# British knitwear maker John Smedley invests in craft and new designs

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/fashion-and-tradition-how-john-smedley-is-innovating-in-a-tough-market/
- Published: 2026-11-01T12:00:11+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-01T13:07:44+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/nov/01/john-smedley-knitwear-brand-innovating-fashion-tradition-tough-market-manufacturing
- Topics: Art, Business, Celebrity, Culture, Entertainment, Fashion, TV, UK, World

## Key points

- 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.

## Summary

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.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.