A brief history
The Big Red Building, which is Gold’s Menswear has a unique history. Unusually for today, it remains a family business with a long tradition in tailoring and Menswear retailing. Founded by Warren Gold, the business is now run by his son Jamie and a staff of experienced and well versed individuals.
Warren Gold was one of the pioneers of the fashion revolution in menswear that took place in the 1960s. Together with his brother David he opened his first Lord John shop in Carnaby Street in 1964 from where in just a few years they built it into the first ever national and international chain of modern fashion menswear outlets. They not only took Lord John to all the major cities in the UK, but also to Europe and to the USA. With Lord John, Warren also created the first retail brand in fashion menswear, “Lord John of Carnaby Street.”
In his persona as Lord John, Warren was a prominent member of the 60s and 70s London scene along side his equally famous customers, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Tom Jones, , The Kinks, Donovan, Engelbert Humperdink, Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits, The Small Faces and very many others of the day. Warren, his Lord John shops and his ever changing innovative designs were rarely out of the fashion pages of the newspapers and magazines. Both leading manufacturers and retailers from around the world would come to Carnaby Street just to try to emulate the Lord John look in their own ranges and stores.
At a very early age Warren discovered that he had a particular interest in and flair for fashion. These factors, combined with his innate design skills, the influence of his father’s menswear retail experience and an instilled philosophy of always providing good value, good service and quality merchandise, injected originality and personality into the somewhat stale menswear industry.
The later years
Later, after he sold the business to a public company, he again found himself in the role of pioneer retailer. Well before anyone else, again with his brother David, he opened the first ever men’s clothing factory outlet store. It was called Goldrange and was famously known throughout London via a vigorous radio advertising campaign as ‘The Big Red Building in Petticoat Lane’.
Today, The Big Red Building is in Golders Green Road where with his 50 years of unequalled knowledge and experience Warren has created a unique store and shopping experience. At any one time Gold’s menswear can carry some 5000 designer label and branded garments in stock in a huge variety of sizes, up to 72” chest and 62” waist. With a choice of a multitude of styles and colours it is virtually impossible for any man not to find the perfect style and fitting. Despite the vast array of styles and sizes the philosophy of the business remains the same; good value, good service and good quality.
