High and Mighty (shop)
Encyclopedia
High and Mighty is a clothing
retail chain for tall and/or wide men in the United Kingdom
. After having been family-owned for more than fifty years, it was sold to mailorder group N Brown
in September 2009.
in 1956 by taylor Bernard Levy, as a mailorder company. The company's first store was opened in Edgware Road in London
in 1959 as Northern Outsize Menswear, soon followed by several more stores. The company changed its name to High and Mighty in the 1970s, and in 1979 it opened stores in New York City
and Stamford, Connecticut
, trading as London Majesty. It was, however, forced to close the two US stores in 1991.
In 1990, Bernard Levy's daughter, Judith Levy, took over as chairman and managing director, and in 1996 her sister, Ruth Levy-So, joined as business development director. By 2000, the company had 23 stores in the UK and 10 in Belgium
, Germany
and The Netherlands, and launched its own urban streetwear brand, Kayak.
By 2008, the company started to have financial difficulties, partly because of increased competition from e-commerce retailers. In September 2009 it went into pre-pack administration and was quickly bought by the N Brown Group
's main subsidiary, mailorder firm JD Williams, for £1.6 million.14 of the 21 stores were included in the purchase, and the N Brown management said that they wanted to reinvigorate and expand the chain, which is N Brown's first branded foray on to the high street.
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
retail chain for tall and/or wide men in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. After having been family-owned for more than fifty years, it was sold to mailorder group N Brown
N Brown Group
N Brown Group plc is a British business group and a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index based in Manchester, England. It trades as a home shopping retailer under several names, including JD Williams, Jacamo, SimplyBe and High and Mighty.-History:...
in September 2009.
History
The company was founded in HullKingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
in 1956 by taylor Bernard Levy, as a mailorder company. The company's first store was opened in Edgware Road in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1959 as Northern Outsize Menswear, soon followed by several more stores. The company changed its name to High and Mighty in the 1970s, and in 1979 it opened stores in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, trading as London Majesty. It was, however, forced to close the two US stores in 1991.
In 1990, Bernard Levy's daughter, Judith Levy, took over as chairman and managing director, and in 1996 her sister, Ruth Levy-So, joined as business development director. By 2000, the company had 23 stores in the UK and 10 in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and The Netherlands, and launched its own urban streetwear brand, Kayak.
By 2008, the company started to have financial difficulties, partly because of increased competition from e-commerce retailers. In September 2009 it went into pre-pack administration and was quickly bought by the N Brown Group
N Brown Group
N Brown Group plc is a British business group and a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index based in Manchester, England. It trades as a home shopping retailer under several names, including JD Williams, Jacamo, SimplyBe and High and Mighty.-History:...
's main subsidiary, mailorder firm JD Williams, for £1.6 million.14 of the 21 stores were included in the purchase, and the N Brown management said that they wanted to reinvigorate and expand the chain, which is N Brown's first branded foray on to the high street.