Heritage. The word is banded about these days with almost reckless abandon. Yet, so often key elements of a brand story are lost - those which help account for longevity and explain why a label has lasted and how it has adapted to new trends.

Founded by Monsur Farah, the Farah Vintage brand has roots in New York. There, the company namesake learned the tricks of the trade, studying shirt making and manufacture during the 1910s. In 1920, Mr. Farah opened a factory in El Paso, Texas. El Paso?

David Ward, Perry Ellis Europe MD, helps us solve that mystery.

“The folklore story is that having traveled around a lot across the mid-west of America the Farah family settled on the growing town with its dry air as it was good for the health of the young children of the family. Monsur Farah when able moved across the country to New York to learn the art of shirt making, returning in early 1920 to set up a small workshop making the now famous Apache chambray shirts that sold for 37 cents!”

And that is where the story truly begins. Farah cut its teeth making chambray shirts, soon facing competition from what would eventually become its biggest contractor - the US Federal Government. Facing adversity, Farah adapted... first moving to denim and later adding khaki trousers and shirts. The complete elements of the work uniform in place, Farah progressed through the 1930s into the 1940s well suited to meet war time supply needs.