HACKETT'S NEXT CHAPTER; NOW UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP, BRITISH DESIGNER OPENS REFURBISHED SLOANE STREET SHOP, EYES U.S. MARKET.(Jeremy Hackett)

Daily News Record, October, 2006

Byline: SAMANTHA CONTI

LONDON - He's been in the retail apparel business for nearly a quarter century, but there's still nothing Jeremy Hackett likes more than rooting through a charity shop or a market stall in search of lost treasures.

The Englishman behind the British brand Hackett, best known for its vintage-inspired looks, colorful rugby and polo shirts, preppie striped button-front shirts and dapper pinstriped suits, is Britain's answer to Ralph Lauren-minus the mega-brand empire.

Hackett, 53, who sifts through antique markets, house clearance sales and market stalls, can't live without his secondhand clothes.

"It's very, very difficult for me to walk past a charity shop without going in-just in case something good is in...