Victoria Line
With the recession sparking an interest in patriotic purchasing, we caught up with James Eden, brand director and owner of British heritage brand Private White V.C., to discuss why they call Manchester home
in mind, it is easy to see why the military- inspired menswear brand Private White V.C. has fought hard to continue to manufacture from its Manchester factory.
W
ith Mary Portas leading the charge, buying British has never been more important to UK consumers. With this
Crediting both its name and existence to
Private Jack White, who was awarded the Victoria Cross, the UK’s highest military honour, during World War I, the business continues to echo his dedication to British textiles and local industry. Despite starting out as a trainee pattern cutter following the war, White became the owner of the 95-year-old Cooper and Stollbrand factory and encouraged its production of woollen garments in addition to the more traditional cotton raincoats and mackintoshes. It is this diversifi cation that laid the foundations for today’s factory, which, in a fi tting tribute, was acquired by Jack White’s great grandchildren in 1997. Current owner James Eden says: ‘I have always been immensely proud of my great grandfather and what he achieved in his life. Believe it or not, having worked in this trade for four years, I think he deserves more praise for his work in the Manchester garment-making industry than for his heroics in World War I. Men like Jack
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waterfrontmagazines.co.uk
White helped put the great in Great Britain and it is extremely important to me, and should be to every Brit, that we
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