British knitwear maker John Smedley invests in craft and new designs
John Smedley, an 18th-century knitwear brand, is adapting to a difficult luxury market by combining traditional craft with new designs, partnerships and investment. Its survival matters in a UK clothing industry that has shrunk sharply as production moved overseas.
The company employs 230 people across factories in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, making about 4,500 garments a week for its own label and other luxury brands. It invested more than £4m in machinery in 2024, while training apprentices can take up to two years as experienced workers approach retirement. The family-owned business keeps production, from dyeing yarn to finishing garments, in the UK.
In short
- John Smedley blends heritage skills with new designs and technology.
- Its UK factories make about 4,500 garments each week.
- A £4m investment is helping it adapt and expand production.
Explained simply
Founded in the 18th century, John Smedley is a British knitwear maker known for producing fine garments. It is family-owned and makes clothes for its own label and for other luxury brands.
The company employs workers at factories in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, where production includes dyeing yarn and finishing garments. Training takes time, and some experienced workers are nearing retirement, so passing on specialist skills is part of the challenge.
Many UK clothing makers have moved production overseas or closed, making businesses that still manufacture in Britain part of a much smaller industry. John Smedley’s future matters to the jobs, skills and production that remain in UK clothing.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Fashion and tradition: how John Smedley is innovating in a tough market”.