English Laundry
Summary
English Laundry is a brand founded by fashion designer Christopher Wicks in 2010 (English Laundry- 3b International). The company specializes in creating male and female apparel, footwear, accessories, body lotion, shower gel, aftershave balm, deodorant, and fragrances, all with a distinctly elegant, British style. These products are manufactured and distributed by 3B INTERNATIONAL LLC in the United States.
Wicks, who was born in England, has had a passion for beauty and fashion since he was young. The products he designs are inspired by his hometown of Manchester as well as his adoration for elegant fashion and music (“English Laundry Perfume & Cologne”). According to the brand’s Facebook page, “Fresh & Iconic, the English Laundry brand merges British style with a twist of rock and roll” (“About”). The brand’s fragrances are designed in simple but sophisticated bottles reminiscent of Wicks’s inspirations.
When formulating the fragrances, the brand’s goal is to create scents that are elegant and rich. Most of their perfumes and colognes are produced in the United States. Originally, the brand was more orientated towards male customers, producing mainly products for men. English Laundry has currently 12 fragrance collections for men. One of the first fragrances it launched in 2010 was Arrogant, made of classic and refined scents. As of today, it has 5 fragrance collections currently designed specifically for women.
While the products of English Laundry originally had a cult following in the United States with the start of the brand’s launch, the following rapidly grew. As the brand expanded, it went from selling shirts to selling suits, tailored separates, neckwear, footwear, headwear, outerwear, sweaters, dress and sport shirts, denim, hosiery, cufflinks, watches, eyewear, underwear, accessories, and fragrances (“English laundry Mens apparel and accessories, suits, shirts, pants”). They have also made progress in providing products for women, now featuring several popular female collections. As one of the leading fashion brands in America, across the sea from where the brand originated, it is expected that it will continue to have success.
Background
Christopher Wicks founded the brand English Laundry in 2010. He was born in Manchester, England during the 1960s. Since he was young, Wicks has always admired fashion. He loved sketching and would mainly draw shirts, shoes, and guitars (“Company Background”). Soon, this hobby developed into a career in fashion.
At the age of 22, Wicks was hired by one of England’s largest shirt manufacturers, Hillingdon Shirt Co., to design formal shirts for men. Wicks’s favorite designs were stripes, collar shapes, pearl buttons, and French cuffs. Later, he was inspired to start creating sports apparel as well. The main inspirations for his designs are his hometown, his adoration for elegant fashion, and music, especially rock and roll.
Wicks had large success with his products. As a result, he was awarded the title of “Man of the Year” by the Fashion Industries Guild of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. This prestigious award has been given to other accomplished designers, like Maurice Marciano of Guess and Dov Charney of American Apparel. Shortly after, he joined Otis College of Design’s board of trustees. His success with the board allowed him to be awarded the prestigious title “designer of choice” by the college in 2012 (“Company Background”).
With all of his accomplishments, Wicks was motivated to start his own companies. Eventually, he founded the Defiance USA Inc. and Rock & Roll Religion, both of which he is still Chief Executive Officer (“Christopher Wicks”). In 2010, he launched the English Laundry brand beneath these companies, which would specialize in men apparel and cologne. However, the brand soon started to incorporate female products as well. Each product is of high-quality and embellished with an official logo. The regal, British logo appears as a crest stamped with the initials of the brand, bordered with a horse and lion, and topped with a crown.
These items had great success in England and in the United States, although there was a steady period when the products were first being sold in America in which they originally only had a cult following. However, due to the extravagance that the items have, it has gathered global popularity and is now one of the leading fashion brands in the U.S. (“English-Laundry”). Currently, English Laundry Fragrances are sold all over the U.S. in boutiques and over 4,000 department stores. Three popular stores that carry the products are Nordstrom, Dillard’s, and even Macy’s (“Company Background).
Products
English Laundry produces a large variety of products, including male and female apparel, footwear, accessories, body lotion, shower gel, aftershave balm, deodorant, and fragrances. To distinguish itself from other companies, all these products have a distinctively elegant, British style. With the founder Christopher Wicks’s passion for where he grew up, Manchester, the rock and roll music he indulged in, and the high fashion he admired, he has incorporated these elements into the designs of his products.
The main goals when producing these items is to guarantee they are of high quality and have a trendy theme (“English Laundry Signature Perfume”). As the English Laundry brand explains on its website, it provides quality and genuine products. For example, the brand’s fragrances are designed in simple but sophisticated bottles, reminiscent of Wicks’s inspirations. Some even bear gemstone-like fragrance caps, matching the exterior design to the product. To mark the products of their high quality, the company embellishes them with its regal, British logo that consists of a design of a crest bordered with a horse and lion - topped with a crown.
Because of the popularity of the fragrances, there are multiple male and female collections. The two most popular are the male and female Signature collections. For other specially designed male collections, customers may select from the Oxford Bleu, Notting Hill, Tahitian Waters, Arrogant, Windsor, Coffret for Men, Signature, Riviera, Royal Aqua, Cambridge Knight, and London. If women would look to see more fragrances, they may check the NO7, Notting Hill Femme, Coffret for Women, and Oxford Bleu Femme.
English Laundry Apparel
Although Wicks was originally creating shirts, his collection has evolved to include a massive range of clothing articles, such as suits, tailored separates, neckwear, footwear, headwear, outerwear, sweaters, dress and sport shirts, denim, hosiery, cufflinks, watches, fragrances, eyewear, underwear, and accessories. Despite this large range, most of them are oriented towards male customers. Many of the designs consist of the fashion characteristics that were popular in the 1960s and 1970s, like English stripes, plaids, and solid poplins. There are many different styles to choose from, from trendy, to modern, to hippie floral and more. The English Laundry brand cares deeply about providing high-quality products, and this is ensured with having each garment embellished, embroidered, hand laundered, and hand-sewn. With this process, the garments are guaranteed to have a good fit and comfort (“English laundry Mens apparel and accessories, suits, shirts, pants”).
English Laundry Signature for Men
Shortly after the English Laundry brand was launched, a Signature collection was designed for men in mind. This collection includes an eau de toilette spray for men; a 3-in-1 shampoo, condition, and body wash; a 3-piece gift set; a 2 mL vial on a card; and a deodorant stick. Inspired to impress others with the refined and smooth aromas, the fragrances of this collection have strong top notes of bergamot and lemon, with a note of lavender to soften it. It is recommended that the Signature products for men be worn during the day or evening (“English Laundry Signature Cologne”). The classy bottles for the fragrances are made of glass and are designed in a square shape, with a clear cap.
English Laundry Signature for Women
The English Laundry Signature for Women was launched in 2013. This collection includes the following products: eau de parfum, body lotion, a 3-piece gift set, a 2 mL vial on a card sample, and a purse sprayer. This sweet and warm perfume has a top note of quince with middle notes of white chocolate and jasmine, as well as base notes of musk, orris root, woody notes. Signature for Women is appealing in its sophisticated and feminine scent that can be worn during the day or night. Christopher Wicks’s touch is evident in the Signature perfume because of the pink bottle with a gemstone-like cap that it is displayed in, complying with his obsession with high fashion (“English Laundry Signature Perfume”).
Arrogant for Men Collection
The Arrogant collection fragrance is one of the original products of English Laundry, having been released in 2010, the year of the brand’s launch. Natural and refreshing, these products are crafted with a natural and refreshing scent. Designed for men to wear in any season or who are admirers of the outdoors, it smells of strong notes of bergamot and cedar wood, incorporated with hints of lavender, coriander, sandalwood, amber, and sheer musk. There is a variety of products to choose from with this unique aromatic formula, such as: eau de toilette spray, body spray, travel spray, 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, after shave balm, deodorant stick, 2 mL vial on card, an eau de toilette gift set, and a shower gel. Like the Signature collection, the bottles for these products are nearly identical, excluding a gray cap that the Arrogant 6.8 oz eau de toilette spray is produced with (“Arrogant”).
NO7 for Women Collection
Similar to the Signature Collection for women, the popular NO7 collection is available as eau de parfum, body lotion, a 3-piece gift set, a 2 mL vial on card sample, and a purse sprayer. In addition to this, the perfume bottles resemble the same design as the Signature collection but varies in color, having a gray-themed appearance instead. An extravagant and glorious aroma, this charming fragrance of the collection is composed of strong scents of pear, jasmine, melon, and apricot. It also contains hints of gardenia, blooming jasmine, and toasted almonds, with base notes of sandalwood, vanilla cream, and musk (“NO7”).
Notting Hill Collections
The Notting Hill is a popular fragrance created by English Laundry, available for men in the Notting Hill for Men Collection, and for women in the Notting Hill Femme Collection. Imitating the high-quality aroma that the brand crafted, the bottles come in a gold color. For women, the fragrances come with a yellow-tinted, gemstone-like cap. Meanwhile, the cap for the male collection appears more like a golden-chrome. The smell between these two collections hardly vary, sharing the top notes of bergamot, lemon, and lime, which are accented by jasmine, peppercorn, cedarwood, sandalwood, amber, and musk. Combined together, they create a smell that is sensual and spicy ( “Notting Hill for Men”).
Pomade
Sold along with fragrances on the brand website, English Laundry has also designed hair care products, like its pomade that is produced in California. Catering to Wicks’s attraction to high fashion and rock and roll, the pomade is crafted to create a classy hairstyle, perfect for a well-groomed man. This luxurious pomade uses rich ingredients to make sure hair stays in place but also have a low shine, allowing one to wear it throughout the day. It is safe to use, as it is labeled paraben-free and sulfate-free. In addition to this, the petrolatum-based formula allows for the product to be easily removed from hair if needed (“English Laundry Shiny Hair Wax”).
Samples
On the brand’s website, there are multiple samples of fragrances that can be purchased. Typically, the samples are in 2 mL size vials that are placed with a card. The cards display the logo of the brand and vary with minor design details. While availability varies, many of English Laundry’s most popular fragrances are sold in these types of samples (“Samples”).
Gear
To be purchased alongside the fragrances, the brand’s fragrance website also offers functional gear. The main gear item is the standard English Laundry Union Jack Duffle Bag, which is also available in a pink alternate version. On the sides of the duffle bags is the logo of English Laundry. To authenticate the British style of the products, the side panels consist of the Union Jack pattern. The standard duffle bag is stylish in navy blue color, while the pink duffle bag is bright and stylish with its orange and pink Union Jack pattern (“Gear”).