This is a terrific piece of frontline reporting by Michael Taylor. We're taken into the trenches to listen to James Eden talking about how close he came to disaster when he came back to Salford in the crash year of 2008. No wonder he chose a trade name like 'Private White VC'.
The 'reshoring' of textiles back to Lancashire was forecast in 2014 by Lord Alliance of N. Brown. David Alliance was born in Iran in 1932, once lived in a single room in Moss Side and tramped the streets of the city as a small wholesaler in the early 1950s. He eventually ran Coats Viyella, employing 70,000 people in 60 countries. In the last chapter of his autobiography, A Bazaar Life, he wrote: 'Thirty years ago a Chinese worker earned a fortieth of what a British worker did, but by 2013 it was down to three times. An American consultancy recently forecast that it will be as cheap to manufacture in the West as in China.
'British workers, properly motivated and with a clear understanding of what they have been asked to do and why, cannot be matched. For over sixty years I operated in an industry which was in such steep decline that it seemed terminal. But it didn't die and now, after I have retired, it is on the point of renaissance.'
Lord Alliance commissioned the 2015 Repatriation of UK Textiles Manufacture report which estimated the value of textiles to the UK economy at £9 billion and forecast 20,000 new jobs with reshoring and investment.
'I can never give back to Manchester as much as it has given to me', wrote David Alliance, 'But I will go on trying.'
The Empire of Cotton was founded on fashion and a seasonally refreshed wardrobe and linen press in homes at each end of the social spectrum. Hundreds of pattern books indicate how Manchester and Lancashire drove the global market in the nineteenth century. With the greatest respect to John Eden and his lovely workforce and factory by the Irwell, their high quality high-end product, like their Mayfair shop, is a curiosity in the bazaar of Bury New Road. PWVC makes clothes for toffs. They are somewhat overworked, with expensively imported brass zips and studs made by Riri in Switzerland. This is fine, if you want to look like you are heading to the Goodwood Revival every time you leave the house, but quite honestly, the brand needs a kick up the somewhat dated pants. Manchester nurtures growing numbers of designers from MMU and the Fashion Institute. PWVC could do with netting some in and inviting them to revive the brand with a fresh take on what people actually want to wear, down by the Irwell, and up in Ancoats and the Northern Quarter, where this whole global fashion thing began.
We've been so used to fast fashion for years but it wasn't always like that obviously. The amount of clothing one person owns now (and I count myself in here) is ridiculous. I don't wear most of it. It just hangs around my small wardrobe space looking forlorn. Growing up we it was a real event to go and buy new clothing . I do recycle and also wear some second hand /vintage . The mind set of owning fewer clothes of better quality is a goal which I'm going to try to reach and would love to know which brands of women's clothes made in Manchester there are.
I really enjoyed reading this piece about the small but significant move back into textile manufacturing in Manchester and Lancs.
An amazing and inspiring article, a hint to a different future of thinking and planning - off the idea of misusing cheap work for fast fashion from abroad.
This is a terrific piece of frontline reporting by Michael Taylor. We're taken into the trenches to listen to James Eden talking about how close he came to disaster when he came back to Salford in the crash year of 2008. No wonder he chose a trade name like 'Private White VC'.
The 'reshoring' of textiles back to Lancashire was forecast in 2014 by Lord Alliance of N. Brown. David Alliance was born in Iran in 1932, once lived in a single room in Moss Side and tramped the streets of the city as a small wholesaler in the early 1950s. He eventually ran Coats Viyella, employing 70,000 people in 60 countries. In the last chapter of his autobiography, A Bazaar Life, he wrote: 'Thirty years ago a Chinese worker earned a fortieth of what a British worker did, but by 2013 it was down to three times. An American consultancy recently forecast that it will be as cheap to manufacture in the West as in China.
'British workers, properly motivated and with a clear understanding of what they have been asked to do and why, cannot be matched. For over sixty years I operated in an industry which was in such steep decline that it seemed terminal. But it didn't die and now, after I have retired, it is on the point of renaissance.'
Lord Alliance commissioned the 2015 Repatriation of UK Textiles Manufacture report which estimated the value of textiles to the UK economy at £9 billion and forecast 20,000 new jobs with reshoring and investment.
'I can never give back to Manchester as much as it has given to me', wrote David Alliance, 'But I will go on trying.'
Just bought a T-shirt. If I don't like it, I'll blame you.
The Empire of Cotton was founded on fashion and a seasonally refreshed wardrobe and linen press in homes at each end of the social spectrum. Hundreds of pattern books indicate how Manchester and Lancashire drove the global market in the nineteenth century. With the greatest respect to John Eden and his lovely workforce and factory by the Irwell, their high quality high-end product, like their Mayfair shop, is a curiosity in the bazaar of Bury New Road. PWVC makes clothes for toffs. They are somewhat overworked, with expensively imported brass zips and studs made by Riri in Switzerland. This is fine, if you want to look like you are heading to the Goodwood Revival every time you leave the house, but quite honestly, the brand needs a kick up the somewhat dated pants. Manchester nurtures growing numbers of designers from MMU and the Fashion Institute. PWVC could do with netting some in and inviting them to revive the brand with a fresh take on what people actually want to wear, down by the Irwell, and up in Ancoats and the Northern Quarter, where this whole global fashion thing began.
We've been so used to fast fashion for years but it wasn't always like that obviously. The amount of clothing one person owns now (and I count myself in here) is ridiculous. I don't wear most of it. It just hangs around my small wardrobe space looking forlorn. Growing up we it was a real event to go and buy new clothing . I do recycle and also wear some second hand /vintage . The mind set of owning fewer clothes of better quality is a goal which I'm going to try to reach and would love to know which brands of women's clothes made in Manchester there are.
I really enjoyed reading this piece about the small but significant move back into textile manufacturing in Manchester and Lancs.
An amazing and inspiring article, a hint to a different future of thinking and planning - off the idea of misusing cheap work for fast fashion from abroad.