Heritage

Imagine a common thread running through the tapestry of the Royal Family, and the warp and weft of the coal miners of Pottsville. That thread was spun by the same family that outfitted both. If fairy tales were to come true, this is what it would look like. More than a century ago, the foundation of the brand that is today synonymous with premium lifestyle apparel was laid – Moses Phillips was selling hand-sewn shirts from his handcart. The year was 1881, and it marked the beginning of the company that would later come to be known as Van Heusen.

Nearly three decades later, a defining moment occurred in the world of clothing – the invention of the collar. The company’s designer, John Van Heusen, ended a nine-year quest to find a process that allowed cloth to be worn at a curved angle.

By 1950, Van Heusen and ‘Power Dressing’ became synonymous. None less than the future president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, endorsed the Van Heusen shirts. He joined Anthony Quinn, and Tony Curtis, among others who proudly wore the same label.

It took nearly a quarter of the century before the brand caught the eye of the royals on the other side of the Atlantic. In 1974, Queen Elizabeth issued a Royal Warrant to John Van Heusen, whereby Van Heusen was appointed the official clothier of Buckingham Palace.

The fairy tale continued, as the story of the brand also became the story of many firsts in the history of clothing. Landmark innovations like Ice Touch, Durapress Best White, Techno Cotton, and the Intelligent Clothing range are all Van Heusen creations.

By 2005, Van Heusen had become the world’s largest selling dress shirt brand. Today, the Van Heusen brand, with more than 300 standalone stores is worth more than a billion in retail sales, and is available in over 70 countries, across five continents.