Dunhill

Dunhill is a men's luxury brand from London , England . It was founded by Alfred Dunhill in 1893. It was first known for its tobacco business. In the 1990s, it transformed into a luxury goods and accessories brand. The original tobacco business became an independent "Dunhill Tobacco" company . Current products include men's ready-to-wear, tailor-made clothing, leather goods, perfumes, accessories, etc.

· Brand History ·

Alfred Dunhill (1872-1959) was born in Middlesex, England (now part of Greater London). His father owned a saddlery shop in central London. At the age of 21, Alfred Dunhill took over his father's saddlery business. In view of the increasing demand for cars, he changed the shop to Dunhill's Motorities , mainly producing accessories such as car horns and lights, as well as clothing such as leather coats and goggles.

As Dunhill's brand awareness grew, two new stores opened in Mayfair, central London , and the number of products in the store catalog increased to more than 1,300, with car accessories and sportswear being the most popular. In order to make smoking easier for drivers, Dunhill launched its first windproof pipe in 1904 , and opened its first tobacco shop on Duke Street in London three years later . Because the store was close to many high-end clubs, Dunhill quickly attracted a group of loyal customers from the upper class. Dunhill opened its first pipe factory on Duke Street in London in 1910, and opened another factory and office building in Notting Hill Gate in 1916. After the end of World War I, Dunhill set out to expand into the international market, opening branches on Fifth Avenue in New York and Rue de la Paix in Paris .

In the 1920s and 1930s, Dunhill entered the luxury goods industry and launched a number of innovative products, including the world's first "Unique" lighter that can be operated with one hand ; pens decorated with Japanese Maki-e art ; and "Facet" watches inspired by car headlights .

During World War II, the Dunhill store on Duke Street in London was bombed and was not rebuilt until the 1950s. Soon, another iconic Dunhill lighter, the "Rollagas" , was launched in 1956, becoming the world's first lighter fueled by butane gas and is still regarded as a classic.

Alfred Dunhill Tobacco Ltd. was established in 1961 to take charge of the tobacco business under the Dunhill brand, laying the foundation for Dunhill to develop into two independent brands in the future. Dunhill tobacco products were initially produced by other manufacturers; after the establishment of the company, Dunhill began to produce cigarettes independently.

Since the 1970s, Dunhill has adopted a product diversification development strategy, successively acquiring American tobacco company Lane Ltd. , German pen manufacturer Montblanc , French fashion brand Chloé and American men's tailor Dunhill Tailors . In order to manage its brands, Dunhill Holdings was officially established in 1982.

Dunhill first launched its men's ready-to-wear series in 1977. In 1985, Dunhill Holdings acquired Dunhill Tailors for US$3.25 million and officially joined the men's tailor-made clothing industry. Apart from the similarity in name, the two brands have no actual relationship. The latter was founded in 1923 by William & Norman Block and his sons . The store operators decided to sell the business to Dunhill due to their age.

Dunhill was officially split into two independent brands in 1993, with the tobacco business being assigned to Rothmans International, now British American Tobacco Group (BAT ), and the luxury goods and other businesses being assigned to Vendôme Luxury Group . Five years later, Richemont Group acquired the remaining shares of Vendôme, and Dunhill (excluding the tobacco company) became one of Richemont's brands .

The Dunhill brand is committed to conveying the image of an elegant British gentleman. It was a long-term sponsor of the Dunhill Cup Golf Tour from 1985 to 2000. The event was changed to the "Dunhill Links Championship" in 2001 and is currently one of the highest-paying tournaments in the European Tour.

In order to shape the image of a British gentleman, Dunhill also invited British actor Jude Law to serve as its brand ambassador; it also provided custom suits and accessories for James Bond, the protagonist of the British Bond agent movie.

"House of Alfred Dunhill" is a new retail store concept proposed by the Dunhill brand . The store provides tailor-made tailoring services, and has a wine cellar, bar, restaurant, audio-visual hall, barber shop, spa club and other areas to meet customers' demand for luxury experience. Dunhill House was first launched in 2007 and is now open in Tokyo, London, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

British fashion designer Kim Jones became Dunhill's first creative director in 2008 and left the company in 2010. After that, Dunhill welcomed two more fashion designers: John Ray and Mark Weston . The current creative director Mark Weston officially took office in 2017. His fashion works have established a new look for the traditional tailoring of Dunhill fashion through relaxed and casual styles and elements.

· Chronology of major events ·