THE SLOW BOAT BARBER

Everyone loves a good backstory, and Earnest Empire's is about as good as it gets. While the Earnest Empire brand was established in 2017, the legend of Earnest Empire extends back into the trenches of history.

THE SLOW BOAT BARBER

The year is 1939, and the world is in chaos. Germany has invaded Poland, forcing New Zealand to declare war. As the battle rages, New Zealand gives valiantly to the effort, deploying forces across land, sea, and air. The Second World War is described as the worst conflict the world has ever seen. By its end, it will have taken the lives of an estimated 40 to 60 million people - including one in every 150 New Zealanders.

In 1940, New Zealand troops begin arriving in Egypt. Just a year later, a young lad named Earnest James boards a slow boat in Auckland bound for the land of pyramids. Earnest wasn't a soldier - he was a barber. He was also the great uncle of Earnest Empire's founder, Greg Turley.

Ol' Uncle Earnie was as sharp as his razor, recognising the need for an onboard barber to boost morale and earn him an honest wage during the weeks at sea. Soon, Earnest had set up shop, keeping his brothers-in-arms looking dapper while jesting, "You can't fight the good fight if you look like shite!"

Earnest's pioneering spirit and good humour is just one example of the countless brave who fought in the Second World War. Sadly, Earnest never returned home from the war. But tales of his fighting spirit and quick wit inspired the naming of his great grand-nephew's creation: EARNEST EMPIRE