Ben Sherman has opened a new store in The Lanes – just a stone’s throw from its first store and the first shop in the city in 40 years.
Mr Sherman founded his shirt brand in Brighton in 1963, first at a factory in Bedford Square and then with his first shop, Millions of Shirts Inc, in Duke Street in 1967. It closed in the early 1970s.
The new shop, opening on Saturday, 24 August, is in Duke’s Lane, just a one-minute walk away.
It’s marking its first week with an exhibition by fashion and music photographer Dean Chalkley. Customers attending the opening day can have a mini takeaway portrait photo session with Dean Chalkley in person.
Another store is set to open in Soho the following week, and the company says it plans to open more shops across the country.
Brighton-born founder Alfred Sugarman rented a factory at 21 Bedford Square after returning from a spell in America where he worked at his father-in-law’s clothes manufacturer and changed his name to Ben Sherman.
He began by making clothes for other people, but in 1963, the factory started producing his own shirts in the distinctive style which is now known around the world.
The shirts were soon adopted by the Mods, also closely linked with Brighton, then later by ska, 2 tone and then Britpop bands.
I understand that Ben Sherman / Alfred Sugarman had a large house and estate that is now the development called Surrenden Park.
Surrenden Park is a road built in the early 1960s which was part of the Varndean estate. Ben Sherman/Sugarman was born in 1925 (not in Brighton) but emigrated to the US in 1946 where he met his wife. He returned to England as a 23-year-old salesman in 1949 when he gave his address as 60 Buckingham Road stating his intention to return to ‘foreign part’s, i.e. America. He became a naturalised American in 1959 giving his previous name as Benjamin Scherman but returned to England in 1963 and established a shirt factory in Bedford Square in Brighton. His parents were Simon aka Sid Sugarman and Rachel Ostwind. He died in Australia in 1987. There is no evidence that Ben or his family were born in England but his sister was buried in the Meadow View Jewish Cemetery in Bear Road.
I wonder if Marc Sugarman is a descendant. Good local connection if he is.
I’ve still got shirts from the million of shirts shop. Super quality. I look forward to restocking in the new shop.
Great shop, love the clothes
You’ve got to love Brighton. We have history and a lot to be proud of.