Thomas Pink Limited
Company typePrivate
IndustryClothing[1]
Founded1984
FounderJames, Peter and John Mullen
Headquarters
London
,
United Kingdom
ProductsMen's shirts, neckties, sport coats

Thomas Pink Shirtmaker Ltd is a British shirt-maker.[1] It was established in London in 1984 by three Irish brothers – James, Peter and John Mullen.[2] From 1999 to 2021 it was owned by LVMH.[1][2] In 2018 it lost £23.5 million.[3] The company changed its name to Pink Shirtmaker in November 2018, and it was put up for sale in December 2020.[4][5][6] It closed in January 2021, but was acquired in February and had resumed trading by November.[7]

History

The company was started in 1984 by three Irish brothers – James, Peter and John Mullen. It was named after Thomas Pink, an eighteenth-century tailor in Mayfair, London.[2]

In 1999, it was sold to Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, which paid about €48 million for 70% of the company.[1][2][8][9] At the time, the company had 20 shops, including 17 in the UK, one in Dublin and two in the United States.[10] LVMH bought the remaining 30% of the company in 2003.[9]

In 2012, Thomas Pink launched legal proceedings in the UK against Victoria's Secret, which was marketing lingerie under the label "Pink"; Thomas Pink claimed Victoria's Secret was infringing on its trademarks, confusing customers and tarnishing its image pursuant to the Trade Marks Act 1994.[1] Although Victoria's Secret attempted to raise a number of defences including revocation for non-use, and attacking the validity of the marks for descriptiveness and lack of distinctiveness, in July 2014 in the High Court of England and Wales Judge Colin Birss ruled in Thomas Pink's favour.[8] Victoria's Secret, which is owned by L Brands, is making efforts to protect its trademarks in the United States,[11] where the British trademark ruling did not have any effect.[12][13]

In 2018, the company made an operating loss of £23.5 million.[3] In November 2018, it changed its name to Pink Shirtmaker.[4][5][6] It closed its Jermyn Street shop in August 2020, and in December of that year closed down its other shops, its website and its social media activity. Its dissolution was partially attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] In February 2021, Nick Preston, a former JD Sports executive, made arrangements to acquire the brand and its intellectual property from LVMH, though not its retail storefronts; the brand resumed trading in November of that year.[15] [7]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thomas Pink.
  1. ^ a b c d e Elizabeth Paton (8 June 2017). Thomas Pink Appoints John Ray as Creative Director. The New York Times. Accessed July 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d "Thinking of Pink". Sunday Business Post. 2 December 2007.
  3. ^ a b Fish, Isabella (14 October 2019). "British shirtmaker Thomas Pink's operating losses widened by 20% to £23.5m in the year to 31 December 2018". Drapers. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  4. ^ a b Thomas Pink full-year losses reach £23m Sahar Nazir, 15 October 2019
  5. ^ a b Fish, Isabella (14 October 2019). "Thomas Pink rebrands to Pink Shirtmaker". Drapers. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  6. ^ a b Sullivan, Nick (15 November 2018). "An Iconic British Shirtmaker Is Being Reborn—Just in Time for a Style Rebellion: Thomas Pink is no more. Introducing Pink Shirtmaker London". Esquire. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  7. ^ a b Wadham, Carolyn (26 November 2021). "Thomas Pink relaunches following LVMH disposal". Drapers. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  8. ^ a b Kyle Stock (1 August 2014). "In War for the Word 'Pink,' a Menswear Retailer Defeats Victoria's Secret". Bloomsberg Businessweek. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  9. ^ a b Nick Webb (15 January 2012). "Thomas Pink founder makes another fortune -- from wellies". Independent.IE. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  10. ^ Antoine Banet-Rivet (25 September 1999). "Luxuries group adds Pink to its growing portfolio". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  11. ^ Petroff, Alanna (5 August 2014). "Victoria's Secret loses PINK brand battle". CNN.
  12. ^ Matt Ellis adweek.com Victoria's Secret Loses U.K. Trademark Infringement Battle London-based retailer wins 'pink' case 4 August 2014
  13. ^ Stock, Kyle (1 August 2014). "In War for the Word 'Pink,' a Menswear Retailer Defeats Victoria's Secret". Bloomberg News. Bloomberg L.P.
  14. ^ Thomas Pink, the Legendary London Shirtmaker, Has Closed: The one-time status symbol is no more. Robb Report, Martin Lerma, January 2021
  15. ^ Field, Matthew (28 February 2021). "City shirtmaker Pink ties up new future with sale of brand". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 24 November 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2022.

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