Written by Menswear Style in Interviews on the 12th December 2023

Heron’s Ghyll is a cosmopolitan tailoring brand with a pluriversal eye to the future. Within this vision, everything is fluid; cultures collide and recombine to produce new forms. Based in London, the brand approaches each collection with an openness to the world as well as a desire to seek out underserved narratives evinced through textile traditions. Taking the city’s rich heritage in tailoring as a starting point, luxurious natural fabrics are fused with the best of British craftsmanship to produce clothing and accessories characterized by their hybridity, superlative quality, and relaxed elegance.

The brand’s mission is to present a compelling vision of masculine elegance that’s rooted in a unique, transcultural aesthetic. Heron’s Ghyll was founded in 2020 by Mark Francis. Born in Kuala Lumpur and educated in the U.S. and France, he cites romanticism, Jun'ichiro Tanizaki, and Léon Spilliaert as key influences.

“I would describe my brand as a men’s tailoring brand but seen through a fashion lens with a cosmopolitan ethos. Fashion looks to reinvent itself every season. My main influences include natural fabrics due to my upbringing in Malaysia where the weather is hot and humid. Also, I have an appreciation of vibrant colours and gold which is often seen in Chinese culture. From my American education I have inherited a love from baggy and slouchy silhouettes seen in sportswear. Also, the 1980s in general – my references are rooted in British music and subculture. So, it’s a complete mish mash of different influences.”

This is a shortened transcribed edit of episode 209 of the MenswearStyle Podcast with Mark Francis, Founder of Elegant Clothing and Tailoring brand heronsghyll.com. You can listen to the full version on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast player.

A look at the heritage tailoring with a cosmopolitan ethos from Mark Francis' brand Heron's Ghyll.