Air Partner Magazine A/W 25 - Magazine - Page 95
A/W 2025
Every hat at Lock & Co.
is made with exquisite
attention to detail.
by the same family and remains as in vogue
Today, that legacy is recognised at the
as ever, counting the likes of David Beckham,
very highest level, with a prestigious Royal
Lewis Hamilton, and His Majesty the King
Warrant and the honour of serving as O昀케cial
among their discerning clientele. But what is
Hatter to the King.
the secret to the brand’s enduring success?
We sat down with Paul Hier, Lock & Co.’s
Heritage Ambassador, to 昀椀nd out.
T H E H AT S B E H I N D
THE HISTORY
CRAFT WITHOUT COMPROMISE
The secret to Lock & Co’s endurance? The
answer, says Paul, is disarmingly simple: “Lock
& Co. has stood the test of time because our
standards are exacting and we have never
Lock & Co.’s client list reads like a roll call
compromised on the quality of our products.
of greatness. In 1800, Admiral Lord Nelson
Our principles have long been, ‘No matter the
commissioned his bicorne here, the hat
customer, what they have all come to expect
still immortalised in Trafalgar Square today.
from Lock & Co. is the best: the best fabrics,
Winston Churchill relied on Lock & Co. for
everything from his distinctive homburg to
the best designs, and the best service,’ and
that rings as true today as it ever has.”
the silk top hat he wore on his
wedding day. And it was Lock &
Co.’s skilled hatters that carefully
resized the coronation crowns
To step through the iconic green
front door of 6 St James’s Street,
London, is to be transported back
to altogether more elegant times.
The walls whisper with stories of
admirals, aristocrats, and icons past;
the attentiveness and skill of the
hatters speak of a standard seldom
seen today, and everywhere you turn,
the unmistakable hum of history is
impossible to ignore. This is Lock
& Co. Hatters – the oldest shop in
London and the oldest known hat
shop in the world.
for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Even the likes of Oscar Wilde,
Charlie Chaplin, and Princess
Diana have left their mark –
literally, in the form of their head
shapes still preserved in the
shop’s museum room.
“There is just so much history
here, and that is something
we’re immensely proud of,” Paul
re昀氀ects. “Lock & Co. has long
been known as the home of hats
– not just for the clients we’ve
worked with, but for the iconic
designs we have created. From
the invention of the bowler hat
Since 1676, this fabled institution has
dressed the heads of high society – from
in 1849 to James Lock III’s grey
top hat, and now our acclaimed
politicians to poets, notorious dignitaries
women’s couture collection,
to nobility, and screen stars to those who
the business has built a legacy
simply have a penchant for perfection.
of quality, craftsmanship, and
Nearly 350 years on, Lock & Co. is still owned
timeless design.”
The iconic green front door of
6 St James’s Street, London.
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