When James Holder and Julian Dunkerton started to collaborate back in 2003 in their home town of Cheltenham, little did they know that the brand they would create would become a nationwide success. Almost two decades later, Superdry has taken not only the UK but the world by storm.
Here are a few facts about this fashion company that has become a worldwide phenomenon.
The Brand Began Its Life On A Market Stall
One of the founders of the Superdry brand, Julian Dunkerton, began exploring the world of fashion from a market stall in Cheltenham. It was from here that he created the brand Cult Clothing, known for selling Americana-inspired, vintage-look clothing across some of the UK’s biggest cities.
1. One Of The Founders Founded Bench, The Well-Known Skatewear Brand
James Holder, the co-founder of Superdry, founded Bench, the well-known skatewear brand after experimenting with screen printing and design. The brand exemplified his love of graphics and typography which he brought to the Superdry brand that he would go on to create with Julian, thanks to a shared interest in pushing the boundaries of fashion.
2. Japan Was The Inspiration Behind Superdry
James and Julian shared a passion for high-quality fashion and boundary-pushing designs, but the Superdry brand didn’t come to life until the pair took a trip to Japan. They found their visit to the capital city of Tokyo so inspirational that they decided to blend their shared interests in one contemporary clothing brand.
3. The Brand Started Life With Just 5 T-Shirts
When the Superdry brand was first launched, there were only five T-shirts in its collection. Since then, it has grown exponentially. Now, Superdry offers regular seasonal collections that comprise more than five hundred distinctive logos and thousands of different items.
4. Superdry Has A Cult Celebrity Following
The original 5 T-shirt collection included the Osaka 6 T-shirt which was first worn by British footballing legend David Beckham. The footballer was just the first of many stars to wear the brand’s products including Kate Winslet, Pixie Lott and Leonardo di Caprio.
5. There Are More Than 500 Superdry Stores Worldwide
Despite its humble beginnings in Cheltenham, Superdry now boasts more than seven hundred branded stores around the world more than 60 different countries. Yet, the brand is still not satisfied with its success and is aiming to further its global expansion into new territories over the years to come.
7. The Brand Has Paired With Movie Star Idris Elba
Superdry is well-known around the world for its strong outerwear, womenswear and menswear collections. It is also continuously adding to its ranges with product lines including Superdry Sport and Superdry Snow. One of its most highly-publicized ranges was the 2015 Idris Elba + Superdry collaboration.
8. The Japanese Characters On The Products Are Automatic Translations
Although Superdry uses Japanese letters on its clothing products, it doesn’t try to make the text accurate. The translations are carried out with automatic translation programs like Babelfish. In translation the texts convey messages such as “membership certificate” and “sunglasses company.”
9. Superdry Doesn’t Advertise On TV
Even when the Superdry brand was first created it never advertised on television. The marketing director of the company has famously said that instead, its focus is on “the product being on the right people”, having used influencers like David Beckham long before it was a trend.
10. The Brand’s Name Came From Japanese Food Packaging
The name “Superdry” came after a brainstorming session by the founders in a bar in Tokyo after they gathered together lots of food packaging and realised that everything was labelled “super”. This inspired them to come up with the now-famous brand logo.
