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A BRIEF HISTORY OF ONE OF THE BIGGEST SUCCESSES IN BRITISH MENSWEAR: FARAH
In 1920 Monsieur Farah first began producing his eponymous clothing brand Farah on San Francisco Street in El Paso, Texas. Originally selling blue denims and overalls for as little as 50 cents. When he died in 1937, he left his sons to carry on the family business.
During the war the company produced combat pants, fatigue pants, jungle wear and khaki uniforms. Farah received El Paso's first Army-Navy 'E' flag in 1944 for this excellence in wartime production.
The post-war years brought the construction of Farah's new plants on Third Street. This building gave Farah the capacity to produce 24,000 pairs of trousers per day and this sparked the wider emergence of the "Farah®" label. The company was one of the first producers to market polyester blend permanent press trousers and the first company to introduce 100% cotton trousers that didn’t crease.
In 1971 Farah opened its own facilities in Britain, operating as a subsidiary of Farah Incorporated El Paso, to explore new markets and launch Farah slacks to the British market. The then prominent casual scene, influenced by the Mods notion of elitism and secrecy, helped shape street style and early adopters made Farah THE brand to be seen in. The main influence though, was the development of synthetic fabrics.
The new ‘in vogue’ fabric was a polyester blend hopsack weave that needed no ironing and the favoured style was the now infamous frogmouth pocket with back yoke. It was seen on personalities from the music, golf and football scenes that revelled in their fashion status.
The trouser was branded with an orange label on the back yoke, which gained immediate cult status and became affectionately known as the “F Tab”. With their smart but ‘jeansy’ trousers, which were revolutionary at that time, Farah trousers (or Slacks as they were called) became immediate best sellers. Soon shirts and jackets were added to the collection to complement this new generation of trouser. The collection was marketed as 'Farah Slacks & Leisurewear' from the end of the 1970's.
Gradually throughout the ‘70’s and ‘80's the demand for polyester blends lessened, but by then Farah had become an institution. The Farah man look became a popularised fashion stamp of the ‘70’s, typically accessorized by a wedge hair cut, mohair jumper and kitsch jewellery.
Farah began to produce more traditional men’s trousers as their customers matured and although the brand grew up with its consumers the original ‘70’s image stuck with the name. The trouser range’s continued to grow and though the consumer was now more conservative, the sales certainly were not.
In the 1990’s the brand expanded and with retro becoming a major trend, Farah introduced a high-fashion collection of limited edition products. The trousers once again became cult items; worn by fashion and pop icons like Pulp front man, Jarvis Cocker and for the first time reaching an eager female audience, including the Spice Girls and Kylie Minogue. During that time Farah was voted one of the most influential brands in the Northern clubs scene.
Today Farah has several different diffusions.
‘Farah Core’ is still polyester led, but the look and handle of the product is non comparable to it’s ‘70’s relative. The frogmouth style continues to be a strong favourite in the range, which now also includes tops and knitwear.
‘Farah Premium Tailoring’ is a superior range of trousers and suit separates with wool content, excellent tailoring, make up and trim.
‘Farah Weekend’ a fully co-ordinated collection of smart casuals and cotton-based products.
'Farah Golf' is arriving in stores in 2007 in a bid to successfully regain its brand status on the course.
The original frogmouth trouser remains a best seller, which sits the style on the same longevity bench as the Levi 501 jean. Farah continues to be Great Britain’s best selling branded trouser.
The latest addition to the Farah portfolio is the Farah Slacks & Leisurewear collection, also affectionately called ’Farah Vintage’, which was launched in early 2007. Celebrating the golden era of this iconic brand, the line explores elements from a rich archive combining vintage inspiration with directional design and colour. The collection draws heavily on the late ‘70's and early ‘80’s with some of the most symbolic products in British trouser history now reintroduced to the market.
The authenticity of both the branding and the product has led to a successful first season with some of the most influential retailers in Britain offering the collections. For more information on this collection please visit www.farahslacks.com.
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