Original Duckhead is a London-based, design-driven and eco-friendly umbrella brand dedicated to creating high-quality, long-lasting umbrellas that are as stylish as they are sustainable.

Inspired by classic British design, the brand is known for its distinctive duck-shaped handles, vibrant colors, and patterns that add a touch of personality to rainy days.

Each umbrella is thoughtfully crafted with sustainability in mind, using eco-friendly materials like recycled plastic and biodegradable handles.

By combining traditional craftsmanship with modern, sustainable materials, Original Duckhead aims to redefine the role of an umbrella from a disposable necessity to a cherished accessory.

With a commitment to environmental stewardship, the brand also partners with 1% For The Planet, ensuring that every purchase contributes to meaningful ecological causes.

Original Duckhead umbrellas are built to endure, designed to delight, and crafted to make a positive impact on both their users and the planet.

Below is an interview with Morgan Cross, Founder of Original Duckhead.

What was the lightbulb moment - origin story of Original Duckhead

I am originally from Paris and in the early days of my career I lived in both New York & Miami. One Christmas, whilst navigating my way home from the tropical storms of Miami onto a longhaul flight back to a dark and windswept Parisian evening, my simple New York bodega umbrella collapsed, which in turn set the idea in motion. 

The origin of our now cult-favourite Original Duckhead umbrellas began with my mother. Growing up in Paris, my mother owned a handmade umbrella adorned with an intricate duck handle.

I felt compelled to revive the iconic duck handle design because for many, like me, it evoked a sense of nostalgia. I wanted to modernize this iconic design for today's consumer. 

What is the mission and vision of Original Duckhead?

Through extensive research, we identified the umbrella industry’s critical flaw: every year globally a total of over 1 billion umbrellas are discarded. Most of these umbrellas are not recycled or even recyclable.

I became determined to transform umbrella consumption for good by changing the perception of umbrellas from mundane travel accessories to fashionable high-quality products, 

When I launched Original Duckhead in January 2012, the aim was to reshape the premium umbrella category by creating umbrellas designed to be cherished, and built to last.

Original Duckhead is more than just an umbrella brand — we have grown a community of those who strive to do better and hold the brands that they consume accountable - all the while not taking life too seriously.

12 years on, and many milestones achieved, I still feel the same wave of gratitude whenever I pass one of our instantly recognizable umbrellas in the streets of London.

How does Original Duckhead impact lives and/or the environment in a positive way?

We utilize post-consumer recycled plastic waste in all of our products (9 plastic bottles per each umbrella and 6 for our reusable bags).

We’ve recycled over 4 million plastic bottles so far and it’s just the beginning. 

In terms of impacting our consumers in a positive way, we provide a two year warranty on all of our products and we’re working on a future repair service.

We want to shift the perspective of umbrellas as short term disposable products to high quality functional items that if looked after can last a lifetime.

We positively impact the environment as a 1% For The Planet member, so far we have partnered with Surfers Against Sewage, a marine conservation charity and The Childhood Trust who work to alleviate poverty for children in London. 

Additionally, we are currently going through the certification process to become a B Corporation which is for businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.

How have you funded the company thus far?

Original Duckhead is privately owned and I have entirely self funded the slow growth of the brand through my own personal savings. It has been a great lesson in patience and consistency.

After Covid, I was able to secure a government sponsored loan in the UK with a great interest rate. Until recently 100% of profits made were reinvested back into the business and I did not take a salary. 

What tools do you use to run the brand?

We use Cin7 core for our inventory, which connects to our accounting software.

We love Klaviyo and Shopify for website sales and marketing.

We use Google Suite (drive, sheets, docs). As a fast growing team we love to integrate as many processes and automations as possible to support us to be as streamlined and productive as we can be.