This Summer has seen the launch of an exciting new British men’s swimwear brand. Established by two brothers, Matt and BJ Hepworth, Bowler & Beach is a luxury lifestyle beachwear brand combining British style with Portuguese flair. Starting with men’s designer swim shorts, their aim is to create stylish, high quality beachwear with distinctive prints and signature design details.
Bowler & Beach has featured in a number of fashion & lifestyle blogs around Europe since launching, as well as being spotted on celebrities such as Spencer Matthews (Made in Chelsea) and Chris Clark (The Only Way is Essex). Bowler & Beach has also appeared in leading publications such as Vogue online, GQ, The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, The Mail online and Coach Magazine.
Inspired by childhood memories of time spent sharing the idyllic Portuguese sun and having fun with friends and family, brothers Matt and BJ created Bowler & Beach with the aim of creating a men’s beachwear brand which evokes great memories. Matt says, “Whether partying at a sun-drenched beach club in Ibiza, embracing a beautiful beach on the British or Portuguese coast, or relaxing by a pool in the Caribbean, we want Bowler & Beach swim shorts encompass the carefree spirit of living for the moment and collecting countless memories along the way.”
Swim Shorts
Matt and BJ both passionately believe in creating distinctive swim shorts that make an impact wherever they are worn, whilst being comfortable, well fitting and able to withstand the rigours of having fun in the sun, time and time again. Their shorts are designed in London and made in Portugal where there is a rich heritage of the most skilled craftsmen and women making luxury swim shorts using the best quality fabric and trims.
The swim shorts are made to be comfortable and fit well both in and out of the water, with distinctive and eye-catching prints synonymous with the Bowler & Beach style. BJ explains, “special care has been taken to incorporate signature Bowler & Beach design details on each short such as the “share the sun” button on the back pocket, the matching draw-rope and print colour, and the coordinated carry pouches. Our collection for Spring / Summer 16, The Animals, is made up of four distinctive prints; The Lobster, The Swallows, The Seahorse and The Stag.”
“The Bowler & Beach logo represents the British charm and heritage of the iconic bowler hat together with the fun spirit of great times shared in the Portuguese sun”, the brothers explain. Matt and BJ’s approach to Bowler & Beach is not just about the here and now; it’s about carefully growing a loyal following and encouraging everyone involved to have a great time on the journey along the way.
The brothers have worked on the idea since conceiving it in September 2014 and have invested their own money in designing and producing the swim shorts. They ran a successful crowdfunding campaign in April to enable them to launch the brand and their first collection for Spring / Summer 2016, The Animals, hitting their £10,000 target in just 8 days.
They have been selling through their website as well at a number of carefully selected retail fairs and pop-ups throughout the summer – check them out to see which pair you would like to be rocking this summer!
BJ says “The plan for 2017 includes an exciting expansion to the animals range and a couple more surprises which we aren’t quite ready to reveal yet.”
Follow them on social media and sign up to their mailing list to be kept in touch with the latest exciting news about Bowler & Beach!
