Gieves & Hawkes faces uncertain future due to woes at parent company

Gieves & Hawkes, the Savile Row stalwart, is facing an uncertain future due to troubles at its parent company Trinity Limited, which is in turn owned by China's Shandong Ruyi group.

Along with fellow Trinity brands, Kent & Curwen and Cerruti, Gieves & Hawkes, which occupies Number 1 Savile Row, faces being wound up if a buyer is not found.

A winding up order has been made following a failed attempt by Trinity to appeal against its creditors and a hearing to decide its fate will take place on 4 November.

Sources told The Times they were confident that Gieves & Hawkes, which also has 58 stores in 25 cities, would attract a buyer and that the business had been trading well since lockdown restrictions were lifted, events resumed and some workers returned to the office. A restructuring firm has been called in as liquidators seek a buyer.

Gieves & Hawkes can trace its roots back to 1771 when Thomas Hawkes set up his first shop in Soho's Brewer Street, mainly selling outfits to British Army commanders. In December 1912 Hawkes & Co acquired the freehold of No 1 Savile Row, which had previously been home to the Royal Geographical Society.

In 1974 another historic tailoring house, Gieves Limited, acquired Hawkes & Co, along with the freehold of No 1 Savile Row, and the business became Gieves & Hawkes.

The company was then acquired by Hong Kong garment manufacturer USL in 2002 and in 2012 Gieves & Hawkes was bought out by Trinity, part of the Fung Group. Shandong Ruyi bought a majority stake in Trinity in 2017.