Members -- 2 days ago
Words: India Gladstone
The touch of a hand-crafted item is becoming increasingly hard to come by, and an art that only a handful of brands still take advantage of. The world is saturated with a plethora of mass produced goods that have come straight of a factory without much thought or consideration taken over them. Not for Theo Fennell; a brand that started in the 1970s in the exact same Chelsea location that it sits in today. Theo Fennell: a brand commonly associated with quirky broaches or beautiful cufflinks and while these are very much an element of the brand, it’s about a lot more than that.
Stepping into the luxurious Fulham Road shop and then upstairs into the workshops and artisans corners, there’s a very definite sense of the craftsmanship and originality that the lies at the cornerstone of the brands philosophy. The basis of the brand lies on the idea of longevity rather than fashion or trends and that is undoubtedly reflected in the items that Theo himself – and his incredible team of workmen – create. The brand is about investment; not just in a monetary sense but also because every single piece that is created is going to last your lifetime and then generations to come.
Theo Fennell is based on personality and uniqueness, something that a lot of other, similar, brands seem to have lost in the fast-paced digital age that we’ve found ourselves in. Commissioned pieces are a huge part of the brand, and almost anything can be intrinsically added into a design; whether its part of a family heirloom that’s been around for centuries or something that’s been picked out by Theo himself. Originality lies at the centre of Theo Fennell and imagination is paramount: often no two pieces are the same and you’ll rarely see repeated designs season to season.
Some of the gentlemen who sit tirelessly day by day and hour by hour in the workshop (which is filled to the brim of complex yet artful tools) above the splendid flagship Fulham Road store have been working directly with Theo since the establishment of the brand, and it’s clear the dedication and love for what they create and represent. Pieces can take anywhere from 4 days to 6 months to complete, which makes every item even more of a worthy investment.
One thing’s for sure about Theo Fennell: it is a brand that stands out in a crowd filled to the brim with pieces; for the innovation, the immaculate pieces and the incredible sense of pride and beauty that line with walls of 169 Fulham Road.
