Over the years, we’ve taken part in many local programmes and initiatives centred around the textile industry and clothmaking trade, and we’re proud to share news of our involvement in the WOVEN festival – an initiative led by Kirklees Council and HATCH.

The overarching aim of the festival is to exhibit the textile industry’s relevance in modern-day society, as well as bring the stories, memories and curiosities of times gone by to a contemporary audience. It comprises a series of events which celebrate Kirklees’ long-standing cloth trade – illustrating its past, present and future role in the borough.

And this year marks the event pilot – taking place between 8-16th June 2019.

But where does Dugdale Bros come in? We’ve been working closely with HATCH’s director Alison McIntyre and Andrew Taylor – senior lecturer at The University of Huddersfield’s Department of Fashion and Textiles – to create an app, Woven Walk, which helps to digitally preserve, and present, the enthralling heritage of the town in an interactive way for users.

The beginnings of the app itself started with Andrew, when he originally put a proposal forward for an Augmented Reality (AR) experience to form part of the ‘What’s This Dull Town to Me?’ art exhibit in the Temporary Contemporary gallery, back in April. This was a project led by Andrew and his colleague Katrina Whitehead, which explored the local histories of the town using innovative technologies.

Commenting on the project, Andrew said: “We wanted a way to augment the past – using mobile app technologies – by walking through the town, looking at images of Huddersfield as it stands today, and creating an interactive exhibition experience that transforms our perception and perspectives of the future.

“Both Alison and Dugdale’s chairman, Rob Charnock, were at the exhibit and loved how the app brought the archived imagery from Kirklees Image Archive – provided by Kirklees Museums – to life. So, it ended up being a prototype that has been recommissioned for use at the WOVEN festival.”

The app development has been a university-led project – with financial backing from both WOVEN and Dugdale Bros – and is centred around the concept of AR.

Alison added: “We were really impressed by the idea of connecting the past with the modern user via advanced technology and thought it would work perfectly for WOVEN – connecting the dots between the heritage of the cloth supply and merchants, with today’s industry developments.”

Available to download in the app store on both iOS and Android – Woven Walk works as a mobile walking tour, featuring 10 street locations. At each location, it shows the user curated collections of archived photographs and audio snippets about the site’s history, meaning they can view and listen as they walk from place to place.

Viewable through a phone camera and audible with headphones, you are historically reconnected with old Huddersfield street scenes in and around Queensgate Market, The Piazza, Victoria Lane, Peel Street, Process Street, Bull and Mouth Street, The Shambles, King Street, as well as the Dugdale Bros HQ, on Northumberland Street.

Rob explained: “At Dugdale Bros, we’re excited about the long-term effect this AR walking tour app will have on both the local industry’s heritage and its future.

Dugdale Bros’ base – on 5 Northumberland Street – will be the tenth destination of the app, where users are able to stand outside the location, point their camera towards the building and trigger pictures and facts relating to our cloth merchant heritage.

In addition, Rob has organised for Alan Cannon-Jones – former tailor at Chester Barrie and director of menswear and tailoring courses at the London College of Fashion – to take part in the event and give a talk and Q&A session, at the University.

On Friday 14^th June, chair of The Golden Shears Awards, Alan, will be talking to delegates about the 2D-to-3D tailoring process – spanning the history of the craft, right through to the modern-day workings on London’s iconic sartorial street.

Rob concluded: “For me, it’s all about keeping people engaged and inspired by our town’s heritage. And contributing to the festival – both via Woven Walk and through involving industry friends – is a real honour.”

The next WOVEN festival is already scheduled to take place in 2021, and the app will remain live for locals and visitors to access its historical content archives any time.

Eulogised by tailors and wearers across the globe for its highly durable, breathable and lightweight properties, cotton is a timeless fabric perfect for both the balmy climes of summer, and chillier winter temperatures.

However, when it comes to tracing the historical roots of this particular textile, not everyone knows about the pivotal role that the North of England played in Britain’s cotton manufacturing heritage.

Indeed, it was the proliferation of the textiles trade during the Industrial Revolution that caused Lancashire and the surrounding Pennine areas to be revered as a haven for cotton. As a result, Manchester was nicknamed ‘Cottonopolis’ and the UK became known as the ‘workshop of the world.’

Only recently has Huddersfield-based heritage cloth merchant Dugdale Bros & Co broken a 50-year hiatus, by producing the first 100% British-made cotton suiting and coating collection in over half a century – aptly named in honour of the long-standing legacy, Cottonopolis.

This time, we interviewed Emma Cope – undercutter at Savile Row’s Huntsman – about how she began her career in tailoring, her style inspiration, and her favourite parts of the job. Here’s what she had to say…

Where did your tailoring journey begin?

For as long as I can remember I have always sewn and experimented with making garments for myself – I studied Costume before completing a couple of internships.

My first work placement was with Mark Purcell in Birmingham – where I was taught the correct hand stitching techniques for tailoring. Then, in the following years, I completed internships at Savile Row’s Gieves and Hawkes, and Huntsman. Through hard work and determination, I was offered an undercutter role at the latter – which has been a dream come true.

Who inspired you to become a tailor?

I wouldn’t say there is one particular person. Looking at my family history, we have always worked in the cloth trade or selling garments, so perhaps it was in my blood. I gave tailoring a go and immediately knew it was what I was meant to do.

If you weren’t a tailor, what would you be?

A dancer, I would love to be on the stage!

Which designers do you most admire?

I love Alexander McQueen’s early tailoring work – particularly his inventive and futuristic use of pattern cutting. I also admire how Olivier Rousteing has evolved Balmain designs – I’m a fan of the bold structured shapes he creates.

One of the country’s most commended tailoring schools, LAB offers a catalogue of classes under the bespoke tailoring umbrella – teaching the next generation of tailors and cutters about the craftsmanship in this niche trade. All of the teachers at LAB have a background working for well-known tailoring houses on Savile Row, and impart their experience to their small classes of students – making the studio feel as close to a bespoke tailoring work placement environment as possible.

At the end of March, LAB hosted an event – aimed at students – to offer valuable insight into the clothmaking and tailoring industries, and our chairman was asked to attend as one of the guest speakers.

After the initial event introductions, Dugdale’s Rob took centre stage and spoke about the history of the clothmaking trade – explaining Huddersfield’s key part in Yorkshire’s worsted industry – and the work Dugdale Bros carries out with local spinners, weavers and finishers, to be custodians of our wonderful legacy. In addition, he also took numerous bunches along, so that – throughout the talk – the students could look at how the composition of each fabric differed.

There was then a Q&A session, where tailoring students asked Rob questions about individual cloths and his experience of working at a world-renowned luxury cloth merchant.

Speaking about the day, Rob said: “It was an absolute pleasure to speak at LAB about our town and traditional industry. It was clear to see the students were passionate about tailoring – and it was great showing them this historic dimension to their studies.”

Victoria added: “Overall, it was a great success, and this may even be the start of a future series!”

Rob concluded: “This event is only the beginning when it comes to inspiring LAB’s upcoming tailoring professionals. Next, I will be inviting groups to visit Huddersfield and experience first-hand the wonders of our town, history and industry.”

More than 30 people attended ‘Everything Good About Cloth’ – with an audience including students, staff, industry bloggers, tailoring apprentices and other trade professionals.

The Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century was a catalyst for the flourishing textiles trade that ensued in Huddersfield. And because of the town’s unique geography, the region’s water provided optimum conditions for washing wool.

Consequently, almost all impurities are filtered out by the limestone hills of the Pennines, allowing the fibres to retain the lustrous quality and soft handle, for which they are internationally celebrated.”

Housed in a Victorian building on Northumberland Street – known locally as ‘The Towers’ – Dugdale has been collaborating with trusted spinners, weavers, dyers and finishers stationed within a 20-mile radius of its base, since its beginnings in 1896.

Over this 123-year period, Dugdale has supplied premium-quality cloth to tailors, designers and luxury fashion houses across the globe – with the brand’s ‘Made in Huddersfield’ selvedge being a mainstay within many cutting rooms on Savile Row.

Simon elaborated: “For sartorial professionals, Huddersfield is regarded the Mecca of cloth and yet the majority of the UK population is unaware of this.

“Over the last 12 months, there’s been a resurgence in demand for more robust and characterful worsted cloths that are produced here, to such an extent that the town’s looms can’t produce fabric fast enough.”

Simon went on to add: “There are ways to express yourself other than garish, synthetic linings or coloured button holes, and characterful Huddersfield cloth is becoming the first choice for more and more people entering this market.

“There’s now a new generation of young men and women who are realising that made-to-measure garments offer a better way for them to display their individuality.”

When asked what role he sees the industry playing in modern society, Simon explained: “Industry knowledge hasn’t disappeared, it’s just a little more ensconced in modern-day habits and attitudes. But the surge in business shows that people’s interest in high-quality clothing, local history and provenance is still re-emerging.”

Gordon Kaye – previously MD of Taylor and Lodge and ex-Chairman of the National Wool Textile Export Corporation – is one of Huddersfield’s most established names in the sector and provided some historical context: “When industry decline began in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, the clothmaking scene changed dramatically. Technology and automation replaced a lot of the skilled manpower previously used in the hundreds of mills situated in Huddersfield and the surrounding Valleys.”

He then went on to echo Simon’s sentiments: “Most of the knowledge nowadays is in old hands and old heads, but there are still pockets of interest in this traditional craftsmanship being shown by younger generations, which is very heartening to see.

“Every year, we host a textile gathering at Huddersfield Rugby Union Club in Lockwood, where faces – old and new – gather to discuss all-things cloth. From old mill workers to contemporary designers, it’s a space where expertise is shared and valued.”

However, another strand of the sartorial story in answering whether there is a deficiency in textile-related knowledge is to look at the manufacturing side of the clothmaking equation.

Established in 1960, Meltham-based Lightowlers Yarns is a thriving example of the region’s spinning industry. The family-owned firm is currently run by the second and third generations of Lightowlers – Mark, Peter and Michael – grandson and sons to the original co-founder, Richard.

Mark said: “We’re devoted to passing our diverse spinning skillset further down the Lightowlers’ bloodline. My son – and fourth generation family member – Adam, is also contributing to the business where possible.

Lightowlers sells yarns which it designs and spins on a bespoke basis for many fashion and household furniture brands – as well as Dugdale Bros & Co.

Concluding on the topic, Simon said: “Despite some aspects of modern culture having negatively impacted the industry, it’s also propelled it in other areas.

“Television dramas such as Downton Abbey and Peaky Blinders have raised awareness of sartorial, fine dressing and the increasingly sophisticated made-to-measure garments – giving everyone access to this sector, as well as reigniting many people’s passion for exclusivity and customisation.

“This niche industry in Huddersfield is something we should all take enormous pride in, so let’s erase the doom-and-gloom element, because ultimately, the rest of the world continues to look to our town for the finest cloth in the world – and this trend shows no sign of slowing down.”

Forming part of the group of 14 visitors was MD Sam Ahn of Renovatio and Mr Lei – owner of Fotton Garments. He was joined by some of the firm’s flagship staff from their store in Gangnam, Seoul. After touching down in the UK, the group spent a couple of days in London, exploring the city’s sartorial street of Savile Row, before travelling up the country by rail to the centre of Yorkshire’s clothmaking heritage, Huddersfield.

Once they’d stepped foot inside the train station, they were greeted by Simon, who took them to the Head of Steam pub – located within the railway station itself – for a spot of lunch, to fuel the day of sightseeing ahead!

First stop in the town was an internationally-renowned weavers founded in 1989, C&J Antich & Sons Ltd. It was here that David Antich gave everyone a tour, sharing insight into the technical weaving process and showing them around the machines which produce circa 40,000 metres of fabric each week.

It was then time to head to one of the world’s leading textile finishers W.T. Johnson & Sons, where there was another guided talk of the craftsmanship and machinery that goes into fine fabric finishing.

After a busy day learning about the wool-to-worsted-cloth process, everyone enjoyed discussing the day’s events over dinner at Eric’s Restaurant in Lindley – as well as exchanging experiences and expertise within the world of tailoring.

Thursday was a new day and there was more of the town to see! In the morning, everyone from Fotton Garments met at our Northumberland Street base for a comprehensive tour of the Dugdale Bros & Co. premises – a building dating back to the Victorian era.

Simon showed our visitors around and not only gave them a behind-the-scenes insight into our historic headquarters and the Dugdale story, but also talked them through the role that Huddersfield played in the development of fine worsted cloth during the Industrial Revolution.

After learning about the heritage of the last remaining cloth merchant in the centre of town, the last stop on the tour was at Meltham-based spinners, Lightowlers Yarns Ltd. There, Mark Lightowlers – grandson to the original co-founder, Richard – showed everyone around, pointing out some of the key equipment involved in the spinning process, such as the ‘Fearnought’ – a machine used for unscrambling the wool.

We’re pleased that the visit was a great success, with our Korean customers having thoroughly enjoyed learning about Huddersfield and its rich textiles history. No doubt we’ll be welcoming more of our international partners to this charming Yorkshire town very soon. Keep an eye on our blog and social media channels for further updates…

Dugdale Bros is a luxury brand that has been steeped in sartorial history since it was first established in 1896, by brothers Henry Percy and Frederick Herbert Dugdale. Today, our firm is the last independently-owned cloth merchant that remains rooted in central Huddersfield – a well-known epicentre of clothmaking – with a second office in Mayfair, London. Our enduring reputation as one of the textile industry’s most prestigious providers has seen us supply locally sourced, high-quality worsted cloth to tailors, designers, fashion houses and retailers throughout the world, for decades.

Throughout our 122-year history, we have demonstrated an innovative approach to clothmaking – reviving legacy collections from the early 20th century with new patterns and colourways – whilst paying homage to our rich textile heritage. We place a weighted focus on preserving our localised approach, collaborating with spinners, weavers, dyers and finishers within a 20-mile radius of our Northumberland Street base – such as Lightowlers Yarns. This not only illustrates our penchant for provenance, but also the pride we hold for our ‘Made in Huddersfield’ selvedge, and the true hallmark of quality that it represents throughout the industry today.

Our collections are at the heart of what we do, many of which are widely celebrated for their bespoke qualities and unique back-story. For example, the Cottonopolis range – as the first 100% British-made cotton cloth collection for tailors in over 50 years, to have been spun, dyed, woven and finished in England – presents a true milestone in UK clothmaking. While our White Rose Sporting Tweed and Tattersall tweed selection was first woven after the mid-1960s – as a response to the growing demand for what was then regarded as casual wear.

Today, the revamped bunch uses specially commissioned yarn spun by Meltham-based Lightowlers and stays reminiscent of its Yorkshire roots. It features a spectrum of colours such as forest greens, moorland browns and warming hues – all of which mirror the surrounding landscape.

The history

First established in 1960 by brothers Frederick William (Ted) and Richard Morley Lightowlers, the Meltham-based Lightowlers Yarns has been producing high-quality yarns for a range of industries – from apparel and upholstery, to blanket and hand-knitting – for almost 60 years.

Both experienced carding engineers at the time, Ted and Richard invested everything they had to start their own company – determination that helped make it the success it has been and continues to be today.

The family-owned firm is currently run by the second and third generations of Lightowlers – Mark, Peter and Michael – grandson and sons to the original co-founder, Richard. And this diverse spinning skillset is already being passed further down the Lightowlers’ bloodline, with fourth generation member Adam also playing his part in the business where possible.

Having helped his father Mark in the company since he was nine years old, Adam represents the future chapter of the company. And in 2015, his enthusiasm for the family trade was recognised with the Lord Barnby Award. Presented on behalf of the Worshipful Company of Woolmen, the prize identifies the most talented and promising people involved in the West Yorkshire textile industry.

Stationed in the historical Brigg House Mills – dating back to 1866 – the Yorkshire firm is well placed within the beating heart of the region’s longstanding clothmaking heritage.

And Lightowlers’ craftmanship is apparent in its capability to spin a diverse catalogue of materials – spanning basic British wools, to the finest Chinese cashmere.

To this day, the business continues to spin yarns on a commissioned basis for a variety of high-profile, international fashion houses and household furniture brands – as well as industry-recognised cloth merchants such as Dugdale Bros. But its main focus is on its sale yarns, which sees the firm design and colour-match all yarns themselves – on a bespoke, non-stock-support basis. And it is this personalised approach to the craft of spinning that makes Lightowlers Yarns a firm favourite in the sartorial space.

The tools

Before arriving at Lightowlers, the raw wool is scoured and dyed by another local company. It then undergoes a lengthy blending, carding, spinning and winding process at Lightowlers Yarns, prior to being sent on to be made into cloth or used for handcrafting.

One particular feature that makes Lightowlers so unique in its preservation of heritage, is that it’s the only yarn manufacturer in West Yorkshire that still uses traditional mule spinning in its commercial production process.

Invented in the late 18th century, the spinning mule was designed as a hybrid of the spinning jenny and the water frame. It marked a revolutionary step forward for the textile industry, as it mechanised and accelerated the rate of cloth production, as well as affording finer thread creation.

Well-renowned in the textile industry for its premium bespoke yarns, designers, weavers and cloth manufacturers alike work closely with this iconic Yorkshire firm, to produce an array of high-quality garments and products.

Many of Dugdale Bros’ collections have been produced using locally-sourced wool spun by Lightowlers Yarns. You can find out more by contacting us.