LONDON – British heritage brand Kent & Curwen is gearing up for its centenary celebration next year with an array of projects spanning fashion shows, retail activations, and collaborations, according to the brand’s chief creative officer, Daniel Kearns.

The label, which was acquired by the Guangzhou-based Biemlofen alongside Cerruti 1881 in 2023, presented a light and upbeat spring 2026 collection during London Fashion Week on Sunday, juxtaposing sportswear influences with everything that’s happening in Hyde Park in the summer, with standouts such as deconstructed blazers, sheer knits, fitted polos, elevated tracksuits, and a hand-painted trench coat.

During a preview, Kearns said he is imposing a younger, more modern focus on Kent & Curwen.

“In the first two seasons, we set out to reinforce this message that we come from this preppy origin. This time, there was a chance to do something a bit more reflective. We are focusing more on sportswear, but also mixing it with sartorial styles. Everything is feeling very relaxed,” he said.

The designer had previously served as creative director at the label from 2016 to 2021, during which time David Beckham was involved. Kearns said that experience was “very much a heritage project.”

“I was thinking about him and his wardrobe and what he would wear as somebody who is a fashion icon and a symbol of British style. That resonated with his fan base and with the consumers globally,” he added.

Now, the landscape has changed, and Kearns is focusing on what the young, modern international customer wants. The fabrications for some of those heritage pieces, for example, must consider functionality and the weather conditions, and traditional sports-inspired preppy offerings, like the brand’s signature rugby shirts and cricket sweaters, need to function during actual sports as one would expect today.

“We’re focusing on that British heritage, but it’s not necessarily the strategy today. People will always appreciate those codes and that kind of British sensibility to dressing, it’s how we make that feel very modern and very relevant to our customers,” he said.

Kearns noticed that the preppy look is hot in China at the moment, and Kent & Curwen has been acting fast to cater to the demand.

It is now operating around 12 stores in the Greater China region, and is planning to open ten more stores in the next six months. The brand has also launched a global website and entered major e-commerce channels in China, like Tmall and JD.com.

The next stage of expansion, according to Kearns, is to open a store in London.

He now travels to Guangzhou once a month to maintain close communication with Biemlofen, whose main golf wear business operates in more than 1,200 stores across China.

“That’s the one thing I think is very important to be successful in China, which is to understand the market and the customer properly. That’s something I invest a lot in to build that success there. Their input is that they need a certain category of product to function in a certain way, but then it’s up to me and the team here to make that product modern, young, and attractive. It’s a balancing act,” said Kearns.

Kent & Curwen historically is a jersey and knitwear business, and those categories remain core. Its top-selling polo shirt retails between 160 pounds and 220 pounds, depending on the fabrication.

But Kent & Curwen is more than that today.

“It is a lifestyle brand. Like a Ralph Lauren or a Burberry, we are presenting a kind of British preppy lifestyle. We do have more conservative and classic styles, but in more modern fabrics. But then, we also have flexibility and variety in the collection. We’re seeing accessories and womenswear grow, and we have introduced jewelry this season and some bags into the retail presence,” said Kearns.

In an earlier interview, Tina Hu, general manager of Kent & Curwen and Cerruti 1881 at Biemlofen, told WWD that Kent & Curwen has been helping the group attract a younger and more fashion-savvy audience after a comprehensive brand rejuvenation process.

“Kent & Curwen complements the group in terms of brand influence and popularity, further propelling the company’s diversification, internationalization, and high-end strategies, and laying the foundation for our vision to become a global luxury group,” Hu said.

Biemlofen, formerly known as Biem.L.Fdlkk, is a publicly traded clothing retailer founded in 2003 by Xie Bingzheng. It specializes in golf clothing, with a 70 percent-plus market share in China, and also owns the Chinese travel and vacation apparel brand Carnaval De Venise. 

As reported, Biemlofen paid Shandong Ruyi $62.2 million and $41.5 million, respectively, for the global trademarks for Cerruti 1881 and Kent & Curwen in 2023. The two brands were once owned by Trinity, as was Gieves & Hawkes, which is now owned by Frasers Group.