Ben Sherman was the Mod God. The man, who started making shirts from a small, back street factory.

Alfred Benjiman Sugarman was born on 3rd October 1925 in the English seaside town of Brighton. Declining to join the family business, Rocco's Gift Shop, 20 year old Alfred boarded a ship for Canada, final destination America.

In the States he took a series of jobs, which included working as a jewelry salesman, a waiter and a tobacco picker. He reached LA in 1953 with 2 failed marriages behind him and quickly met and married his third wife Ruth. Ruth's father, Aaron Minken was a very successful clothes manufacturer and took it upon himself to teach Alfred every aspect of the business, from manufacturing to marketing and selling.

One of Minken's business concerns was a shirt company called Lancia with whom Alfred worked extensively. He found the style of Lancia shirts too conservative for his tastes and desperately tried to bring in his own designs and ideas. Unable to do so, Alfred become bored and frustrated. He was an independent man, an action man,always striving to make things better.

In 1962 saw the Sugarman family reloaction to Brighton and at the same time Alfred changed his name to Ben Sherman.

When Bens marriage to Ruth ended she and the children returned to the States and Ben bought a small factory in Bedford Square, Brighton.

The swinging 60's gave British youth culture more fashion, money and freedom than ever before. Ben Sherman recognized this niche and began manufacturing his own range of shirts and beachwear.

In 1963 Ben Sherman the brand was born. Demand overwhelmed the original Brighton factory and in 1969 Ben Sherman increased production, expanding to Northern Ireland to cater for his rapidly growing market. In December 1972 employees were shocked to learn that Ben had sold his company to the Northern Ireland Finance Corporation.

The following year Ben Sherman took off with his 4th wife to launch new business ventures in Australia. In 1987, 6 weeks after a heart bypass operation Ben died, aged 62.

With renewed focus and continued investment in design and marketing, Ben Sherman, the lifestyle brand, continues to grow.