LONDON — Derek Peter Rose, the founder of chairman of British luxury pajamas maker Derek Rose, passed away on Aug. 29 at the age of 93.
Rose was the second generation of a family-run British clothing operation, dating back to 1926, when his father, Jack Lewis Rose, founded the business.
He launched the Derek Rose brand known today in 1975 with a manufacturing base in Congleton, Cheshire, England.
The brand has since been a boudoir staple of luminaries such as British royals, former president Gerald Ford, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who wore matching his-and-hers pajamas, and more recently Leonardo DiCaprio, Harry Styles, Eddie Redmayne and Sarah Jessica Parker.
His son Sacha Rose took over the business in 2003 and continued global expansion. In 2005, the brand signed a joint venture with Net-a-porter to expand into the U.S. market.
The brand now offers a comprehensive range of items across nightwear, loungewear, resortwear, leisurewear and underwear for men, women and kids with stores in Knightsbridge, Notting Hill, Hampstead and Marylebone in London, as well as outposts in Toronto, Dubai and Riyadh, and more than 20 global points of sale.
According to his son, Rose was the heart of the company and “a towering figure in British menswear.”
Rose was an early champion of British manufacturing and craftsmanship. The brand won the Queen’s Award for Export on two separate occasions.
In 1966, he was elected chair of the British Menswear Guild, an honor that enabled him to escort the late Queen Elizabeth II at the International Menswear Exhibition and represent British fashion at delegations around the world.
Sacha Rose said his father loved the clothing trade, both the business itself and the people and the products.
“He delighted in working with mills, manufacturers, agents and retailers to produce the garments that defined the brand. His global vision and insistence on quality led to a loyal clientele in more than 50 countries, yet he remained most proud of the relationships he built with our suppliers and customers. He believed in beautiful design and that success is only meaningful when shared with others. We will miss his warmth, his humor, and his unwavering support,” he continued.
The brand said the Rose family and the Derek Rose team are committed to honoring his legacy, and continue to uphold the values he lived by — quality without compromise, respect for craft and a genuine care for the people who make and wear their garments.