Today Purdey clothing and accessories are synonymous with the pinnacle of British sporting style, but the journey spanning 50 years of in-house creativity and design is a fascinating one, one that could very well have not happened but for the determination of Lavinia Beaumont.
Lavinia’s husband, the Honourable Richard Beaumont, joined Purdey in 1949, and became chairman of the company in 1971. While James Purdey & Sons was already regarded as the most prestigious gun shop in the country, Lavinia suggested the idea of providing customers with a small offering of exclusive sporting tweeds, elegant gifts and smart leather shooting accessories. She said it might be a good distraction for “Gun customers’ wives who can no longer bear the boredom of their husbands talking about guns in the Long Room”!
This was not the first time the company had looked at clothing, but when it was previously considered it in 1952 the idea was met with considerable resistance from the gun sales team, who were clearly appalled by the idea, one saying that they had “No time for the niceties of the fit of a Mackintosh”! Even some of the older customers protested vigorously and thought the firm would lose its atmosphere if clothing and gifts were to be sold. Lavinia however was not one for taking no for an answer, and before long No. 84 Mount Street was brought into the business specifically to house the small collection of clothing that she intended to design.
To access the boutique you had to walk out of the front shop on South Audley Street and around the corner to door number 84. To this day, if you look up the signage above that door still says “Accessories”. The intervening wall with the front shop was knocked through and Lavinia began to design clothing for both men and women. Tweed shooting suits, wool stockings, shooting garters, tweed caps, gloves, leather accessories for shooting and suitable gifts to take to shooting parties started to fill the shelves.
The boutique proved so successful that pressure was applied to expand into the front shop, but yet again it was firmly resisted. Unperturbed by the naysayers it began to thrive, and word soon spread of Lavinia’s impeccably stylish shooting clothing amongst the highest echelons of society. Her annual catalogues were eagerly awaited, and orders quickly placed. Purdey clothing and accessories were now most definitely here to stay.
Fast forward 50 years and clothing and accessories are now a major part of the business, showcasing the very best of British design and quality. Collections are carefully considered, striving to choose British suppliers first, supporting a whole supply chain of other heritage crafts, alongside the gunmaking too. Wool producers, spinners, mills and specialist factories are all key to the ongoing success.
From the Purdey design studio on North Audley Street, decisions are made about sourcing, styles, colours and fabrics, with an extraordinarily talented creative team spearheaded by Giles Deacon. There is something uniquely British about the pieces Purdey makes, much like the guns, the clothing and accessories are intended as investment pieces, made in the hope that they will be passed down to the next generation. They’re also, above all, very wearable in all manner of settings and occasions – practicality has always been a priority.
It’s now possible to buy Purdey all over the world, whether in the flagship store in Mayfair, or from luxury concessions such as Harrods, and El Corte Inglés in Madrid to others across the USA, Europe and Scandinavia. Beyond its own website, sites such as Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter also stock Purdey. You can even find fabulous vintage Purdey pieces on sites such as Vestaire Collective.
With 50 years of clothing and accessories design experience now under our belt, Purdey aims to find solutions to challenges, to be innovative, and to continue to evolve with a dedication to the pursuit of excellence. We shall always endeavour to be the very best in our field, while remaining authentic and true to our core values.
If Lavinia were alive today, I hope she would be proud of how far Purdey clothing and accessories have come. Without her initial resolve we might not be where we are today, and as a firm we are immensely grateful to her. We shall certainly be raising a celebratory glass to her on our 50th anniversary.