Rupert and Buckley
British clothing brand headquartered in Bath, Somerset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rupert and Buckley was a British University derived clothing brand with its brand headquartered in Barnstaple, Devon.[2]
| Rupert and Buckley | |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Fashion Clothing Apparel |
| Genre | Retail |
| Founded | 2011 (Canterbury, Kent) |
| Founder | James Buckley-Thorp |
| Headquarters | Barnstaple, United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom Europe Ireland United States China |
| Key people | Alexander Newman |
| Products | Clothing and Accessories |
| Revenue |  £3,000,000 (2017)[1] |
Number of employees | 7 |
| Website | rupertandbuckley |
History
The company was founded in 2011 by James Buckley-Thorp whilst at the University of Kent where he was reading Law.[3]
Having previously sold items in other outlets, the company opened its first own shop in Bath.[2] In November 2013 the fashion label launched its "Brand Ambassador Scheme".[4]
In early 2014, 25% of the company was sold to private investor Nigel Robinson.[2]
On 5 November 2016, Rupert and Buckley opened their new store in the city centre of Oxford. The opening was supported by rising BBC Introducing star Chris Smee.[citation needed]
In January 2017 James Buckley-Thorp resigned[5] as director and a new CEO was appointed. Mr Alexander Newman is the current CEO and sole director of Rupert and Buckley LTD.[citation needed]
On 9 October 2017, Rupert and Buckley were announced as the Official leisurewear partner to The Boat Race, for a period of 3 years. Supply the teams with all their off water apparel.[citation needed]
In May 2019 the company entered in to a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) with its creditors,[6] and in August 2022 the company began liquidation, owing over £3.3m to creditors[7]
Branding and Products
The brand name was a combination of the founder's surname and the name he'd like to call his first child.[8] The company incorporated aspects of British heritage and sporting design in its products,[2] and used a deep purple and dark yellow colour scheme for its packaging and in some of its products.[8] The fashion label described itself as grassroots university derived styling and the image and style of the branding was for the university market.[4]