Orlebar Brown is a British clothing brand specialising in tailored men's swim shorts.
The company was founded by photographer Adam Brown in March 2007. Orlebar Brown is directed by Adam Brown and CEO Paul Donoghue. It is based in West London and employs over 50 people.
Products
Orlebar Brown specialises in men's swim shorts based on the 17-piece pattern of a pair of traditional men's suit trousers. They feature a four-part shaped waistband, zip fly closure and side fasteners.[1] The Italian zippers on the fly and the back pocket are applied by hand, although the pocket itself and darts are machine applied.[1]
While Orlebar Brown is best known for its swimwear, 55 percent of the company's sales are from its other products[2] with the company offering a selection of rash guards, shorts, polo shirts, long and short sleeve shirts, jumpers, sweatshirts and waterproof shoes.[3]
In 2018, Orlebar Brown introduced Summer Sport, a capsule collection with technical fabrics designed for summer activities like beach volleyball and surfing. The campaign was spearheaded by Jeremy Jauncey, founder of Beautiful Destinations.
The company has an app, #SnapShorts, which allows customers to design their own swim shorts by uploading a photograph. Their design can be made into a bespoke pair of shorts or shared on social media.[4]
History
In the summer of 2006, Adam Brown had the idea for Orlebar Brown on holiday in India and decided to partner with an old acquaintance, Julia Simpson-Orlebar, to launch the brand.[5]
The Orlebar Brown website officially launched in March 2007, available in 105 countries.[1][6]
Simpson-Orlebar left the business amicably in 2008, but she remains a shareholder.[5]
In 2011, the Orlebar Brown US website was launched, expanding their horizons internationally. Today, 30 percent of their sales come from the US.[2]
In August 2013, Orlebar Brown raised £8 million (US$12.4 million) from the private-equity firm Piper, in exchange for a minority stake,[7] and appointed Paul Donoghue as global commercial director.[8]
In 2014, the business made £12m, a rise from the £7m the year before.[1] The brand was expected to reach £20 million (about US$28.8 million) in revenue in 2016.[7]
In September 2018, it was announced that Chanel had acquired the company, with Brown retaining his role as creative director.[9]
Online and offline presence
Physical shops
Orlebar Brown opened their first shop on Ledbury Road in Notting Hill, London in 2011.[10]
They now have shops in Notting Hill, Mayfair, Canary Wharf,[11] Wimbledon, Sloane Avenue, Harrods and Bicester Village.[12]
As well as multiple physical shops[14] and an online presence, Orlebar Brown also has over 300 wholesale accounts, including Selfridges, Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys New York[1] and franchises around the world[7]
Infrastructure
Orlebar Brown's headquarters and offices are located in West London. In 2013, they appointed Torque, a logistics company, to manage all of their European distribution.[15] Orlebar Brown operates a 550,000 square feet distribution center in Wortley, Leeds.[15]
Orlebar Brown's swim shorts are made in Portugal by the factory Petratex, where they pass through a minimum of 12-stage manufacturing process.[1]
In March 2018, Orlebar Brown collaborated with Australian Formula 1 racing driver Daniel Ricciardo for a collection of limited-edition swim shorts.[19]
In June 2024, Orlebar Brown collaborated with La Double J for a summer collection consisting of "34 genderless—a first for both luxury brands—pieces."[22]
