All things Henley: meet the designers and the collection
19 July 2021
We’re Official Clothing Partners of Henley Royal Regatta and have designed a collection that
deserves first place in your wardrobe.
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The best-known regatta in the world is also one of the country’s most fashionable sporting events. This year we’re Official Clothing Partners of Henley Royal Regatta and we’ve designed a collection of occasionwear and casual pieces as beautiful as the riverbanks themselves.
With our dresses, think elegant, screen siren silhouettes and chic, archive-inspired prints. For men you’ll find crisp shirts and a rowing blazer dipped in authentic, heritage style. Our casual classics have the same Henley touch. From polished polos and sweatshirts to tops and more, find the Henley crest, varsity stripes and little clubhouse details all sewn in.
But who better to talk through the collection than the designers themselves? Grab a drink, sit back and take a sartorial tour to the banks of the Thames.
Rob, we love the menswear collection. Can you talk us through the inspiration for it?
The fashion at Henley Regatta is far more than just the sum of its parts. There’s a unique history to the Regatta, and the spectators with all their outfits can be just as worth watching as the racing itself. From the rowing regalia to the ornate hats, dresses and suits… there was so much to take inspiration from.
The riverside marquees, the sunshine and all the picnics are all part of Henley’s charms. It’s easy to spot the rowing teams in their matching vibrant blazers – not least because they tower over everyone else!
How did you incorporate both Henley and Crew?
It’s a beautiful town and event and we wanted to stay true to its traditions. We drew from both the heritage of the event - it dates back to 1839 - and also Crew’s strong connection to sport.
We wanted to create a range that incorporated the spirit of the Regatta but that also retained Crew’s signature style.
If you had to pick one piece as your favourite, what would you choose?
My favourite piece is the Gunwale deckchair striped blazer. The stripes are pure heritage, university rowing style (very Henley, very Regatta), combined with classic tailoring. It’s a wonderful standalone piece, with history literally on its sleeve.
For the collection, we retained the classic Crew silhouettes but also wanted to introduce some new elements such as a classic vertical stripe rugby top, Oxford stripe jerseys and quadrant panel polos.
We were inspired by vintage Henley Royal Regatta and merged this with modern day Crew. We picked elements of Crew’s signatures and refreshed them. Staying true to our own heritage, we used a classic colour palette of navy, white and red.
Sarah, we’d love to hear about the women’s collection and all the Crew details. Can you talk us through it?
We were inspired by vintage Henley Royal Regatta and merged this with modern day Crew. We picked elements of Crew’s signatures and refreshed them. Staying true to our own heritage, we used a classic colour palette of navy, white and red.
The collection is full of details. Can you tell us more?
Definitely. We took inspiration from the Henley badges to create a corsage as a modern take on these. We added these corsages to our t-shirts and sweats.
We were also inspired by Henley’s beautiful nautical stripes. We created navy, white and red tapes which run through all the casual garments. Similarly, we truly love the Henley Crest and featured this on all the casual styles.
We gave feminine dresses the Henley effect – finishing them with extra details and choosing natural fibres to keep you cool.
Lastly, what’s your favourite thing about the collection?
I’d say the fact that you can dress it up or you can dress it down – it’s all about the accessories and what you have in your wardrobe already. Bring on August.
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