He’s dressed the biggest names in the world of pop music, shaken hands with the late Queen, met the King of rock and roll Elvis Presley, along with countless other famous names, to include ol’ blue eyes himself Frank Sinatra.
But last week (25 April), legendary fashion designer Jeff Banks took to the stage at the Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards, to address over 400 people in the licensing industry, regaling them with anecdote after anecdote about a career in design, fashion and licensing that has spanned over 60 years.
In a fast paced, pre-lunch speech, Jeff, looking dapper in a checked suit and stripy shirt and tie, introduced himself as “a designer and humble tailor”, telling the audience that he felt like “a minnow among giants, highlighting the “amazing brands in the room.” (No stranger to the gift industry either – Jeff recently launched a new home fragrancing collection with Candlelight at Spring Fair earlier this year).
“I’ve been in licensing for some 60 years,” he stated. “I have licensed clothing, housewares and opticals in the UK, China and Australia. However, my licensing journey began in 1966 when I struck my first deal.
“On 6 September 1964, on a wing and a prayer, I opened a clothes shop in London’s Blackheath called Clobber. It became an overnight success, with all my friends – the biggest names in pop music at the time, to include the Beatles, going in there to shop.
“Early on, a man came in called Paul Young, who owned a marketing company in New York that marketed fashion and music and owned the rights to the Beatles in America. Paul was about to open 22 fashion stores – all at once! – called Paraphernalia. It was the Swinging ‘60s, and 22 of us were flown out to New York – myself, Mary Quant and Ossie Clark, who all went on to become household names – as well as the big pop bands of the day to include the Rolling Stones and the Animals.
“Out there, I met a woman who bought contemporary fashion for Young East Siders in New York. She introduced me to the company’s boss who told me he had other designers working for him – two of them from France – and signed me up too. So that was my first licensing deal!”
Jeff’s career continued to go from strength to strength, but in 1974, someone burned down the company’s HQ forcing the business into administration. “Fortunately, I knew someone in the fashion business who already had three designers working for him, and signed me up too, so this became my second venture into licensing – the venture that enabled me to start up the company once again.”
Other licensing ventures came Jeff’s way in the ensuing years including a partnership with Sainsbury’s, where the company invited Jeff to create a licensed range of clothing. “It went from nothing to £200m in a year and was the forerunner for Sainsbury’s Tu clothing label,” said Jeff, adding that when the contract ended, he insisted that he would receive a box of chocolates every week for the rest of his life!
However, the “licence that got away” was The Clothes Show, which Jeff co-presented with Selina Scott. “The idea came to me when I presented a fashion slot on BBC 1’s Pebble Mill At One,” Jeff told the audience. “I put together some of my clothes and sent the idea to the then BBC’s then controller Michael Grade. Four years later he got back to me ask if I would make some shows for afternoon TV, which then moved to Sunday nights, and we hit the big time. There was a Clothes Show magazine, and the Clothes Show live, but, to my great regret, I gave away the copyright to the BBC!” (The show ran from 1986-2000).
Reflecting on “what licensing is all about”, Jeff said, “it is about creating brand identity, that the licence has legs, and that you have trust. You have to have a passion for it. You also have to have the right partner, one that you trust completely, and one that is as passionate about it as you.”
Talking about his current licensing ventures, he explained: “I continue to build and work with all of my brands with a passion. I totally believe in what I do. I also have to believe that I honour the partner I have the licence with. Plus, I always engage with the customer. And finally, just to be on the safe side, my advice is to always get a bloody good lawyer!” he quipped.
So what’s next on the licensing cards for Jeff? “I’m currently looking into the possibility of another exciting new licensing partnership. Life has taught me that things just bowl up.”
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