Menswear chain Moss Bros shuts up shop in Covent Garden

Shocked staff were informed of the closure at a meeting this week
Heritage: Billy Huxley models the brand

More than 160 years after Moses Moss started selling secondhand clothes from a stall in Covent Garden, the menswear chain he founded is shutting up shop in its birthplace.

Moss Bros, the gentlemen’s outfitter and formal wear supplier best known for its black-tie and morning suit hire, will close its store in the area for good at the end of trading on Monday.

The lease has expired on the two-storey store on King Street, which is at the centre of a £90 million redevelopment by Covent Garden landlords Capco.

The chain, once one of the biggest names in British tailoring, was founded in the market in 1851 by secondhand clothes dealer Moses, and at its peak had more than 135 stores across the UK. It was a favourite destination of politicians, writers and actors and supplied officers’ uniforms during both World Wars. In the mid-Twenties, after King George V insisted ministers be turned out correctly at court, it dressed Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald’s first Labour government.

Other distinguished customers have included Charles Dickens, Sir Winston Churchill, actors Sir Anthony Hopkins and Sir Derek Jacobi and broadcaster Lord Bragg. More recently it has tried to refresh its image by employing the heavily tattooed and bearded model Billy Huxley as its face.

Shocked staff were informed of the closure at a meeting this week. The company said it intends to find many of them alternative jobs at other outlets across the capital.

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A source said: “It’s a terrible shame. It’s a big shock. It’s been here for 150 years now and it’s pretty bad that the company can’t keep it. The company started in Covent Garden so it’s losing its most crucial shop in a way. It’s so important to the brand and heritage.

“It’s where Moses started with a stall. Staff have been told they should be relocated to other stores but it’s still rather sad.” Another said: “I was devastated. It’s sad because it’s the history gone. It’s like a big family.”

Customer Andrew Granger, 56, a partner at law firm Taylor Wessing, told the Standard: “I hired a morning suit from Moss Bros Covent Garden for my wedding, more than 26 years ago, and have just hired a morning suit for my nephew’s wedding next week.

“It’s rather sad they’re closing down. They’ve been here for so long and are part of the local history. I just hope the landlord is not going to damage the building and the new tenant will be sensitive to the site.”

The current building is not the original location. Moss Bros moved across the road in the early Nineties when its headquarter offices were relocated to Clapham Junction.

Fashion and cultural historian Dr Shaun Cole, of the London College of Fashion, said: “It started in Covent Garden as a barrel stall then opened a store. What has happened is sort of the way of central London — rents go up and landlords change. It’s a shame — historically that was where they were founded and they are now having to abandon the site. But that happens to many businesses but and you have to move with the times to stay afloat.”

Moss Bros is in the process of contacting its customers waiting for orders and said anyone wanting to return items will be able to use alternative stores.

Chief executive Brian Brick said: “Obviously it’s a sad day in the life of Moss Bros. We’re proud of the history but it’s also about the future.” He said the business was looking for a new site in Covent Garden but it was hard to find the right unit at an affordable rent.

A spokeswoman for Capco said: “The redevelopment of Kings Court and Carriage Hall is a unique opportunity to create a new high quality residential, retail and restaurant destination.”

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