"MADE IN ENGLAND, WITH PURPOSE"

It's becoming a bit of a tagline, and there is a good reason for that. Lets break it down. 

Made in England. That part is easy, we make everything in England. Some of our fabric is even woven in England (although this is unfortunately becoming increasingly difficult to source). We will continue to strive to make everything in England. We were almost defeated for Collection One on a few pieces (don't talk to me about caps) but we made it happen. 

With Purpose. What exactly does this mean? Well, to me, making a garment with purpose is the act of creating something that holds real meaning. I feel passionate about every single product we've made. And we have really MADE them. No labels crudely slapped on blanks, we created each and every detail, from scratch. The purpose of the garment in question is simple, to be worn, cared for, loved and appreciated by its owner, for as long as possible. To some, I'm sure, this sounds a bit extreme. "Its just clothes!". You could be forgiven for feeling this way if you have never owned a garment you love. We want to create garments that are loved and cherished, I want you to feel how I feel about clothes! 

So, why make clothes in England?

Firstly, we firmly believe in the positive investment this makes in the economy. This extends beyond cheques and balances and government budgets. When we talk about the economy, we talk about the individuals impacted by the economy. Many incredible UK based factories and creators cannot compete with low cost low minimum overseas production due to the cost of living in the UK. We aim to support these industries and individuals through our work. We grow together. 

In addition to the above point, the UK guarantees a certain level of protection in the workplace. We know that our factories and creators are happy and looked after. Most of them we work with face to face, or deal with on a one-to-one basis. As much as we may try, it is just not realistic to confirm these levels of safety and happiness are being achieved overseas. We cannot regularly check in. That is certainly not to say it is impossible, but this is our way of making sure. In the case of super low cost clothing, we know the standards are very low. We don't want to be a part of this, and we are willing to sacrifice margins to do the right thing, in our humble view. 

Finally, we are not at the mercy of global logistics. Just before our first shoot, a factory issue caused delays on some of our samples, and as a result a delivery deadline was missed. I jumped in my car, drove a few hours, and collected the samples, ready to shoot the following day. We can't do this if our factory is overseas, and often lead times from factories overseas can be many months. Our strategy allows for more agility, smaller runs (resulting in less waste) and overall, better product that we are far more connected to. 

You can shop Collection One now, all Made in England, With Purpose. 

ASA