Bem Sherman was born in the year 1925 in Brighton as Arthur Benjamin Sugarman. At the tender age of just 20, Arthur left a post-war torn Britain for America where he saw a land of hope and promise; he was full of drive, ambition and a passion to make a mark in the world. He raised a family in the San Fernando Valley and began working for his father-in-law who owned a successful clothing manufacturing company. It was also while in America when applying for citizenship that Arthur decided to change his name. He was fondly called Ben by his family and Sherman to him was last name that he felt was a good, solid, strong American name.

Unfortunately Ben's mother who lived back in England became seriously ill, and thus he was forced to quit his job and he relocated the family back to Brighton, England. Without a job, Ben Sherman decided to use his clothing manufacturing experience and he rented a factory in Bedford square, Brighton.