MADE IN BRITAIN: ESK CASHMERE

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

You may or may not be pleased to know that this is not the place to come for tenuous posts about an impending royal birth. The post I happened to have planned for today though is in some ways fitting for the occasion because it is about something brilliantly British.

Ever since Chanel bought Barrie knitwear (saving them from the administrators) and then put on a lavish métiers d'arts show at Edinburgh's Linlithgow Castle last December, there has been a renewed interest in Scottish manufacturing, most specifically special Scottish jumpers. Stella Tennant, the aristocratic supermodel born and bred in the Borders,  dominated the July issues of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. In Vogue's shoot she was shown at her home in Berwickshire, snuggled up in a woollen Chanel jumper dress and socks, lounging on a blanket. The message doesn't get more loud and clear than that: Scottish wool is where it's at.

Stella Tennant in July Vogue wearing Scottish knitwear by Chanel (via designandculturebyed.wordpress.com)

There are plenty of ways to get in on the act without resorting to pricey Chanel (divine as it is). Last Autumn, I came across ESK at a press day. The jumpers were indescribably soft and the shapes beautifully chic. If you were compiling a list of the absolute ideal versions of everything to have in your wardrobe, then these would be your jumpers.  The added bonus is that the ESK brand has a lovely story to it. It seems to me to be a great blueprint for good, honest family business entering the fashion sphere. Stuart Maxwell is ESK's Managing Director and has been working at his family's knitwear factory for over 20 years. Lorraine Acornley designs for ESK and comes from an impressive background with previous stints at Joseph, Pringle and Alberta Ferretti. They answered my questions about ESK... I love their elegant, no-nonsense approach.

How did ESK start?

A meeting of minds 18 months ago cemented a goal of making a beautiful knitwear collection that anyone with an eye for detail and quality would instantly get.

How are you different from other knitwear brands?

We make the whole collection ourselves in our own factory. This allows absolute control. Design pushes the production process and achieves wonderful integrated features and detailing. We choose yarns purely on quality and character, price is not a factor. This gives the collection an artisanal and considered edge.

Where did the ESK name come from?

Our factory is situated near the Eskvalley in South West Scotland and is called Eskvalley Knitwear. We stripped this back for our brand as it felt cool, edgy and modern.

Scottish fashion and manufacturing is having a moment after Chanel's show at Linlithgow last December. What is special about the Scottish way of doing things?

The Scottish tradition with fine textiles is engrained with centuries of experience. It's in our DNA, and this spirit permeates the products of our labour.

What makes the perfect piece of knitwear, do you think?

 Style, colour and integrated luxury.

Is it very difficult to find spinners and knitters with the right skills for your business?

Luckily, we have found the perfect knitters. Spinners are difficult to find but if you open your eyes, kindred spirits are there to be found.

You have a very strong design aesthetic and there are some great quotes and photos on your website, what inspires you?

Nature, architecture, modern design, photography and art. And fellow members of team ESK of course!

There are clothes and homeware… Is ESK a lifestyle?

Yes, but a real lifestyle that lasts after the trend has passed.

What gems in Scotland would you recommend to somebody visiting for the first time?

The coast between Southerness and Port Logan - quite a few miles. The Logan Botanical Gardens.
The beautiful Valley of Tarras. The Dunmore Pineapple, House of the Binns and Blackness Castle and Culross are all not far from Linlithgow Palace. The Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye are on our list to see.

The Dunmore Pineapplae, how brilliant does this place look? (dunmoreperennials.co.uk)

ESK is available to buy in store LN-CC, Harvey Nichols and Joseph. Online at ESKcashmere.com

All ESK AW13 images courtesy of the brand

HOORAY FOR HOUSE OF HACKNEY

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

Today you should definitely pick up a copy of The Guardian, or head to the site to read Melanie's article all about how Made in Britain fashion is getting back in its groove, with everyone from ASOS to  Mulberry getting in on the action. During our research, I spoke to Frieda Gormley who along with her husband Javvy is the mastermind behind House of Hackney. If you haven't seen their stuff before, then be prepared to fall in love with their eccentrically British, fabulously printed aesthetic which plays out on everything from eiderdowns to lampshades to pyjamas and dresses.

Javvy M Royle and Frieda Gormley, creators of House of Hackney

This isn't just about looking like a brilliant blend of traditional English with a fresh twist; one of Freida and Javvy's founding principles is that everything should be Made in Britain. "When we started House of Hackney, the idea was so British that it was of paramount importance for us to manufacture in Britain" Frieda told me last week, "we spent six months driving around the UK, visiting factories and artisans". If that's not dedication to the cause, I don't know what is. It's not like Frieda and Javvy came at their business without any understanding of what they were letting themselves in for. Prior to setting up House of Hackney, Frieda was a buyer at Topshop where she worked on a project to create a collection of tailoring with Manchester factory, Coopers and Stollbrand so she knew all about the benefits and challenges which come with working with UK factories. She says one of their biggest problems is that they just can't do volume, which is perhaps why the recent Made in Britain revival has, on the whole, been one of niche, artisan products. Javvy had worked as a designer which means they had a dream team set-up for their business from the very beginning.

A room of Dalston Rose

A lovely summer dress in Dalston Candy 

There was never any intention to do fashion, despite that being their background. It was all about filling the gap they saw in interiors for a brand which wasn't minimal and bland, as had been the general trend for so long. When they began in 2010, the print revival in fashion coincided with what they were wanting to see in interiors. And so they created Dalston Rose which has a hint of the Toile de Jouy about it, with its blue and white colourway but with a more freehand English rose pattern. Then there's Hackney Empire, a collage of curious animals including badgers, bird and koalas. House of Hackney works with Stead McAlpin, a printers in Cumbria where the number of employees has risen from 45 to 150 in the past three years. Their look makes me think perhaps of Oscar Wilde's drawing room? Or an imagined version of Marie Antoinette's English country home?

A Hackney Empire boudoir

Wear the print: Hackney Empire bomber and joggers 

It wasn't long before the call to do fashion came, from none other than Opening Ceremony. "We launched early in 2011 and a month later they were asking us to do clothes" Frieda says, somewhat knowingly. There must have been some awareness, having come from the fashion industry, that what they were doing would attract attention from those quarters. In some ways, it reminds of the Laura Ashley story, a cool young couple making a modern version of something with heritage appeal and quickly branching out from fabrics to fashion. Frieda and Javvy work with the "inspiring" Jenny Holloway to produce their fashion collection, which will hit ASOS next week and is already stocked at Lane Crawford and Liberty. Barney's have also shown an interest. Holloway believes in fair conditions and a happy workforce. What Frieda loves most is that "everyone who works there is like us and their salary is going back into our community" which is a good way to sum up why Made in Britain makes so much sense.

A couple of years later and House of Hackney is going from strength to strength. We can go to them for anything from a big furniture or interior design commision to a pretty scarf or tea cup. What's more, Frieda and Javvy are more dedicated than ever to doing their bit for bringing manufacturing back to the UK. As Frieda puts it, "Javvy and I are really passionate about British manufacturing. We want to go beyond House of Hackney. Our medium term plan is to help factories get better at those bigger volumes and also to perhaps open our own factory. From a social point of view, we want to inspire people".