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 2020, to help combat the global pandemic of Covid-19, we volunteered our services at the height of lockdown to the Department of Health & Social Care and quickly became the largest manufacturer of medical-grade gowns and surgical masks in the country.
As one of the most venerable makers in the country we have been outfitters to the most established tailoring houses on Savile Row whilst our flagship store in the heart of Mayfair continues to serve our loyal customers who visit from all four corners of the globe.
To this day, everything is still produced from inside the same 150 year old red-bricked building on the banks of the River Irwell. Nothing is outsourced, everything is handmade, checked and controlled by us here in Manchester, the world’s first industrial city.