Fox Brothers
Encyclopedia
Fox Brothers & Co is a clothmaker
based in Wellington, Somerset
, England
. The company is one of the few working cloth mills still producing cloth entirely in England.
industry in the UK, having its roots as a cottage industry in 1745. The company was officially founded by Thomas Fox in Wellington 1772. During the Industrial Revolution
the company brought wool sorting, spinning, drying and weaving under one roof. It once owned nine mill
s and employed nearly 5,000 workers. During the First World War it won a War Office
contract to provide 852 miles (1,371.2 km) of khaki
coloured cloth for military puttees.
Fox Brothers makes wool, worsted
, cashmere
and was the original creator of flannel
for use in suitmaking and held the Trademark for 'Flannel' up to the 1950s.
The company uses loom
s which are 50 years old and maintains a pattern
archive dating back to its foundation, said to be 'one of the most significant textile (company) archives in the British Isles'. Fox Brothers has made cloth for the suits of several famous people including flannel for Bob Hope
, chalkstripe for Winston Churchill
and PoW check for the Duke of Windsor
. Hollywood legend Cary Grant
was often photographed wearing Fox Flannel, at a time when leading men were expected to provide their own wardrobe for the films in which they starred.
Fox Brothers has won two Queen's Awards
. The first was won in 1966, the year the award scheme was founded, for their export
sales. The second was in 2006 in recognition of them manufacturing the world's lightest weight wool and cashmere flannel. The company released new versions of one of their 1782 pattern flannels for the Autumn/Winter 2007 season, using all British wool.
who features on Dragons' Den
, purchased a minority stake. Meaden grew up in the area, living 10 miles (16.1 km) from the factory, while Meaden's husband went to school with two members of the Fox family, the original owners.
With Managing director Jack Hudson looking to retire, in November 2009, textiles expert Douglas Cordeaux and Meaden bought the company, with Meaden taking 80% and Cordeaux 20%. Cordeaux today functions as Managing Director,. Meaden is not involved with the day to day running of the company, but devises business strategy. Meaden will attempt to consolidate the firms established position in Japan
, Italy
and the UK, whilst expanding into the United States
market.
The company currently employs twenty five people, an increase since Meaden and Cordeaux became joint owners. In 2011, Fox appointed two full-time apprentices to ensure traditional skills are handed down to a new generation. One will complete his apprenticeship at Fox; the second apprentice will split his training between Fox Brothers and Jack Wills.
The company presently supplies designer Ralph Lauren
, Gieves & Hawkes
, and Savile Row
tailoring houses, Huntsman, Dege & Skinner, Anderson & Sheppard and Henry Poole, the official founder of Savile Row
. The company collaborated in 2010 with shoe retailer Clarks
to make cloth for its classic desert boot for the Spring/Summer 2010 season. and Mackintosh
included a stylish raincoat made from Fox fabric in the collection on display in their first ever shop, opened in London's prestigious Mount Street at the start of 2011. Lock & Co., founded 1676, is using Fox cloth extensively in its 'Lock & Roll' men's wear collection for Spring/Summer 2011. All but one of the caps in the collection are made from Fox cloth, following the success of the Autumn/Winter caps made from Fox fabrics, which it launched in 2010.
In October 2011, Fox Brothers and a network of British manufacturers launched 'The Merchant Fox', a website selling British-made luxury goods with proven provenance.
Textile manufacturing
Textile manufacturing is a major industry. It is based in the conversion of three types of fibre into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. These are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. Cotton remains the most important natural fibre, so is treated in depth...
based in Wellington, Somerset
Wellington, Somerset
Wellington is a small industrial town in rural Somerset, England, situated south west of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district, near the border with Devon, which runs along the Blackdown Hills to the south of the town...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The company is one of the few working cloth mills still producing cloth entirely in England.
History
Fox Brothers was one of the earliest entrants into the woolWool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
industry in the UK, having its roots as a cottage industry in 1745. The company was officially founded by Thomas Fox in Wellington 1772. During the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
the company brought wool sorting, spinning, drying and weaving under one roof. It once owned nine mill
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
s and employed nearly 5,000 workers. During the First World War it won a War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
contract to provide 852 miles (1,371.2 km) of khaki
Khaki
This article is about the fabric. For the color, see Khaki . Kaki, another name for the persimmon, is often misspelled "Khaki".Khaki is a type of fabric or the color of such fabric...
coloured cloth for military puttees.
Fox Brothers makes wool, worsted
Worsted
Worsted , is the name of a yarn, the cloth made from this yarn, and a yarn weight category. The name derives from the village of Worstead in the English county of Norfolk...
, cashmere
Cashmere wool
Cashmere wool, usually simply known as cashmere, is a fiber obtained from Cashmere and other types of goats. The word cashmere derives from an old spelling of Kashmir. Cashmere is fine in texture, and strong, light, and soft. Garments made from it provide excellent...
and was the original creator of flannel
Flannel
Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of various fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fibre. Flannel may be brushed to create extra softness or remain unbrushed. The brushing process is a mechanical process...
for use in suitmaking and held the Trademark for 'Flannel' up to the 1950s.
The company uses loom
Loom
A loom is a device used to weave cloth. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads...
s which are 50 years old and maintains a pattern
Pattern
A pattern, from the French patron, is a type of theme of recurring events or objects, sometimes referred to as elements of a set of objects.These elements repeat in a predictable manner...
archive dating back to its foundation, said to be 'one of the most significant textile (company) archives in the British Isles'. Fox Brothers has made cloth for the suits of several famous people including flannel for Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
, chalkstripe for Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and PoW check for the Duke of Windsor
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
. Hollywood legend Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
was often photographed wearing Fox Flannel, at a time when leading men were expected to provide their own wardrobe for the films in which they starred.
Fox Brothers has won two Queen's Awards
Queen's Awards for Enterprise
The Queen's Awards for Enterprise is an awards programme for British businesses and other organizations who excel at international trade, innovation or sustainable development. They are the highest official UK awards for British businesses...
. The first was won in 1966, the year the award scheme was founded, for their export
Export
The term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer"...
sales. The second was in 2006 in recognition of them manufacturing the world's lightest weight wool and cashmere flannel. The company released new versions of one of their 1782 pattern flannels for the Autumn/Winter 2007 season, using all British wool.
Present
In June 2009, investor Deborah MeadenDeborah Meaden
Deborah Meaden is a British business woman who ran a multi-million pound family holiday business, before completing a management buyout...
who features on Dragons' Den
Dragons' Den (UK)
Dragons' Den is a British television series, hosted by Evan Davis. The format of the show is owned by Sony Pictures and is based on the original Japanese series, which has been sold around the world...
, purchased a minority stake. Meaden grew up in the area, living 10 miles (16.1 km) from the factory, while Meaden's husband went to school with two members of the Fox family, the original owners.
With Managing director Jack Hudson looking to retire, in November 2009, textiles expert Douglas Cordeaux and Meaden bought the company, with Meaden taking 80% and Cordeaux 20%. Cordeaux today functions as Managing Director,. Meaden is not involved with the day to day running of the company, but devises business strategy. Meaden will attempt to consolidate the firms established position in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the UK, whilst expanding into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
market.
The company currently employs twenty five people, an increase since Meaden and Cordeaux became joint owners. In 2011, Fox appointed two full-time apprentices to ensure traditional skills are handed down to a new generation. One will complete his apprenticeship at Fox; the second apprentice will split his training between Fox Brothers and Jack Wills.
The company presently supplies designer Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
, Gieves & Hawkes
Gieves & Hawkes
Gieves & Hawkes are a bespoke gentleman's tailor located at №1 Savile Row, London.Founded in 1771 and owned by Hong Kong conglomerate USI Holdings Limited, they are one of the oldest continual bespoke tailoring companies in the world....
, and Savile Row
Savile Row
Savile Row is a shopping street in Mayfair, central London, famous for its traditional men's bespoke tailoring. The term "bespoke" is understood to have originated in Savile Row when cloth for a suit was said to "be spoken for" by individual customers...
tailoring houses, Huntsman, Dege & Skinner, Anderson & Sheppard and Henry Poole, the official founder of Savile Row
Savile Row
Savile Row is a shopping street in Mayfair, central London, famous for its traditional men's bespoke tailoring. The term "bespoke" is understood to have originated in Savile Row when cloth for a suit was said to "be spoken for" by individual customers...
. The company collaborated in 2010 with shoe retailer Clarks
C&J Clark
C. and J. Clark International Ltd, trading as Clarks, is a British, international shoe manufacturer and retailer based in Street, Somerset, England...
to make cloth for its classic desert boot for the Spring/Summer 2010 season. and Mackintosh
Mackintosh
The Mackintosh or Macintosh is a form of waterproof raincoat, first sold in 1824, made out of rubberised fabric...
included a stylish raincoat made from Fox fabric in the collection on display in their first ever shop, opened in London's prestigious Mount Street at the start of 2011. Lock & Co., founded 1676, is using Fox cloth extensively in its 'Lock & Roll' men's wear collection for Spring/Summer 2011. All but one of the caps in the collection are made from Fox cloth, following the success of the Autumn/Winter caps made from Fox fabrics, which it launched in 2010.
In October 2011, Fox Brothers and a network of British manufacturers launched 'The Merchant Fox', a website selling British-made luxury goods with proven provenance.