Across all mediums of business, models are changing and the knock-on effect is multiple, impacting traditional methods of production. With a particular focus on the Fashion industry, Patrick Grant (Award winning designer and Creative Director of E.Tautz 1) has come up with a creative solution to help keep the British clothing and textile businesses running.
In February 2015, Grant purchased the Blackburn based Cookson & Clegg clothing factory after it was announced that the loss of military contracts overseas would force its foreclosure; established in 1860 Cookson & Clegg originally manufactured leather work-wear for coal deliverymen, moving on to produce uniforms for the British Army.
Having studied the traditional patterns of production of the factory, Grant discovered that by using the spare capacity in production schedules he could create a range of clothing to sell directly to the consumers, meaning a better margin for the factory and a better price for the customer – everyone wins.
“In Britain we have a proud tradition of making the very best textiles and the very best clothes. But the British clothing industry faces all sorts of serious challenges. For several months every year even the best British factories are nowhere near full. This can lead to seasonal hiring and bring, zero hours contracts, or worse – factory closures’’
~ Patrick Grant.
Aptly named Community Clothing, the first collection will offer a concise range of quality, staple everyday garments, including men’s and women’s jeans (£49), a classic Harrington jacket (£79) and a cotton twill raincoat (£119).
Production will begin in March 2016 with delivery to customers in July 2016. Starting as an online store, Grant is hoping to open the first Community Clothing shop this summer.
To support the project, Grant has set up a fundraiser with the initial goal of raising £100K on crowd funding platform Kickstarter – which essentially gives you a chance to pre-order the limited piece collection, before it goes on general sale.
Never has paying £49 for selvedge denim felt so selfless.
CommunityClothing.co.uk
- Patrick Grant won the British Fashion Council’s Menswear Designer of the Year award in December 2010 for his work on E. Tautz. He was most recently the recipient of the 2015 BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund and was again nominated for Menswear Designer of the Year by the British Fashion Council. He is also well known as a judge on the BBC2 show The Great British Sewing Bee. ↩
