Aquascutum

Starting first as a high quality menswear shop in Regent Street in 1853, became known as the first British firm ever managing to produce raincoats with wool linen (hence the name Aquascutum which means 'water shield' in Latin). All ranks of solders used the Aquascutum waterproof fabrics in Crimean War as well as trench coats in both of the World Wars. Also, especially royals and politicians  such as King Edward  VII, the Price of Wales, the Queen Mother, Winston Churchill, Lady Thatcher and many more have favoured Aquascutum's clothes, which made the clothing brand to receive a royal warrant after the wars. Now, however, the company has reported to collapse into administration due to high levels of debt putting 250 jobs at risk, which could have affected its parent company Jaeger's operations unless the owner Harold Tillman had not sold it to a private equity entrepreneur Jon Moulton some years ago.

News read from FT