Daniel Hanson: The British dressing-gown producer

Daniel Hanson is a small however important, British producer of the highest-quality menswear. They match proper into the PS wheelhouse, so to be trustworthy I’m shocked we’ve by no means lined them. 

Hanson make dressing robes in Nottingham and have accomplished since 1987. At their peak they had been a manufacturing facility of 60 folks. They made the robes for all the massive US shops – Neiman Marcus, Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman in addition to manufacturers like Paul Stuart. And within the UK they provided Harrod’s, which was their first account again in 1988. Apparently Daniel (above, within the early ’90s) bumped into the nightwear purchaser on a prepare.

At present the US shops have all switched to large manufacturers or gone downmarket, though Hanson nonetheless promote to Harrod’s. And so they’ve smaller collaborations with the likes of Paul Smith (a Nottingham connection) in addition to growing their very own direct-to-customer mannequin. 

This, in fact, has been the sample of the previous 20 years, and one Everlasting Model has loved supporting. High quality producers have been capable of join on to prospects by way of the rise of e-commerce after which social media, and because of this developed sustainable platforms for his or her craft because the wholesale mannequin was eroded. 

Certainly, the Hanson household are one thing of a private illustration of that journey. When Daniel Hanson died in 2019 (above) the enterprise handed to his two sons, Nicholas and Julian, the primary of which now handles the design and the latter gross sales and PR. They’ve tripled the enterprise since then, transferring slowly away from wholesale. 

There are actually 12 folks working within the Nottingham workshop, and the purchasers divide pretty evenly between wholesale below the Daniel Hanson label (eg at Harrod’s), making for different manufacturers (referred to as CMT, lower make and trim), and direct orders with their prospects. The latter are all made to order, so there’s a number of room for bespoke changes. 

There’s additionally a store on Savile Row, at the least for the second. The Hanson workforce had been initially provided a pop-up area on the Row in one of many areas we used to make use of for Everlasting Model pop-ups again within the day. It was presupposed to be for six months, however over two years later they’re nonetheless there. 

They are going to be leaving sooner or later within the first half of this yr although, so it’s value popping in if in case you have an opportunity – and need to see the robes first hand. 

If I’m trustworthy I’d walked previous the store a number of occasions, however wasn’t certain if the type of the robes was for me. That’s my fault: I ought to have identified to look nearer. It is a widespread situation with a number of specialist makers: as a result of they will make something, there’s a number of all the things; you must spend a bit extra time in search of the factor you need.

Daniel Hanson additionally experiment greater than most. Current collections have included designs by the founding father of Intercourse Skateboards, Louis Slater (under), and earlier than that one with Nottingham artist DILK that featured hand-painted multi-coloured panels. Nicholas Hanson himself has a chunk hanging up that he made out of beer mats. 

However additionally they make easy, merely luxurious robes. There’s a number of plain cashmere right here and silk, there’s good velvet and Maison Hellard linen. There are additionally pretty, delicate patterns just like the de Le Cuona materials we first lined at Emma Willis.

And the make is what you’d count on from a luxurious dressing robe, plus a bit. You get all the fragile piping and hand-knotted fringes (if that’s what you need) however Hanson additionally like to make use of silk linings on most robes. 

“Silk is nicer than viscose, notably towards the pores and skin,” says Julian. “Viscose by no means actually softens in the identical means. Silk could be extra delicate, however that’s solely a difficulty if somebody wears them with a belt, or carries keys round lots.”

I used to be additionally notably interested by a machine-washable robe they make, which is Hellard linen on the skin and cotton lining inside. “The best way to make it mechanically cleanable is to pre-shrink all of the materials, use cotton lining, and take away any fusing or interlining across the edges,” says Julian. 

The robe’s mixture of cotton and linen appears to be like like it will be notably good in heat climate. The design can also be illustrative of that earlier design level – the instance within the store has brilliant orange lining and piping, towards earthy windowpane linen; my type could be to have each lining and piping extra tonal. 

Discussing the finer factors of that robe additionally introduced us onto the concept of patterns, of various cuts.

This isn’t one thing I’d actually thought of with dressing robes as a result of all of them appear so uniform and primary in form. However there are some pretty large variations. 

“A method to consider it’s that some robes are made for parading, others for lounging on the couch,” says Julian. “You wouldn’t really need the 2 lower or made the identical, as a result of the supposed impact is totally different.”

A better, extra parading robe would have a narrower physique as an illustration, and so a smaller wrap when it’s belted. That is neater, however permits much less room for motion. Some smarter ones may even have a dart within the waist, and a shoulder that’s lower squarer, with just a little little bit of roping. 

A extra relaxed robe, in contrast, will often be lower with a extra dropped shoulder, no roping, an even bigger form and fewer fusing. 

It’s not like evaluating the construction of bespoke fits, however as soon as these varied particulars are identified, the consequences are apparent and revealing. 

As soon as the Savile Row store has closed, Julian says the plan is to hold on working on-line and thru trunk exhibits. In the long term, although, they’d like to be again on the Row. 

“I’m undecided we might justify it but, however we’ll someday and I really like the group on the road. So many individuals have stopped by and mentioned how properly they knew my father,” says Julian. 

The facility of being on the Row was additionally palpable as I used to be leaving. An older American couple got here in, saying they had been passing and in search of a superb dressing robe. It turned out they particularly needed to interchange a robe that the husband had purchased from Neiman Marcus within the ‘90s, and had served him properly ever since. Given the retailer, chances are high that Daniel Hanson made that robe. 

It was nice to know the guests had discovered the identical high quality and maker, 30 years later, simply in a brand new kind.