THE 1970 WAGONEER AND THE HORSES - OUR FIRST ICON TEE
THE STORY BEHIND OUR FIRST SURREY ICON TEE
A photograph taken of my grandmother arriving at her cabin in West Virginia, reimagined on our signature boxy tee. We are so excited to introduce our first Icon Tee!
I remember seeing this photograph at my grandmother’s house years ago. Although it was taken long before I was born, there was always something about it that felt nostalgic and familiar. It reminded me of my own childhood visits to my grandparents property, driving through the river to get there, surrounded by the rolling hills of West Virginia and the horses grazing in the neighboring pastures.
My grandparents bought the land in 1970, along with the Jeep Wagoneer pictured in the photograph. The Wagoneer had only been introduced a few years earlier in 1963, and for them, it was more necessity than novelty. There was no bridge to the cabin, so every weekend visit meant fording the river.
Across the water was a pasture where horses often grazed. My grandparents loved visiting them, which meant crossing the river yet again. My grandfather, Lloyd, was usually behind the camera, photographing the horses, the landscape and my grandmother.
The little cabin became their happy place and always filled with adventure.
When I started designing The Surrey, I found myself coming back to these photographs and to the feeling of being on that land.
At the time, life in Washington, D.C. meant being impeccably dressed. But it wasn’t those clothes that stayed with me. It was what my family and their friends wore when they escaped the city for weekends at the cabin or on their farm.
OUR CLASSIC POLOS INSPIRED BY THE NOSTALGIC OUTDOOR UNIFORM
Their uniform was perfectly simple, timeless, elegant, and functional. Polos with crisp collars, perfectly worn cotton tees, scarves tied around the neck or over the hair, relaxed trousers finished with a beautiful belt, soft hats, cardigans, flannels, and denim.
Nothing felt overly styled or precious. These were clothes meant to be lived in pieces that somehow looked even better after a day spent outdoors.
That idea became one of the earliest inspirations for The Surrey.
I was able to track down the original photograph from the family album that had captivated me for so long and we carefully recreated the image and applied it to our favorite signature boxy tee.
There was something very special about taking an image that had lived quietly in a family album for decades and giving it another life.
Handmade in Los Angeles in a small batch production, the first Surrey Icon Tee is finally available to you now, with a very limited number made.
A LIMITED QUANTITY AVAILABLE NOW!
We love sharing a little piece of Grancie (Grandma Nancy), West Virginia, and the beginning of The Surrey.
Much Love, Emma and The Surrey
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