The new standard in everyday luxury
A new name in denim brings together decades of luxury menswear experience and an understanding of exactly what the market was missing.
Words by Jamie McFadden.
In a world saturated with fleeting trends and exorbitant price tags, the search for a truly perfect pair of jeans can feel endless. It was this very quest that led Ben Hurren, after six and a half years as a Buyer for luxury department store Selfridges, to a definitive conclusion: the market was missing something. He saw a gap for a premium men’s denim brand that offered exceptional quality without the prohibitive cost. The brands driving sales were all priced above £200, a reality he fundamentally disagreed with.
“I searched for a brand that could do it,” Hurren recalls, “and there wasn’t any in the market that fit the brief.” So, he decided to build it himself. Thus, Vingt Quatre was born – a brand built not on hype, but on a foundation of timeless style, meticulous craftsmanship and a radical commitment to accessibility.
With a background steeped in luxury menswear, Hurren’s early direction for Vingt Quatre was clear. “I’ve always admired personal style over fashion trends,” he explains. His goal wasn’t to create a fashion statement, but a wardrobe essential that seamlessly integrates into a man’s daily life. The brand’s name itself, French for the number 24, is a nod to this ethos – a personal touchpoint (his 24th September birthday) and a play on the idea of denim you can wear 24/7.
This philosophy of “doing denim differently” is rooted in a belief that denim is the most reliable item of clothing a man can own. “It isn’t and shouldn’t be trend-led,” Hurren states. Instead of chasing the seasons, his focus is squarely on the end consumer: “How can I complete their wardrobe with a wash or colour for every occasion?” This “difference” also manifests in his mission to provide an “extremely premium product without the high price tag.”
To achieve this, Hurren turned to Turkey, a region renowned for its denim expertise. He partnered with manufacturers who shared his passion, and their collective craftsmanship became the bedrock of the brand. The practical application of his philosophy is most evident in the feel of the jeans themselves.
“I obsessed over the softness of the fabric,” he says, describing a relentless pursuit of comfort. He incorporated 2% elastane into the composition to ensure the jeans move with the wearer, providing confidence from a morning commute to an evening dinner. For Hurren, timeless design is akin to the enduring appeal of a Porsche 911 – a focus on perfecting details that last. Every component, from the rivets to the stitch, is thoughtfully designed for longevity.
But what truly elevates a great pair of jeans today? For Ben, it’s unequivocally about comfort. Drawing on past frustrations with ill-fitting denim, he made the rise a key focus for Vingt Quatre. “Our rise is slightly higher, which gives you a stable feeling through the hips and waist,” he notes. Each fit is designed with a specific body type in mind, but all share the same end goal: to make every man feel confident and comfortable.
The journey from concept to coveted staple is never easy, especially in the competitive denim category. The breakthrough moment came with concrete validation from an iconic source: an order from Selfridges. “For me that was concrete validation from the best retailer in the world that Vingt Quatre was something special,” Hurren reflects.
This retail presence has helped crystallise the brand’s community. True to its strap line, “Jeans for every day, for every man,” Vingt Quatre is attracting a diverse collective of gents – different ages, body types, and ethnicities – who are immediately hooked on the quality and comfort. “The response has been phenomenal,” Hurren shares, “with a lot of customers buying more than one pair, or coming back and repeat purchasing.”
Looking ahead, Hurren sees Vingt Quatre evolving beyond denim, with explorations into knitwear and outerwear on the horizon. He remains dedicated to innovating fabric compositions for year-round comfort and is even considering a future in womenswear, though he emphasises a careful, deliberate approach.
The long-term vision, however, remains focused. “I’d love to build a legacy with this,” he says, aiming for Vingt Quatre to become a go-to choice for men seeking quality and style. “I’m so proud to be sharing the space with some incredible brands, however I’m here to take some of that market share.”
In an industry often defined by noise and novelty, Vingt Quatre stands apart by returning to the essentials. It’s a brand built on a simple, powerful premise: that everyday luxury should not be a luxury, but a standard. And in doing so, it is quietly reshaping our idea of what a great pair of jeans should be.
