November 2015, and our founder Simon Whitaker had sadly and very suddenly lost his father. Bob was an extremely popular, dapper chap and Simon wanted to look his absolute best for the funeral. After walking around Newcastle for hours searching for a beautiful tie clip and pocket square, Simon left disappointed. One store had the right style but not the colour he had in mind; another store had beautiful colours but not the style he loved.
Later, Simon thought, “I think I’d like to source some men’s accessories - I just can’t find what I want”. He thought of a name, and Master Debonair (MD) was born with a few accessories, a Facebook page, and a couple of mood boards.
Since that day, he never looked back. Coming from humble beginnings and often calling on Simon’s stepmother to cover a shift at the shop so he could run to the post office and send the online orders.
More recently, Master Debonair achieved Business of the Year at the Best of South Tyneside Awards, who commended their excellent customer service both in-store and online. Building a reputation takes time, and it is the trust that MD customers place in the company, that pushes the team to deliver only the best, from campaign to customer care.
One thing we've never changed is their ethos: their belief in differentiating by detail and welcoming everyone into MD. This includes staff, suppliers and of course, customers, whom we want to feel comfortable as if they were coming into our home.
With Simon’s style and attention to detail across all aspects of the business, Bob’s constant influence. We love what we do and feel thankful every day.
