Dapper in Dublin
From computing to Como, Mr. Jenks founders William Jenkins and Maeve Elliott are bringing a sartorial swish to the streets of Dublin
Article by Rupert Watkins
The Georgian splendour of Dublin is home to a burgeoning style scene. Having always been rather partial to the individuality and panache of the pocket square, William Jenkins struck out in 2015 to fill what he saw as a major gap in the Dublin market and thus Mr. Jenks was founded. Given when he founded the brand, even a number of the city’s high end department stores were still stocking polyester mix squares, Mr. Jenks certainly filled a need for dapper silk pocket accessories.
The fun name comes from Will’s family – both his Father and him had the nickname “Jenks” - and the name stuck in his mind as a memorable option for a brand. Mr. Jenks is a small team; two strong, it consists of Will and his co-founder Maeve Elliott. By day, they both work for IBM though there is the aspiration to make their passion their full time job in the future.
Balancing blue chip roles with a rapidly growing sartorial company has become increasingly tricky though Maeve and Will reckon that much of their sales skillset and digital marketing training at IBM has been of immense transferable value in setting up and driving Mr. Jenks forward. Even with the fund of business knowledge and marketing experience behind them, William and Maeve believe their two biggest challenges have been to stand out in a crowded marketplace and to balance all aspects of the business, from design, travelling, marketing and logistics.
With his long love of the pocket square, Will is encouraged by the renaissance in the past few years of dapper dressing and men’s interest in the well-made and stylish, “men have become more confident to dress up” he believes. Much of this is lead by the internet which has allowed people to research, disseminate and follow style influencers. Dublin has a thriving blogging scene and Will and Maeve have spent a lot of time working with a number of them. As Will says though, “it takes time to find the genuine bloggers.” The arena is exceedingly crowded and with wider industry issues such as many bloggers being slyly sponsored or bought out by large brands, finding that independence of thought is critical.
When Mr. Jenks first came into being, Will and Maeve spent a lot of time looking at manufacturers. They did look at the English silk mills, being very tempted by Vanners of Sudbury, but whilst they would love to collaborate in the future, the two of them felt a “Made in Italy” label was initially more attractive to the Dublin market and thus advantageous to the brand. As such, they headed to Como (where else) and, after research, toured three factories. The factory they chose has a remarkable archive of patterns dating back a century. Utilising the, “amazing designs” that they have had access to has meant Mr. Jenks’ collections have had a 50:50 balance between new designs and subtle and modern re-imaginings of archived patterns. The two of them look to visit Italy a couple of times a year before the new collections are put together, and, on their next visit in September of this year, they hope to shoot a video demonstrating the craft process.
With their elegant and tasteful designs, Mr. Jenks has slowly built up a loyal following. William says the majority of their custom is Internet driven, with Ireland and the UK providing the bulk of sales but clients have come from as far afield as Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia. Over the coming 18 months they look to consolidate their position in Ireland whilst forging forward, locating new stockists and collaborations in mainland UK and Europe. They currently have two concessions in Dublin at Henry Jermyn tailors and Louis Copeland and also two outside the Irish capital.
Whilst focusing on pocket squares, William and Maeve have begun to carefully expand the Mr. Jenks range. They are currently introducing Irish linen pocket squares; slightly larger than their Italian offerings, these will be made and hand-rolled in Ireland. Beyond pocket accessories, they will also offer handmade umbrellas. These are being made in Italy, each taking a fortnight to complete. With solid wood handles and ferules, they will have distinctive patterned canopies such as polka dot and herringbone and will be introduced in September 2016. The aspiration Will says is to evolve, “into a go-to brand for gentlemen’s accessories.” Both Mr. Jenks founders are keenly aware of the power of customer loyalty and, in a world of bewildering choice, becoming the innate, automatic choice of a discerning client.
Having focused on patterned pocket squares, Mr. Jenks has also begun pondering using local artists. A first collaborative design with a Dublin artist of the city’s skyline has been their bestseller yet and has rapidly sold out. With that success in mind, Will and Maeve certainly see further small collaborations with up and coming local artists in the future. With a range of elegant and tasteful polka dots, paisleys and other patterns coming in at the damn jolly price of just under £25 (E29.99), Mr. Jenks is certainly worth checking out. 
Enquiries: https://mrjenks.com/