Heritage

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"When the roots are deep, there's no Reason to Fear the Wind."

Denys Finch Hatton was the archetype of the courageous adventurer. A man whose freedom was his highest maxim and to which he orientated his life.
But who was Finch Hatton and why did he give his name to a fashion brand?

Find out here...

Denys Finch Hatton was born in England on April 24, 1887. As the second son of an earl, he grew up in privileged circumstances. After his education at Eton College, he attended Brasenose College in Oxford, where he graduated in 1910.

Adventures in Africa - In 1911, Finch Hatton traveled to British East Africa, now Kenya, and was immediately fascinated by the beauty and wildness of the country. He decided to stay there and quickly made a name for himself as a safari guide. His services were utilised by many prominent and wealthy tourists, including Edward, Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VIII.

Denys Finch Hatton met the author Karen Blixen in Kenya. Blixen ran a coffee plantation at the foot of the Ngong mountains. They began an intensive and passionate relationship that lasted until his death in 1931 and played a central role in her world-famous book "Beyond Africa". The story was later made into a successful film and was released in cinemas worldwide in 1985.

Like Finch Hatton, Roger Brandts is fascinated by the beauty of the continent - and by the life of the British adventurer that he gets to know through the film. Both his own journey and the film would stay with him for the rest of his life...

"When I did a 6-month internship in South Africa in the mid-1980s in preparation for my degree in textile technology and the film "Beyond Africa" was released in cinemas at the same time, I was captivated. Not only by this wonderful continent, but also by the person Denys Finch Hatton, played in the film by Robert Redford. - Roger Brandts

From story to brand As a descendant of a family of drapers, Roger Brandts was practically born with a fascination for fabrics. Even though he was originally supposed to follow the same path as his ancestors, he decided, like Denys Finch Hatton, to embark on an adventure and founded his own fashion company in 1998.

The name was quickly found: Fynch-Hatton, in homage to Denys Finch Hatton, who impressed with his independence, his thirst for adventure and his love of freedom. The business plan is quickly finalised, but now it is time to convince buyers and suppliers. Not an easy task: the competition is fierce and not everyone shares Brandts' vision.

But just like Denys Finch Hatton, Roger Brandts, with the help of his initially small team, remains persistent and refuses to be dissuaded from his path.

Slowly but steadily, the fashion label is also establishing itself internationally. And as the range of products grows, so does the Fynch-Hatton team, which has turned Roger Brandt's idea into a success: the unmistakable fashion brand with the umbrella acacia as its logo, the typical tree of the African savannah. Fynch-Hatton is now represented at around 2,300 points of sale in 55 countries, not least thanks to the iconic image productions in South Arica in 2015 and 2018.

The Fynch-Hatton Lifestyle With the 2021 winter collection, the company took the next step with the launch of the first women's collection. This was followed in autumn 2022 by Fynch-Hatton Living. Interior products, which rounded off the holistic lifestyle offering.

The range is complemented by jewellery, bags and belts, which are designed and sold in cooperation with strong licensing partners.