In 2005 photographer Adam Brown was on holiday in India with a group of friends when the issue of Men's swimwear reared its ugly head. His friends were normally well dressed and fairly fashion conscious, trendy and cool but sat around the pool all was not well. The women in the group looked fabulous but the guys looked just plain awful. The idea was born from the poolside view of 'horrid brightly patterned boxer-shorts with elasticated waistbands' and 'baggy board shorts'.Something else was needed, something that could take you from pool side to lunch and then on to dinner and bar. Brown describes the tailored shorts as 'not so much a swim short but a short you can swim in.'
Incredibly Brown took a summer school at Central St Martins and a 3 day "Start Your Own Fashion Business" course and from there the new business
Orlebar Brown was born, with 1000 pairs of shorts. That was in 2007 and the business has grown and expanded and is now a regular at London Collections:Men. It makes not only shorts but a whole range of smart apparel as much at home in the city as on the beach for men, women and children In 2010 the OB Editions range was launched. Limited Edition collaborations with the likes of
Bill Amberg,
Monocle,
Swamis,
Eley Kishimoto,
Alan Aldridge and
WANT Les Essentiels de le Vie.
The Latest addition to OB Editions is a collaboration with London Artist
Tommy Penton - in which he explores 'a retro-modern aesthetic of the Urban Jungle.' He has created a series of illustrations of inner-city skylines exclusively for Orlebar Brown. The three iconic cities of London, Paris and New York are illustrated using his unique narrative style that is both graphic and decorative, providing the ultimate backdrop to those perfect urban days.
Tommy Penton X Orlebar Brown Bulldog Print and Embroidery Mid-Length Swim Shorts are available In Store and Online at www.orlebarbrown.co.uk
£245
Orlebar Brown Links - Tommy Penton Links -
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