From my very first days as an apprentice jacket maker, I have been fascinated by the materials we use as tailors.
I was extremely fortunate at Henry Poole to be sent for a week to Bower Roebuck in Huddersfield to learn the basics of worsted fabric making, including visiting the spinners, dyers, finishers and of course the weaving sheds themselves. The visit cemented my passion for cloth and the processes that make it, from the smells of finishing houses to the sounds of the weaving sheds and, of course, the beauty of the finished fabrics.
Each different type of material has its unique character, as does each weaving region, which is apparent in the materials they produce.
Having spent the best part of the last decade as the UK agent of Carlo Barbera, at the time the pinnacle of Biellese weaving, I have gained a great deal of knowledge of the making traditions and processes in the Biella region and beyond.
The fabric fairs in Milan and Paris have enhanced my passion for all tailoring materials. The distinctive characteristics of interlinings, linings, buttons and fabrics of different regions are a constant source of fascination and learning.