OUR ROOTS
As the last remaining clothing factory from the world’s first industrial city we have a remarkable story to tell.
Manchester or ‘Cottonopolis’ - as it was dubbed back in the 19th century - has been our home since we opened our doors in 1853. Over the years we have made for kings, and queens, for presidents, and prime ministers, for rock stars, musicians, sporting greats and Hollywood icons. In 1916, we supplied the Allied Forces with cotton gabardine trench coats, and in the 1940s we were commissioned by the Ministry of Defence to supply the RAF with waterproof parkas. In more recent times we have been outfitters to the most established tailoring houses on Savile Row and have manufactured for pretty much every British luxury outerwear brand you can think of.
Of course there have been bleak periods, but we have weathered those storms thanks to a wealth of skill, determination and the hard work for which the city of Manchester is renowned. We still do everything from the same red-bricked building on the banks of the River Irwell, a few minutes stroll from where the Commonwealth’s Cotton Exchange used to stand. For us not much has changed. Nothing is outsourced, everything is handmade, checked and controlled by us.
We make clothes in Manchester. We make clothes for Manchester and for the world. And we will build on that proud heritage for the next 100 years.