The History of C.E. Griffin

The Pineapple

The pineapple crown logo was inspired by the adoption of the pineapple design in the late 1800's and early 1900's particularly in the Southeastern United States. The pineapple, introduced in the U.S. during the 1800's, was a symbolic part of any social gathering. A pineapple was expensive and difficult to come by and therefore became associated with wealth, but by proxy also carried with it the more traditional inference of hospitality, charm, and grace. The popular motif made its way into interior decoration and architectural details which can still be found throughout the region.

The Story

C.E. Griffin, known as “C.E.”, was born in 1885 near Dunfermline, Scotland, of a Welsh father and Scottish mother. He immigrated to the United States around 1916 and settled in the coastal area of Georgia. It was a popular refuge for wealthy industrialist families like the Carnegies, Morgans, and Hudsons who owned private resort barrier islands and palatial homes.

Little of his Scottish past was known even by close friends in the States and most curious was his ability to conduct a carefree lifestyle without a day of work. It was clear he had left something significant behind, but wholeheartedly adopted his New American heritage. His undeclared but readily apparent sources of wealth afforded him two homes and a 35-foot Blanchard motor yacht on which he puttered around the South Carolina and Georgia coasts and barrier islands. Although the area was busy with bootleggers during Prohibition, his high profile social and political ties encouraged him to keep a comfortable distance from seedy relationships. He believed deeply that relationships and a man's character were of primary importance, especially among family and friends. He was well known to socialites and never seemed to miss the seasons’ most important soirees during the 1920’s and 30’s. When he was not socializing he spent time fishing, cruising the Atlantic Intracoastal waterways entertaining, and on occasion would disappear for weeks to Cumberland Island, GA where he enjoyed the solitude of the wild island which had been a retreat for Lucy and Thomas Carnegie’s family for decades and now belonged to their heirs. Most friends speculated there was either a woman or that he had found comfortable Scottish ties in friends on the island.

The Brand

He enjoyed the sand between his toes, the solid feel of teak under his heels, a cool Atlantic salt spray on his boyish face, and was most remarkable for his Gatsby-esque style and eccentricities. The brand is a tribute to the breezy C.E. Griffin lifestyle. Its purpose is to create functional, high quality clothing for an early-1900's-inspired-gentry-yet-unpretentious life in and around the water. We invite you to get out from under those aesthetically displeasing fluorescent lights, shed your pasty greenish translucent tan, and bury your PDAs in the sand. Buy a bathing suit and spend some valuable time in the sun with friends and family.