacturing experience and rented a factory in Bedford Square, Brighton.
THE IDEA
Ben started making shirts for other people. But soon his creative flair took over and he started designing his own shirts. Then in he was ready to launch the first Ben Sherman shirt.
THE SHIRT
Its basic design was influenced by the classic American Ivy League shirt, but Ben’s design vision added the back hook, the button on the back of the collar—but most importantly, his feel and passion for fabric, pattern and color created a unique garment.
Color was something that particularly intrigued Ben, so he used Oxford fabric in pale shades—pale pink, ye
Learn more about what inspires Ben Sherman Creative Director Mark Williams in a recent interview with Drapers, a British fashion industry publication:
With its distinctive target logo, British menswear brand Ben Sherman has been an icon of London style since it was founded in the city in by Arthur Benjamin Sugarman. Boasting 18, doors worldwide and with UK stock lists including ASOS, Debenhams and Thread - the brand has extended its reach far beyond the capital, thanks to its distinctive s-inspired designs.
Mark Williams has been the Creative Director for Ben Sherman for almost five years, and has worked for the brand since , when he joined as global head of menswear. He speaks to Drapers about his life with the brand and his creative inspirations.
Q. How would you describe the brand in one sentence?
A. Ben Sherman is a global British lifestyle brand with a foundation in shirt making since
Q. What's your favorite part of the creative process?
A. It changes depending on the project, but normally I really enjoy the initial conception of an idea and working with the head of design to turn it into a reality. Seeing the samples for the first time and working with t
Arthur Benjamin Sugarman
| British entrepreneur Country: Great Britain |
Biography of Arthur Benjamin Sugarman
Arthur Benjamin Sugarman, also known as Ben Sherman, was a British entrepreneur and the founder of the popular clothing brand 'Ben Sherman'. Born in Brighton, UK in , Sugarman immigrated to the United States through Canada in He changed his nationality and became a naturalized American, as well as adopting a more resonant name.
After marrying the daughter of a California clothing manufacturer, Sugarman returned to Brighton where he acquired a small shirt factory. In the early s, he noticed that British jazz enthusiasts, particularly those in London, had to purchase Oxford shirts from American brands such as 'Brooks Brothers', 'Arrow', and 'Hathaway' to imitate their jazz idols like Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Oscar Peterson. These American shirts were only available through official importers who limited the market growth by inflating prices.
In , Sugarman decided to produce similar shirts himself and also launched a collection of colorful and comfortable leisure and beachwear, which gained popularity in post-war Mediterranean Europe and the United
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