style and substance

our story

 

 

 

Our values and ethics are a huge part of what it means to work here, from how we treat our suppliers to developing our employees to enable incredible customer experiences. We know our responsibility extends beyond your wardrobe, so we've been trying our hardest to live by these values since 1973.

Everyone has a story to tell. Ours began with one man and his vision to share the exotic, rich, vibrant fabrics and colours of a life-changing road trip around Asia. It’s a journey that started back in 1973 and one you could still be very much part of.

Our wonderful story starts back in 1973 when the first Monsoon boutique opened on London’s Beauchamp Place. Peter Simon (our founder) had returned from a life-changing road trip around Asia – determined to share the colourful marvels of his experience. And the first Monsoon collections featured gorgeous bohemian clothes made in Indian villages using hand-loomed cotton fabrics, organic vegetable dyes and artisanal block-printing techniques.

Ten years later came the launch of our Accessorize brand with the debut of its very first store on the Piazza in London’s Covent Garden – a one-stop destination for the on-trend finishing touches that complete every great fashion look. With our continued success we launched our first Monsoon CHILDRENSWEAR range in 1994 and Monsoon HOME in 1999.

Today, our two great sister brands have an international presence with over 1,000 stores around the world. Throughout the UK and much further afield, each is recognised for its unique identity and distinctive handwriting inspired by mesmerising colours, patterns, textures and hand-craft techniques from magical, faraway places.