Original Penguin flagship store opens in Covent Garden

Interior of Covent Garden store

OP cord pants: £79, OP windcheater jacket: £80, Jack Polo: £45

OP dress from £85

The latest addition to London’s Covent Garden Piazza is the European flagship store for Original Penguin. Hailing from Minneapolis, underwear and military apparel suppliers Munsingwear launched their iconic golf shirts in 1955. The penguin logo has an intriguing story behind it – apparently one of Munsingwear’s salesmen spotted a flock of stuffed penguins in the window of a New York taxidermist. “Pete” the penguin was thus purchased and became the company mascot.

During the sportswear revival of the 1980s an “Original Penguin” golf shirt by Munsingwear became an American staple favoured by the likes Arnold Palmer, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and (erm...) Richard Nixon. With the retro revival of the noughties Chris Kolbe (former Men’s Divisional Merchandising Manager for Urban Outfitters) approached sports and casualwear brand Perry Ellis to bring the ex-Penguin back to life.

The new Covent Garden store looks great – akin to a playboy golfer’s apartment with a mix of of seventies kitsch-tastic patterned wallpaper, sleek wooden fittings and curvy clocks. Picks from the collection include the cult Jack polos, available in a variety of colours (£45) and the tartan OP windcheater jacket (£80).

Words: Hannah Kane

www.originalpenguin.com