Start up designer menswear firm launches first London store and new addition to popular range
Luxury British menswear brand Tom Cridland is on track to double its turnover to £500,000 in the next twelve months after opening its first store on London’s Kings Road, and launching the latest design of its renowned ‘30-Year’ series.
Tom Cridland, 24, founded his eponymous fashion brand online in 2014 by borrowing £6,000 from Start Up Loans, the Government backed scheme which provides low-interest personal loans, free mentoring and support for new and early-stage businesses. It now takes on average 150 orders a week, and opened its first shop on the Kings Road last month.
With quality at the core of the brand, the new ’30-year jacket’ will form part of his ‘30-year’ range of sustainable clothing, using premium organic materials to create durable clothing, which come with a 30 Year Guarantee. Cridland’s swansong product in the range will be unveiled at an in-store party to tie in with London Fashion Week on Saturday 27th February.
Champions of Tom’s work include Daniel Craig, Leonardo DiCaprio and Rod Stewart, who have all been spotted sporting items from the ‘30-Year’ range of trousers, t-shirts and jumpers. Tom, a keen drummer, is also designing a bespoke ‘30-Year’ jacket for one of his idols, Elton John’s drummer Nigel Olsson.
Tom Cridland’s venture was first brought to life with help from Start Up Loans and he plans to take his brand global in 2016, launching in the US later this year.
Tom Cridland said:
“Being young and having little business experience meant I was hesitant about starting up on my own. That’s why I took all the help I could get before I launched. Start Up Loans provided me with a mentor, who became instrumental in helping me refine my business plan in the early days. I’m extremely proud of how far the business has come in the last two years, but I’m even more excited about the future. This week at London Fashion week, I’ll be watching closely from the sidelines, hoping that very soon it will be my designs taking centre stage.”
Tim Sawyer, CEO of Start Up Loans Company, said:
“Tom Cridland epitomises the start-up spirit. In just two short years the business has grown into a popular brand that has proven to be durable enough to diversify from an e-commerce based business to retailing on a shop floor. This is a huge testament to the stellar reputation Tom has built in the fashion industry. There are thousands of success stories, like Tom Cridland, who’ve managed to turn their business dreams into a reality with the help of a Start Up Loan.”