This story originally appeared on the Gents Cafe Newsletter. You can subscribe here.
When Casino Royale premiered in theatres unveiling Daniel Craig’s all-new portrayal of 007, the name of Sunspel reached unprecedented popularity: Bond’s Navy blue polo became a favorite among fans and menswear enthusiasts for its timeless cut and impeccable fit. However, the brand’s commitment to quality and understated elegance dates back way before 2006: in fact, the Notthingam-based factory has been perfecting wardrobe essentials since 1860, even pioneering the world’s first “luxury T-Shirt” in between.
We sat down with Creative Director David Telfer to learn more about his professional journey and Sunspel‘s compelling story.
What are your main passions outside of your job, and how do they keep your creativity flowing?
It would be fair to say I probably do have too many hobbies. I really enjoy working with my hands and creating things in my free time. Since I spend so much time working on clothing at Sunspel, I tend to focus on different kinds of crafts outside of work. Two hobbies that have really stuck with me are making bass guitars and running.
I actually started making bass guitars during the COVID lockdown. I combined my love of music with craftsmanship and ended up creating my own little brand called Brute Bass Guitars. I build them from scratch, and they’re all pretty unique. It’s been a fun project, and I’ve even met a few of my favorite musicians through it, which has been amazing. I like that it’s a creative outlet where I’m not necessarily an expert – it gives me the freedom to experiment without the pressure to be perfect. Plus, it’s led to some great opportunities, like getting free gig tickets!
Outside of that, I run a lot, especially marathons. Recently, I’ve also started playing golf, and I’ve even combined the two with a new sport called Speedgolf. In fact, I’m competing in the British Speedgolf Open next week, so that’s been keeping me busy.
I guess I just love challenging myself, whether it’s through crafting or pushing my physical limits. I also have a couple of kids, so life is busy, but I always try to find time for new projects.
Can you tell us about your background and what led you to become the Creative Director at Sunspel?
Honestly, I have to say fashion wasn’t my original career preference – I wanted to be a rock star. I took a gap year to pursue that dream, but it didn’t quite happen. So, I ended up doing an art foundation course, which turned out to be one of the most liberating creative experiences for me. I absolutely loved it.
During that time, I discovered fashion. I was already sewing and altering my own clothes, but that was the moment I realized it could be a career. I then went on to study fashion design at Brighton, and after graduating, I started working at COS in London. At the time, COS was a relatively small brand – only about two years old and with around 15 stores. But it was a really exciting period for them because they grew rapidly, and by the time I left, there were over 200 stores.
It was such a dynamic environment where they were doing something unique, which allowed for a lot of creative freedom. I had the opportunity to visit factories and learn more about product development, which was fascinating. I worked there for about six years, but eventually, I began to feel a desire to work for a smaller brand and get closer to where the product was made.
That’s when the opportunity at Sunspel came up. I was still based in London at the time, and after a couple of interviews, I visited the factory, which is where I’m now based. I instantly fell in love with the factory and the concept of being close to the people making the clothes. There was also a huge potential at Sunspel to grow and develop the range, which was the direction they wanted to go when they hired me.
I’ve been here for about eight and a half years now. I started as a designer, then became Head of Design after a couple of years, and eventually Creative Director about four years ago. Our products are central to everything we do – they’re all about the highest quality basics. That focus on quality drives both our creative and marketing efforts. We really geek out over details like fiber and construction, and that technical foundation influences the stories we tell in our marketing. It’s not just about aesthetics, but also about how the product is made and where it comes from, which has been incredibly interesting for me.
Your website states, “Much has changed since Sunspel began work more than 160 years ago – but what drives our business has not. It can be summed up in a few simple words: do things as well as possible and do the right thing.” How do these principles influence the design and manufacturing of your products?
I was surprised when I first started at Sunspel by how different the design process was. One key difference is that we have our own factory, which makes the process much more collaborative. The designer, technical team, and the person making the product work closely together, resulting in a deeper understanding and higher craftsmanship.
At Sunspel, we also work with factories that specialize in specific areas. Instead of asking them to make a range of products, we focus on their strengths and create our version of that. We work with experts – like knitters in Scotland who focus solely on lambswool and cashmere. This allows us to prioritize quality over quantity, developing one outstanding product instead of a broad range.
The process is slower and more deliberate, as we go back to the source, building relationships with manufacturers to ensure everything meets our high standards. Quality control is meticulous – everything has to live up to the same standard as our iconic T-shirt.
Your products are designed to stand the test of time. What does “timeless style” mean to you, and what is the secret to achieving it?
The whole principle behind our range is to create a complete wardrobe of essentials – pieces that will work the hardest in your wardrobe. These are the core items that you can’t live without, though, of course, everyone has their own go-to essentials. We focus on designing pieces that work seamlessly together, with colors that complement each other effortlessly. While we may introduce brighter, more seasonal T-shirts or polos, the bulk of our collection is designed to be timeless, with classic colors like khaki, blue tones, and shades of stone remaining staples in the range.
Another key to achieving timeless style is in the cut and detailing. We don’t rush to follow every seasonal trend, like cropped or oversized fits. Instead, we take our time to perfect the cuts, ensuring they’re the right length and fit, so they don’t age as quickly as pieces that are more trend-driven. While we’re mindful of evolving trends, we embrace them at a slower pace to ensure that our products won’t feel outdated in a year or two.
Timelessness also comes down to quality. If you create a timeless design but it doesn’t last, it’s not truly timeless. That’s why we go right back to the fiber, using long-staple cottons or extra-fine merino and cashmere with stronger fibers. These materials last longer, resist twisting during washing, hold their color better, and shrink less. We’ve tested this thoroughly, and we know that starting with the best quality materials leads to a superior, longer-lasting product. That’s a core principle for us when creating timeless clothing.
How do collaborations contribute to shaping and evolving Sunspel’s creative direction?
Collaborating with other creatives gives us the opportunity to embrace fresh perspectives and experiment with aesthetics that might push our boundaries further than we would internally. It’s a way for us to appreciate and incorporate new creativity without straying from our commitment to timelessness.
I particularly enjoy our artist collaborations, such as those with David Shrigley, Camille Walala, John Booth, or Matt Blease. They’re all relatively well-known British illustrators and artists. What I love about these collaborations is getting to meet them in their studios, seeing a different creative environment, and observing their unique process. The beauty of a great collaboration is that you don’t always know what the final result will be. When we’re working internally as a design team, we tend to be on the same wavelength, but when you collaborate with someone new, their approach can be entirely different. They bring fresh perspectives and get inspired by different aspects of the brand.
One collaboration I found especially meaningful was with Nigel Cabourn. We worked together for Spring/Summer 2024 and have another collection launching later this month. Nigel has had his own brand for nearly 50 years, and he’s one of those iconic British designers, like Paul Smith or Margaret Howell. His approach is very archive-driven; he draws a lot of inspiration from vintage military and sportswear.
What made this collaboration especially interesting was seeing how he interacted with our archive, which dates back to the 1930s. He really appreciated the hand feel of certain vintage garments and had strong opinions about what worked. Nigel’s a real character, and it was fun to work with someone who has such a unique vision.
The best collaborations happen when you create something that feels unique but still aligns with both brands. It has to resonate with both sets of customers, and that balance is what makes it successful.
Sunspel made some of the world’s earliest T-shirts and has been perfecting them for over 100 years. How has the design and craftsmanship of your T-shirts evolved over this period?
When Sunspel first began making T-shirts over 100 years ago, we used Sea Island cotton, the world’s rarest and finest cotton fiber, grown in the West Indies. This fiber, making up less than 0.02% of the world’s cotton, is hand-picked and spun in Switzerland before being knitted or woven in Italy or Portugal. While we weren’t the first to make T-shirts, we were pioneers in creating a luxury T-shirt, as T-shirts were initially seen as mere undergarments.
Over time, our focus has remained on quality. Although we still produce Sea Island cotton T-shirts, we now also use Supima cotton. Supima is similar to Sea Island cotton but more widely available, fully traceable and slightly more cost-effective, making luxury accessible to more customers.
Despite these changes, our commitment to quality has remained constant. Our factory has long-standing employees who uphold our ethos of excellence. Recently, the design team and I spent an afternoon making T-shirts ourselves to appreciate the craftsmanship involved. We found that working with such fine, lightweight fabric is incredibly challenging, which deepened our understanding of its complexity.
Overall, while our T-shirt range has evolved to include a variety of styles beyond the original lightweight design, our core values of craftsmanship and quality have remained unchanged, ensuring that we continue to offer timeless, well-made T-shirts.
The Riviera Polo Shirt, originally designed by Sunspel in the 1950s, was tailored specifically for Daniel Craig’s James Bond in Casino Royale. How did this iconic collaboration come about?
The collaboration between Sunspel and James Bond is quite a fascinating story. Unlike typical brand partnerships where there’s a formal agreement or marketing deal, this was a genuine, organic collaboration.
James Bond, particularly in the Daniel Craig era, was undergoing a reinvention to feel more authentic and contemporary. The character was moving away from the more traditional, perhaps outdated image, especially with the emergence of the Bourne series, which had a more modern and gritty approach. Daniel Craig was a somewhat unconventional choice at the time, but he brought a fresh, dynamic presence to the role.
The stylist for the film, Lindy Hemming, had a personal connection to Sunspel. Her father had worn our clothes, so she was familiar with our brand. She visited our factory and discovered our Riviera Polo Shirt, which was originally designed in the 1950s for the summer heat. The shirt, made from a breathable mesh fabric, had not been a major product for us at that time. Lindy loved its look and feel but felt it needed some modernizing to fit Daniel Craig’s Bond.
We made several adjustments: the polo was tailored to be slimmer, with shorter sleeves and a more contemporary fit to suit Daniel Craig’s physique. The classic navy color chosen was ideal for menswear. Interestingly, Nick, the owner, didn’t even know for sure that the polo would feature in the film until he saw it on screen. It was a genuine surprise and underscored the authenticity of the collaboration.
The Riviera Polo Shirt became an iconic piece, symbolizing Bond’s transformation from traditional attire to something more modern and relatable. It’s noteworthy that while there was no formal brand partnership or contract, the inclusion of our polo was purely based on its suitability for the character.
In addition to the polo, Daniel Craig also wore our Riviera T-shirt and V-neck in the film, though they weren’t as prominently featured. He even wore our underwear, although this was only revealed later through film credits.
The collaboration had a significant impact on our brand, highlighting the uniqueness of Sunspel’s products. While we’ve had our items featured in various films and worn by celebrities, the Bond connection remains a particularly special and genuine part of our history.
Since you joined Sunspel, are there any meaningful moments in the history of the brand that you would like to share with us?
In the eight and a half years I’ve been with Sunspel, I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to some significant developments in the recent brand’s history. One of the highlights for me was expanding our product range to create a more comprehensive design aesthetic. We had a strong core collection, but it was exciting to round it out into a full collection, sourcing new factories and products that mean a lot to me because of the work that went into them.
A particularly meaningful project was the development of our fully British-made jumper, which we launched two years ago. This involved a deep dive into the entire production process. We visited the farm where the wool is sourced, worked with the scourer, finisher, spinner, and knitter, and saw firsthand how a luxurious British jumper is made. This process was crucial for me in understanding what makes a product truly special and was a key moment in my education.
Another milestone was the opening of our stores in the United States. Expanding into new international markets has been equally rewarding. It’s been exciting to see the brand grow and establish itself globally.
How does it feel when you see someone wearing one of your designs?
Seeing someone wearing one of our products, especially when it’s something I’ve designed, is a really special feeling. Our customers make a discerning choice to invest in quality, and seeing them out and about in our designs confirms that they truly appreciate what we offer.
I love seeing how people style our pieces and knowing that they’ve made a deliberate choice to embody the elegance and durability we aim for. It feels rewarding to see that our products have found a place in their lives.
How important is it for Sunspel to build a genuine sense of community, and how much effort do you put into fostering that community feeling?
Building a sense of community is incredibly important to us.
We host various customer events where we get to meet people and hear their feedback. It’s always interesting to learn what they like and their stories about the brand. Sometimes, they don’t even realize all the effort that goes into our products because we don’t shout about it. It’s gratifying to share those details with them.
One memorable moment was at an event in our store in Marin, San Francisco. Some customers drove hours just to meet us and express their love for the brand. Seeing their enthusiasm and passion for our products was incredibly exciting and reaffirmed the impact we’re making.
Our brand has a community-focused approach, rooted in the family-based origins of Sunspel.
Is there a book, a movie, a trip or a place that has inspired your life or the creative direction of the brand?
For me, the primary source of inspiration for the creative direction of the brand is our factory. It may sound a bit mundane, but the factory has had a profound impact on both my personal life and our brand’s creative direction.
Over the past eight and a half years, the factory has been central to my journey. If it weren’t for the factory, I might not have moved here or settled down with my family. The experience of walking through the factory, interacting with the skilled workers, and hearing about their daily work is incredibly inspiring.
Being able to see and meet the people who make our clothes adds a unique dimension to our creative process. It’s different from simply sending off sketches to distant locations. The factory’s energy, excitement, and passion deeply influence everything we create.
I believe that if we can make all of our products as special as what comes out of the factory, we’re achieving something remarkable for our customers. The factory not only inspires our designs but also gives the brand a distinctive flavor.
