Brand Focus: Franklin & Marshall

Based out of Verona, Italy, Franklin Marshall is a relatively young brand that has developed a stellar reputation for producing its distinctive American-style university sports clothing. Offering a youthful and vibrant twist on traditional “preppy clothing”, they have gained fans all over Europe who see them as one of the primary labels producing clothes in the “sports luxe” style. Such is the extent of this growing fan base; the company have now opened a flagship store in London’s Covent Garden to join key stores in locations such as Dubai, Tokyo, Toulouse and Rome to name just a few.

The UK is one of the brands largest markets and the new store is the first stand-alone venture on our shores, though they do have a large presence being sold through various other designer stockists, such as ourselves here at Mainline Menswear. The brand- who is now 14 years old- have renovated the store to fill two floors and provide a space of 2664 square feet, decorated in their trademark university/varsity style and is located in the popular Seven-Dials shopping district on Neal Street where they now sit alongside around 150 prestigious shops and boutiques, which is seen as the crème de la crème of quirky

Two Italians named Andrea Pensiero and Guiseppe Albarelli are the men responsible for bringing this vintage style to the mainstream, they started the brand after developing an affection for the retro-styled sports clothing found in vintage clothing stores in the late 1990s. From this point, they seemed fascinated with developing their own niche and bringing this style of clothing to the wider public under one holistic brand name. That name would eventually be taken from a small college in Pennsylvania, which have experienced some unexpected publicity as a result of the namesake. This was done so at first without any form of agreement and for no other reason than because its name was emblazoned on one of the pair’s favourite gym sweaters, therefore becoming the image of the style they wanted to replicate in fashion.

Stylistically they have built a legacy of producing clothes with a timeless quality whilst keeping pace with modern trends. “Made in Italy” is a strong element of their business and attracts loyal consumers who consider this a measure of quality thanks to brands such as Armani, Prada, Versace and Diesel. Their fan’s passion has grown in conjunction with expertise for creating casual sportswear for the fashion medium, experimenting with colour boldly in the process. Competing in the “preppy” style market which is dominated by the likes of Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie & Fitch, they have steered clear of the “Ivy League” traditional American style which is associated with Havard and Yale Universities, instead creating their own look.

The brand has reinvented some classic university clothing

Franklin Marshall’s success around Europe has escalated quickly in the past couple of years as they have become notable producers of the popular varsity jacket as well as bearing the popular floral prints and motif’s which are a mark of contemporary style on their otherwise retro garments.

Progressing each and every year like every good brand should, Franklin Marshall now encompasses multiple styles and 2014’s release can feasibly be seen as their most diverse yet. Perfectly suitable for this time of year and on-theme with our festival focus week here on the Mainline Menswear blog; this brand has the staples for any keen festival reveller. See what you think of our picks of the range below for the upcoming season: