Kangol

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Kangol
Type Subsidiary
Industry Textile
Founded 1938
Founder(s) Jacques Spreiregen
Headquarters Cleator, Cumbria,
United Kingdom
Products Headwear
Parent Sports Direct
Website www.kangol.com

Kangol is a clothing company famous for its headwear.

Founded in the 1920s,[1] by Jewish Polish[2][3] refugee and World War I veteran Jacques Spreiregen, Kangol (the K from Knitting, the ANG from angora, the OL from wool) produced hats for workers, golfers, and especially soldiers. In 1938, Spreiregen moved operations and opened a factory at Cleator, Cumbria, England which he ran with his nephew Silvain Meisner. They were the major beret suppliers to the armed forces during World War II, including famously Field Marshal Montgomery.[4]

General Montgomery, wearing his iconic Kangol beret

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 and Arnold Palmer, and later Diana, Princess of Wales. The company also supplied uniformed organizations such as the Scout Association.[4]

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, LL Cool J, Slick Rick, Kangol Kid of UTFO, and The Notorious B.I.G.. The brand was even more popularized by the 1991 movie New Jack City. 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 Samuel L. Jackson in 1997.[4] Kevin Eubanks, bandleader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, sports a Kangol beret on an almost nightly basis. In 2009, Eminem wore the Cotton Twill Army Cap Kangol hat on his Beautiful video.

Kangol has been owned by Sports World since 2006, when they acquired the brand from private equity fund August Equity Trust. Licences 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 Hat Company since 2002.[5]

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.[6] On 6 April 2009, it was announced that the original factory would be converted to a warehouse with the loss of 25 jobs. Only 7 employees now remain employed at the company's original site and the outlet shop will close at the end of August 2009. However, hats will continue to be made at their sites in Eastern Europe & the United States.[7]

Trivia

Samuel L Jackson as Ordell Robbie wore a Kangol back to front in the movie Jackie Brown.

Samuel L Jackson at San Diego ComicCon 2008

Slick Rick references Kangol in his song 'La Di Da Di.'

References

  1. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/28/style/c-corrections-702093.html
  2. ↑ McCormick, Carlo. "Kangol: Born in England, Raised on the Streets of New York". Kangol. Retrieved 2013-07-08. 
  3. ↑ "A beret good show: 70 years of Kangol". The Scotsman. 2008-11-26. Retrieved 2013-07-08. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "A beret good show: 70 years of Kangol". The Scotsman. 27 November 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-06. 
  5. ↑ "Sports World owner sees right fit for Kangol hats". The Times. 5 December 2006. Retrieved 2009-04-06. 
  6. ↑ "Kangol jobs at risk as Cleator hat factory faces closure". The Whitehaven News. 9 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-06. 
  7. ↑ "Further blow to textile industry". BBC News. 6 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-06. 

External links

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