If you’re not familiar with Grenfell and the remarkable life of its valiant and honourable founder, plus the ground-breaking innovation of a little-known cotton mill in Burnley, Lancashire in 1923, it’s well-worth reading its historyhere.
The Rakehas long been a champion of Grenfell, and working with the team at its factory in east London has been an absolute joy; they have an open-minded approach to collaborations and bring new ideas into the mix in an effort to create something truly special and unique. For example, earlier this year the outerwear specialist took part in the Flâneur Collection, a four-way collaboration with three other artisans, all of which are leaders in their respective fields, which was spearheaded byThe Rakeand the hallowed family-owned mill, Vitale Barberis Canonico.
We've curated a capsule of Grenfell pieces that show the diversity of the brand, and recently took some of our favourite outerwear pieces, including a stunning four-pocket belted field jacket, for a test drive in Switzerland, where changeable weather posed little problem. That's not to say that Grenfell's classic coats are created solely for braving the wild - they are uniquely adaptable for all environments, not least the city, as evidenced bythe Mayfair coat. Exclusive to The Rake, it’s inspired by motorcycle styles from the 1920s - including the Despatch riders coat- and it’s cut down to the knees in navy Grenfell Cloth. The double-breasted coat features wide lapels, a double buckle fastening on the front and underarm gussets to aid movement. “It’s slightly less aggressive than the Despatch Rider coat and perhaps more civilian,” says Creative Director, Joslyn Clarke, who’s worked for several well-known British heritage brands and specialises in outerwear. It by no means needs to be worn whilst straddling a Harley and it comes with a detachable shearling collar in a sumptuous ivory tone.
