Johnnie Boden | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Peter Boden[1] 1 June 1961 |
| Nationality | English |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | Oriel College, Oxford |
| Notable work | Founder of Boden |
| Children | 3 |
John Peter Boden CBE (born 1 June 1961) is a British entrepreneur and founder of Boden, a catalogue clothing company, in 1991.[2]
John Peter Boden was born on 1 June 1961[where?]. His father[1] was a lieutenant colonel who changed careers to become a farmer.[1] John Boden was educated at Hawtreys preparatory school, and then Eton College, and read philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE) at Oriel College, Oxford.[1]
At 16, he edited the menswear section of the 1977 Harpers & Queen Teenage Edition, but Boden's father was "dismissive", calling it a "stupid job".[3]
After leaving university, Boden became a stockbroker with Barclays Merchant Bank,[3] and SG Warburg Securities.[4] spending some time at Wall Street.[1] He was a stockbroker for five years.[2] However, he "loathed" the job,[2] and was "ill-suited – really bad at it".[3] He ceased working as a stockbroker when he received an inheritance from a childless uncle.[3] He dabbled in other jobs, as a publican and teacher[3] in London.[1] Boden enjoyed teaching, though disliked the low salaries.[3]
He founded Boden in 1991,[2] launching his first catalogue featuring pictures drawn by a friend,[3] with eight menswear products available[2] modelled by his friends.[1] In 1992, Boden realised women were a better target for clothes, and launched women's clothing, followed by children's clothing,[2] under the name 'Mini Boden', in 1996.[3] However, it took "at least 10 years" for the finances to settle down due to robbery, and other circumstances; which ultimately led his inheritance to be gone in under three years.[3] The firm is known for its "bright prints".[2]
In the 2014 Sunday Times Rich List, Boden placed 368th, with a personal fortune of £300 million.[5] As of the 2020 list, the Bodens own around 60% of the shares in the company, a stake worth £281 million.[6]
Boden was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to fashion and the retail sector.[7]
Boden is married to Sophie, with whom he has three daughters: Anna, Katie and Stella.[1]