5 Minutes With… Simon Carter

If you have read our most recent blog posts about the adventures of the GreyFox blogger David Evans re-styling two generations of Tusting men, then you have been introduced to some wonderful quintessential British Brands with heritage and stories to match that of our own. One of those brands, introduced to us by the ace stylist on the project, Sarah Gilfillan (The SartoriaLab), is Simon Carter, who supplied a range of gloriously patterned shirts for young Fin Tusting to choose from.

Simon Carter was founded in 1985 by its eponymous director, firstly specialising in men’s accessories, beginning with a single brooch, inspired by a vintage design, which he sold to a jeweller on the King’s Road, and eventually being crowned ‘King of the Cufflinks’ in 1995 for his creation of the ‘Aspirin Cufflink’ This is an ingenious screw top cufflink which looks like an Aspirin and which can actually hold your headache tablets!

Simon later incorporated menswear into his collection, and in 2013 was awarded Drapers ‘Menswear Brand of the Year’. From starting out with a single product to the vibrant, contemporary collection now offered, Simon has a knack for working retro inspiration seamlessly into brilliantly modern designs.

Whilst in discussions as to which bold patterned shirt would suit Fin the best to go with his new attire, we managed to have a quick five minutes with Simon to ask him a bit about himself and his passions….

How, when and why was Simon Carter founded?

In 1985. It started out as a hobby and then grew out of control.

What has been your biggest ‘moment’ in the brand’s story so far?

Moving from accessories to a full clothing line.

How do you find inspiration for your shirt designs?

Honestly, from all around. For instance, I saw some vintage matchboxes when I was in India last year and loved their graphic quality and this has provided the inspiration for a design for next season.