Boden

History

Back in the early 90s, entrepreneur and fashion enthusiast Johnnie Boden decided to launch a self-titled mail-order fashion business. Armed with 8 designs for menswear pieces in an amateur catalogue featuring photos of some his friends modelling samples and illustrations hand-drawn by another, Boden was born.

Less than a year later and with the project struggling, Johnnie realised that women’s fashion was a larger market, and so he pivoted his business model to cater for women – and then, later, for children, under the brand ‘Mini Boden’, overseen by newly recruited Chief Designer Kate Barton.

Boden went virtual in 1999 with its first eCommerce website, and quickly gained popularity for its bright, patterned prints mixed and matched with casual basics. By 2002, the company had expanded to the US, and in 2004, the first brick-and-mortar shop opened in Hanger Lane, London.

Today, Boden pieces are a wardrobe staple for many and there’s a collection for everyone: Boden ranges for men and women, Johnnie B for children and teens aged 9-16, Mini Boden for children aged 18 months to 12 years, and Baby Boden for newborns through to 3-year olds. An additional small maternity collection has found popularity amongst expectant mothers, and seasonal collections introduce new prints and patterns across the board. Boden now regularly sells over £300 million worth of clothing a year and is still a family-owned business, with the Bodens holding a 60% stake in the firm.

Key selling points:

• Bright and bold patterned clothing, instantly recognisable as Boden pieces
• Available to buy online, in-store or through its mail-order catalogue
• Renowned high-quality clothing with a 365-day quality guarantee as standard
• Family-owned business.