Adam Brown Changed Men's Beachwear. His Shorts Are Loved by James Bond

What started as an innocent fashion faux pas has ended up as a global empire of men's beachwear. Even James Bond fell in love with Orlebar Brown shorts.

The best things come by accident, as the classic saying goes. Sometimes all it takes is one awkward event to spark an idea that will change an industry forever. Adam Brown, the founder of the Orlebar Brown brand , found out when he was refused entry to a restaurant in 2005 because… he was wearing swimming trunks . A seemingly trivial mishap gave rise to a global empire of men's resort fashion . What's more, it was Adam Brown's stylish shorts that James Bond himself fell in love with.

Men's swim shorts by Orlebar Brown / Orlebar Brown press material

Adam Brown, a trained photographer, came up with the idea of ​​creating elegant, functional swimming shorts . The reason? The skimpy swimming trunks did not fit the dress code of the hotel restaurant in India that he wanted to enter. Brown then dreamed of shorts that would combine functionality with the elegance of classic trousers.

Orlebar Brown brand swim shorts / orlebar Brown press material

In 2007, the first Orlebar Brown product debuted: Bulldog shorts . Designed with the aesthetics of suit trousers in mind — with a clearly marked waistband, waist adjustment and Italian, quick-drying material — they quickly gained recognition among men. The brand was created literally from scratch: a warehouse, one-man logistics and a dream. But in 2011, Orlebar Brown opened its first boutique in London's Notting Hill , and its recognition grew.

The real breakthrough was the premiere of the film Skyfall in 2012. In one of the scenes , Daniel Craig appears on screen in blue Bulldogs . The unexpected participation of shorts in the blockbuster immediately took Orlebar Brown to global heights. Since then, the brand has been associated with elegance in the style of 007. The cooperation with the Bond franchise quickly turned into an official collection inspired by the films, including shorts, silk shirts and terrycloth polo shirts.

Still from the movie James Bond Skyfall - James Bond in swimming trunks Orlebar Brown / still from the movie Skyfall, 2012

Today, Orlebar Brown is much more than just " swim shorts" . Its range includes a full resort wardrobe : from linen shirts, through light trousers and summer jackets. Despite the development, the heart of new collections is still shorts . Everything has to match them, be their natural extension. It is this consistency that makes the brand so coherent and recognizable in the world of luxury fashion.

The brand plans to further expand into new lifestyle categories: from suitcases to sun protection.