Fat Face - History

History

The company was founded in 1988 by Jules Leaver and Tim Slade when they were 23 and 22 respectively. Both Leaver and Slade were skiers, but had run out of money and so decided to open a clothing store in Méribel, a ski resort in the French Alps. The idea for the clothing range was originally Slade's. They sold belongings, including a Volkswagen camper van, and purchased plain t-shirts with the proceeds on which to print logos. The idea of "better a bad day on the water than a good day in the office" came from this, and with growing interest and rapport with British tourists, they decided to do business in the UK. Between 1992 and 1993, the Fulham store was opened. The name 'Fat Face' was inspired by Le Face, an Olympic black run in Val d'Isère. When the company's 3 level flagship store opened in Exeter's Princesshay quarter, on 25 September 2007, turnover exceeded £110 million.

Although growth was initially slow, operations grew over time and the company now owns over 150 stores worldwide. The original Fulham store closed in 2006.

In 2007, Fat Face trialled selling its clothing in John Lewis department stores. This was successful and has since been expanded. A number of licensed products made by external companies have been introduced, such as watches and sunglasses.

As of January 2010, the current chairman is Alan Giles.