Tuesday, April 21, 2009

KANGOL

Kangol is a bit of a funny one… They are, or were, British made for a start and even the civilian berets very much resemble the military ones, with a small diameter, the leather or synthetic headband with string, ventilation holes in the side and the absence of the central "stalk" on most models.

These days, Kangol is back big time, thanks to the adoption by American rapper LL Cool J, but there is quite a history before this British brand was re-discovered in the US.

 

Kangol was founded in 1938 by Jakob (Jacques) Spreiregen in Cleator, Cumbria. The name was formed from a combination of letters; K from silk or knitted, ANG from angora and OL from woolKangol had a better sound to it than Olangk.

But let's first have a look at Jakob Spreiregen: Jakob was born in Warsaw of Jewish parents in 1893. Before WW1 Jakob flees the Tsarist regime (ruling Warsaw at the time) and heads to France where he changes his name to Jacques Henry Sergene. From France he makes it across the Channel to England and joins the army there. Serving with the Medical Corps during the war he soon had to return to France.

Back in England, after the war, he finds himself a job importing Basque berets, as no one in Britain makes these. In 1938 he takes off with his own brand, Kangol. 

The pre-WW2 years are difficult for Kangol, trading at a loss due to the heavy investment for beret making machines. It takes till 1942, with General Bernard Montgomery leading the beret fashion charge, that the beret quickly rises in popularity and rapidly becomes the must-have item of late WW2.  



With the rise of poverty following WW2, Jakob creates the no frills utility beret, which is an instant success with the people.

During and after the war, Kangol berets were the height of fashion. In the 1960s, designers Mary Quant and Pierre Cardin worked with the company, whose products graced the heads of the rich and famous, including the Beatles, golf player Arnold Palmer and later Princess Diana. The company also supplied uniformed organizations such as the Scout Association.

In the 1980s Kangol berets entered a new phase of fashion history with their adoption by members of the hip-hop community, such as Grandmaster Flash, Run-DMC and LL Cool J. The release of more consciously stylish products in the 1990s such as the furgora (angora-wool mix) Spitfire, was helped by its presence upon the head of actor Samuel L. Jackson in 1997. 

Kangol has been owned by Sports World since 2006, when they acquired the brand from private equity fund August Equity Trust. Licenses to manufacture and sell Kangol apparel have been sold to many different companies including D2 and Topshop. The global rights to Kangol hats have been held by American hatmakers Bollman Headwear since 2002.

It was announced in February 2009 that Bollman were reviewing their worldwide operations, putting 33 jobs and the future of the Kangol head office in Cleator in doubt. On 6 April 2009, it was announced that the original factory would be converted to a warehouse and only 7 employees now remain employed at the company's original site. However, hats will continue to be made at their sites in Eastern Europe and the United States.

 

6 comments:

  1. Unfortunately, the new iteration of the Kangol beret is not as good as the old, which I lost. My new one is made in Taiwan, and the wool is not as well felted. It attracts lint, and is pilling.

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  2. MY NAME IS JOHN FERGUSON, I WORKED FOR KANGOL FOR 27 YEARS RUNNING THE MAIN FACTORY IN THE UK AND THE SPINNING MILL IN HUDDERSFIELD UNTIL 2000. IN THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES THE COMPANY WAS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK WITH DIRECTION AND SOUND MANAGEMENT. IN 1997 A SHAMBOLIC MANAGEMENT BUY OUT TOOK PLACE AND THIS BEGAN A DOWNWARD SPIRAL. IN 1999 THE BANKS APPOINTED A CEO WHOSE MAIN PURPOSE WAS TO ASSET STRIP THE COMPANY. lABOUR PROBLEMS, BROKEN PROMISES AND A TRIBUNAL FOLLOWED AND THE COMPANY WAS SLOWLY SPLIT UP AND SOLD. I MOVED TO SOUTH AFRICA AND THEN CHINA AND TOOK WITH ME 27 YEARS OF KNOWLEDGE WHICH I SOLD.
    THE MORALS OF THIS STORY ARE THE SUM OF THE TOTAL IS GREATER THAN THE INDIVIDUAL PARTS AND NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE MINORITY. YOUR PREVIOUS CORRESPONDENT WAS CORRECT, THE QUALITY STANDARD HAS DROPPED BECAUSE THE EXPERTISE HAS BEEN LOST.

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  3. Great comment, John - thank you.
    You wouldn't have any interesting material (brochures, advertising, photographs) from your time with Kangol? Would love to hear more, for the blog and the book on berets.
    Why don't you drop me a line at BeretAndBoina@gmail.com?
    Cheers,
    Daan

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  4. DAAN, THANKS FOR PUBLISHING MY COMMENTS, I WILL LOOK OUT ANY BROCHURES, PHOTOS ETC
    REGARDS
    JOHN FERGUSON

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  5. WRT to johns comments,the workers were sold down the river by the management who along with their favourites went off to china to set up a factory to take work away from the cumbrian sites,and from what I recall all the management received a good payout apart from one,something to do with dodgy images on a laptop and he wasn't paid off and kangol revealed what was on laptop,maybe the truth will come out under the freedom of information request that has been put to them.

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  6. That should have read kangol never revealed what was on laptop

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