British Style
country to shift its economy from agriculture to manufacturing– and still holds the title of the world’s sixth largest manufacturer. Some textile brands successfully made the leap from
cottage industry to factory production. The oldest in the world is Wolsey, founded in 1755, while J Smedley and Johnstons of Elgin arrived in the 1780s and 1790s, followed by Pringle in 1815. All four are respected for their quality yarn and weaving. Similarly, the famous West Country carpet manufacturers Axminster and Wilton switched to machine weaving for the increasingly wealthy industrial middle classes. Two more early centres of industry
Above: Helmshore Mill, near Rawtenstall, Lancashire. Facing page, clockwise from top left: Portmerion owned, Spode mug in the iconic Blue Italian design; Tony Gaziano & Dean Girling shoemakers; sweets from Charbonnel; Cole & Son Albemarle Collection
18 BRITAIN
were Sheffield, hub of the country’s steel and silver trade from the 1500s and still regarded as the benchmark in fine cutlery, and Staffordshire, whose combination of local clay, lead and coal made it important in pottery production from the 1600s, with Spode, Wedgwood and Minton founded between 1750 and 1793. The 1800s saw the foundation of many
Today, fashion pours around £21bn into the UK
Britain became the first country to shift its economy from agriculture to manufacturing – and still holds the title of the world’s sixth largest manufacturer
clothing brands. They tell the story of the constant importing and exporting of style between city and country, military and civilian. Burberry clad the first man to reach the South Pole in its waterproof gabardine, while Aquascutum dressed soldiers in the trenches. Those soldiers returned from war wearing their trenchcoats and turned them into fashion items. Crombie, J Barbour & Sons and Lavenham of Suffolk still produce tweed, waxed and quilted jackets that are as fashionable in Chelsea as in John O’Groats, while Hunter – who shod soldiers in sturdy boots during the war – now supply country dwellers and music-festival fans alike, with colourful wellington boots.
economy. “We have a long history of producing quality materials and great design training,” says Kate Hills at Make It British, an organisation that promotes UK brands. “The really great brands combine the two.” They also include some of the most innovative designs on the world’s catwalks, headed up by the maverick grande dame of fashion Vivienne Westwood, highly respected for her tailoring, leading a raft of new conceptual designers. Stella McCartney, Giles Deacon, Matthew Williamson and Christopher Kane keep British fashion at the cutting edge, while premier milliner Philip Treacy creates fabulous headwear for society ladies. Even undergarments are created by Britain’s specialists: The Queen’s foundation fitter Rigby & Peller seamlessly twists tradition and modernity while sexy newcomer Agent Provocateur has a French name but a very British background. Superb gentlemen’s tailoring is still
considered a supremely British skill, and London’s Savile Row is home to the
kingpins of the trade. Henry Poole & Co invented the tuxedo in the 1880s, while Ede & Ravenscroft are said to be the oldest tailors in London, dating from 1689 and still producing ceremonial robes for royalty. Others have celebrity connections: Chester Barrie was a favourite of Cary Grant, Davies & Son of Clark Gable, and Nutters suited Mick Jagger and the Beatles. Alongside them are a whole new breed of names, with Ozwald Boateng, Richard James, Nick Tentis and Paul Smith blending technical know-how with the eye of the 21st-century dandy, and Dashing Tweeds using ultra-traditional materials to create super-contemporary trainers and cycling suits.
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PHOTOS: ©VISITBRITAIN/JASON KNOTT/COURTESY OF SPODE/GAZIANO & GIRLING/CHARBONNEL/COLE & SON
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