Frank Smythson Limited
TypePrivate
IndustryLuxury goods
Founded1887 (1887)
FounderFrank John Smythson[1]
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Jacques Bahbout (Chairman)[2]
Stefano Giacomelli (Deputy Chairman)
Luc Goidadin (Creative Director)
ProductsStationery and accessories
OwnerGreenwill SA
Websitesmythson.com
An example of Smythson's work: an engraved, monogrammed calling card
A Smythson store located at the Royal Exchange, London

Frank Smythson Limited, commonly known as Smythson (/smaɪθsən/), is a British manufacturer and retailer of luxury stationery, leather goods, diaries, and fashion products based in London, England. The company's founder, Frank John Smythson, was born in 1847 at Holborn and was a son of Marcus Alfred Smythson, a professor of music.[3] He opened his first store on 29 September 1887 at 133 New Bond Street in London. Smythson's current flagship store is located nearby at 131-132 New Bond Street.

Smythson's clients have included the current British royal family, Queen Victoria, many UK politicians and prime ministers, Sir Edmund Hillary, Madonna, and Grace Kelly. In 1908, the company created the first 'Featherweight' diary,[4] enabling diaries to be carried about.[5] Most of the company's leather goods are now made in Italy.[6]

Locations

In the United Kingdom, in addition to the flagship store on New Bond Street, Smythson has London boutiques on Sloane Street, Westbourne Grove , as well as concessions in Harrods, Selfridges and Heathrow Airport Terminals 4 and 5.

Smythson's other international location is at Le Bon Marché in Paris.

The New Bond Street store hosts a small archive collection dedicated to notable users of Smythson products throughout the brand's history.

History

In the 1950s, the John Menzies Group acquired Smythson, which was also operating under the name 'Pendragon' at the time. In 1998, Smythson's then managing director Sarah Elton led a management buyout backed by a private investor. Since then, the business has grown and the company is now operating outlets in the UK, US and France, as well as online through their website. In 2004, Smythson recorded £12 million in sales revenues.

In early 2005, Smythson shareholders appointed Cavendish Corporate Finance Limited to advise on the disposal of their stake in the business. Besides maximising value for themselves, the shareholders wanted to find a buyer who would protect the heritage of the brand and offer the management team the opportunity to continue to grow.

Kelso Place Asset Management and King Street Partners, backed by a consortium of high-net-worth individuals, were identified as the preferred bidders. Sarah Elton commented that she was satisfied with the deal.

In mid-December 2009, the company was sold for £18 million to Greenwill SA.[7] Jacques Bahbout became Chairman of Smythson. In 2021, Stefano Giacomelli was appointed Deputy Chairman.

In recent years, Smythson has done a number of collaborations with a range of artists and designers such as Holly Fulton in 2010,[8] Jonathan Saunders in 2011,[9] Quentin Jones in 2014, Vahram Muratyan in 2017, and Coco Capitán in 2020.[10][11]

References

  1. ↑ "Frank John Smythson, Deceased." The London Gazette, 13 August 1926, Issue 33191, p.5416. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  2. ↑ Jones, Nina (29 January 2014). "New Role for Jacques Bahbout at Smythson". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "Frank J Smythson in household of Marcus A Smythson. Registration District: Holborn. Page No.1. Piece: 218. Folio: 109.Reg No: RG12." From England and Wales Census, 1891, database with images, FamilySearch. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  4. ↑ "Corporate Diaries". Archived from the original on 13 May 2011.
  5. ↑ p.181 Moss, Victoria The Archivists In Style October 2012
  6. ↑ Choudhry, Talib (13 April 2017). "House of card: Smythson unveils a new exhibition to mark 130 years of elegant accessories". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  7. ↑ Jack, Ian (27 March 2010). "An unauthorised history of Smythson's". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  8. ↑ Alexander, Ella (14 July 2010). "Fulton for Smythson". Vogue. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
  9. ↑ Bergin, Olivia. "Jonathan Saunders for Smythson". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  10. ↑ Ryder, Bethan. "British artist Quentin Jones designs for Smythson". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  11. ↑ Verner, Amy (4 February 2016). "Eye spy: graphic artist Vahram Muratyan lends his famous frames to Smythson". wallpaper.com. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
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