King & Carr: Behind the Relaunch

Designs that look strangely familiar and frilled collars you swear you’ve seen before, but yet you’ve never heard of the brand? The new British womenswear brand, King & Carr launched on Thursday 14^th September and whilst its collection may be completely new to the eye, we’re almost certain that you’ll have already been acquainted with its female founder.

KING & CARR A/W COLLECTION

In 2018, Hannah King was struck by the limited number of options inside the clothing industry for women who wanted to build a wardrobe that was suitable for an active country lifestyle. “I noticed that there was a distinct lack of pretty, feminine clothing which allowed women to not only look stylishly timeless, but which also accommodated their way of living” said Hannah. Reminding you of any previous brand yet? Regardless of whether her customers were Gamekeepers who adorned in country life, or young girls whose weekends involved walks in wellies, it was her passion to create designs which were accessible for everyone.

Prepare to have your memory sparked in three, two, one… and so in 2018 Hannah founded ‘The Finer Horse,’ a brand which bridged the gap between traditional and high-street but mirrored both the country and equine sectors. Born with a mixture of British tweed skirts and classic cotton shirts, the brand echoed the Edwardian period where lace and pintucks were embellished on every collar and cuff. But it wasn’t finding the customer’s attention which grounded things to a halt for Hannah, but rather the questionable unknown of Covid-19. Like many businesses in 2020, the huge knock of the pandemic threw Hannah into making the trickiest decision for ‘The Finer Horse.’ Should she continue to fight for the brand, or look towards a new horizon? Spoiler alert, she did both!

“I have to be honest” sighed Hannah. “There was a period when I was absolutely sure I never wanted to run a business again! Trying to keep the brand going during the pandemic was rather bruising, alongside balancing everything alone, well it was never going to be a good idea. The gap between the demise of The Finer Horse and now gave me all the knowledge and time to stop and think about my next move in the industry, and to my surprise the itch to relaunch the business came to me with vengeance and just hasn’t wanted to leave.”

I think this is the right time to formerly introduce ‘King & Carr,’ the brand crafted with core aesthetic which brings feminine to the field. With many relaunches we often get the fear of will it be the same? Well in fact, Hannah’s unofficial motto for King & Carr is ‘the same but better.’ This time around every aspect of the business has been catered for to the highest degree. From collaborating with experts, to the build of the new website, to the construction of the products, the brand has undergone a full make-over.

“The name change came about for a couple of different reasons. Firstly, I wanted to ensure that our customers knew that our pieces were not subject to the equine industry. There truly is a garment for everyone and at the thought of relaunching it seemed a really good opportunity to change the name and symbolise a new chapter all at the same time” reminisced Hannah. “The second reason is quite personal, but my Dad died late last year after a long-term illness and I wanted to pay tribute to him by combining two family names in the relished chapter of the business. It’s very daunting coming up with a new name let alone a brand identity, but I must give credit to the amazing team at CB Digital, who have provided some unique ideas and have taken my vision and modelled it into the most beautiful branding.”

But whilst the previous brand name was put aside, Hannah never removed the ethos and aims she originally drilled into the brand back in 2018. “We deserve to have clothing specifically designed for our bodies, rather than the ‘shrink it and pink it’ approach. I’m a passionate advocate that women deserve to feel fantastic every day, and that clothing plays an important role in this. The designs I have created are not only made to last, but they can play their part in making you feel happy in or out of the field.”  

This Autumn King & Carr have launched their capsule collection which combines some of their favourite bestsellers with a couple of new pieces which have never been seen before. Their new Colworth Dresses partners casual timelessness with plaid sophistication. Styled with some over-the-knee socks and your favourite pair of Fairfax boots and you’ll stay cosy throughout the colder seasons or cinch the belt at the waist and roll up the sleeves to create a relaxed fit for the Summer months. Available in both Blue and Red Tartan, the dress box has already been ticked for your wardrobe.

Returning back to a similar style, the Norton Shirts give a country nod back to the Edwardian fashion. With their frilled collar and cuffs, the shirt integrally styles itself whilst epitomising the King & Carr mantra beautifully. Made from the finest quality of cotton, the shirt comes in country-wardrobe fitting colour-ways and is accompanied by a matching scrunchie – because of course we don’t want your hair to feel jealous!

When asked what her favourite garment was from the capsule collection, Hannah described the question as a tough one to answer with one name. “I’ve taken so much time designing every little detail of our new range that I truly love all the pieces. We have had so many requests already for more designs in the Norton Shirt, as it’s so gorgeous inside and out, and well I want out customers to know that we’re listening, don’t worry!”

The launch of the new Autumn collection is only the start of big plans for Hannah with King & Carr. In time her dream is to expand the range of products into new areas and even perhaps venture into an offshoot children’s line. “I’m not ruling anything out at this stage. The pandemic may have unsteadied my journey, but it most certainly didn’t shatter my vision, and I’m excited for what the future holds under this new name.”

The entire Autumn capsule collections is now ready to purchase online via www.kingcar.com and to view styling inspiration and more from the brand head to their Instagram account @kingandcarr and give them a follow. Also, if you’re wanting to read more about King & Carr founder Hannah and her journey since ‘The Finer Horse’ began, you can purchase our Autumn Issue 2019 in which her story features.