A new shop looks set to open on one of York’s most prestigious streets.
British menswear brand Aubin plans to move into 36 Stonegate.
It was last home to fashion store Weird Fish, which closed last spring after more than a decade on the street.
The team behind Aubin have put in an application to turn 36 Stonegate into one of its stores.
It’s a company “inspired by British heritage” which first launched in 2008 “as the more grown up elder sibling to the brand’s former stable mate, Jack Wills”.
Known then as Aubin & Wills, in November 2012 Jack Wills announced it was terminating the brand to concentrate on the global growth of the principal brand. All trading ceased by January 2013.
The Aubin website describes its demise as due to “a series of strange and illogical decisions made by corporate wonks who were paid enough to know better”.
Then a group of ex Aubin staff got together and relaunched the brand in 2021. It is now independently owned by its original founder Peter Williams.
Gentleman’s Journal described this as a “triumphant return” which “marks a win for modern menswear”.
Aubin now has three standalone stores, in London, Edinburgh and Devon, and concessions in branches of John Lewis and other department stores.
It’s proposed York shopfront would see brass lettering on a black background, and a hand-painted projecting sign.
So what sort of menswear does it sell? Everything from suits to loungewear.
“The Aubin brand has always prided itself on producing best in class products, inspired by British heritage and culture that have a timeless appeal,” the website says.
“Over the years, Aubin has collaborated with many partners that share our passion for art, music and film, an example being the Aubin Cinema opened with Soho House in 2009.”
You can read and comment on the planning application here.
