Mike Stoll: Our Greatest Asset

Time To Read: 8 minutes
Words by James Eden

Some companies use data analysts or devise algorithms to develop their strategy, others employ brand advisors and influencers. At Private White V.C., we rely on the encyclopaedic knowledge of Mike Stoll or ‘Stolly’ as I call him. His five decades working in this factory cuts through any jargon or business fad - he has seen it all in his time.

In his dedication to his profession, Mike has accrued a wealth of experience which we benefit from this every day, be it professionally from his role as Managing Director or personally as Mike brings his tremendous energy and enthusiasm to any project on which he embarks.

Mike started at Cottenham House, the redbrick factory in Salford we call home, in 1972 aged just 15. At that time Manchester was a completely different place. Mike recalls the walk to work, with thousands of other people heading to bustling factories. Cottenham House was at the centre of that hive of industry, as Mike began his career in the garment trade working as a pattern cutter.

He started in this particular factory because of a long-standing connection between our families. Mike’s father worked for my grandfather, Jack White, after whom the business is now named, and through that connection became best friends with my dad. I’ve so many memories of Mike from my youth - such as sitting in the back of his car as we drove at an exhilarating pace, to one of Manchester United’s numerous Wembley appearances. Something I would never have imagined was that the two of us might end up working together. Not that it has ever felt like work.

It has been a revelation. Firstly, there’s Mike’s knowledge. He went from teenage cutter to learning everything about the factory including book-keeping and sales. He fought through the decline of the industry in the late 1970s and 1980s, keeping this place running as other factories closed and moved production abroad. He has worked with luminaries in the fashion industry from Sir Paul Smith to Nigel Cabourn and helped the likes of Stella McCartney and John Rocha early in their careers.

Do not imagine for a moment, however, that Mike is focused on the past. Throughout his career, he has always sought to innovate and that is one of the keys to his longevity and success. At present, Mike is working with Manchester’s Graphene Institute, who developed a revolutionary carbon-based material, to see if it has any applications in clothing. Another example - and this is only one among many - was Mike’s obsession with discovering how to use tape to seal the seams of garments made from Ventile® fabric, something never before achieved. The distinctive copper coloured lining sealed to the seams of our macs and Harringtons is testament to Mike’s determination and perseverance. You know who to thank when you remain 100% waterproof.

Mike started at Cottenham House, the redbrick factory in Salford we call home, in 1972 aged just 15. At that time Manchester was a completely different place. Mike recalls the walk to work, with thousands of other people heading to bustling factories. Cottenham House was at the centre of that hive of industry, as Mike began his career in the garment trade working as a pattern cutter.

He started in this particular factory because of a long-standing connection between our families. Mike’s father worked for my grandfather, Jack White, after whom the business is now named, and through that connection became best friends with my dad. I’ve so many memories of Mike from my youth - such as sitting in the back of his car as we drove at an exhilarating pace, to one of Manchester United’s numerous Wembley appearances. Something I would never have imagined was that the two of us might end up working together. Not that it has ever felt like work.

It has been a revelation. Firstly, there’s Mike’s knowledge. He went from teenage cutter to learning everything about the factory including book-keeping and sales. He fought through the decline of the industry in the late 1970s and 1980s, keeping this place running as other factories closed and moved production abroad. He has worked with luminaries in the fashion industry from Sir Paul Smith to Nigel Cabourn and helped the likes of Stella McCartney and John Rocha early in their careers.

Mike’s focus on outerwear and jackets may appear niche, but the range of garments to which his skills have been applied is extraordinary. Over the years he’s worked on everything from police uniforms and PPE; to kit for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics and attire for Virgin Atlantic crew members. He knows the products we make inside out and can draw on a huge archive that is kept under lock and key in our offices. I call it Mike’s happy place and it’s a resource unlike any other. It’s a time capsule of his career that we use as a reference tool and into which we delve to look up specific details or to revisit classic designs.

Do not imagine for a moment, however, that Mike is focused on the past. Throughout his career, he has always sought to innovate and that is one of the keys to his longevity and success. At present, Mike is working with Manchester’s Graphene Institute, who developed a revolutionary carbon-based material, to see if it has any applications in clothing. Another example - and this is only one among many - was Mike’s obsession with discovering how to use tape to seal the seams of garments made from Ventile® fabric, something never before achieved. The distinctive copper coloured lining sealed to the seams of our macs and Harringtons is testament to Mike’s determination and perseverance. You know who to thank when you remain 100% waterproof.

Mike appreciates that our business stands or falls by our product. We can’t (and don’t want to) challenge on costs or compromise on quality. Private White V.C. must make sure that the pieces we make are head and shoulders above any other and Mike has hard wired that ethos into this business. No detail is too small, no aspect is overlooked.

This brings me to another of Mike’s outstanding talents - his ability to get the absolute best out of people. He loves to spend time with our staff, to immerse himself in their lives and make sure that they feel appreciated and valued. He wants people working here to succeed and grow and has an eye for talent unlike any other. Take Alessia Brivio, for instance, as one example among many. Soon after graduating from university, she joined the company as our most junior member of staff. It would have been easy for her to move on somewhere else to continue to learn her trade. Under Mike’s guidance, she has soared and, after half a decade at Private White V.C., is now our Head of Buying and freely admits the influence that Mike has had on her career. He creates a peculiar alchemy that means he can bring together a disparate group from different backgrounds, countries, political persuasions, you name it, and get them pulling together in the same direction.

This brings me to Mike’s final, vital attribute: his prodigious energy. He approaches each challenge with relish, bringing to any project a unique mix of youthful enthusiasm and dogged determination. This is not dimmed by setbacks or cynicism. It is inspiring and exhausting to behold at times, but his unwillingness to ever be satisfied is something to which to aspire. If Private White V.C. has a DNA or an institutional memory, it is personified in Mike. He is also the company’s beating heart, its greatest asset and a true friend.

THE MIKE STOLL SELECTION

This brings me to Mike’s final, vital attribute: his prodigious energy. He approaches each challenge with relish, bringing to any project a unique mix of youthful enthusiasm and dogged determination. This is not dimmed by setbacks or cynicism. It is inspiring and exhausting to behold at times, but his unwillingness to ever be satisfied is something to which to aspire. If Private White V.C. has a DNA or an institutional memory, it is personified in Mike. He is also the company’s beating heart, its greatest asset and a true friend.