Factories like this remind us of what Britain once built. Communities centred around making — wool spun into garments that travelled further than the people who crafted them.
Recently, there have been signs that this closeness to production might not just belong to the past.
Brands like John Smedley, working with British wool again — not as nostalgia, but as progress.
Manufacturing data showing the UK returning to growth for the first time in over a year — subtle, but meaningful.
A shift in how we think about sustainability — not only buying better, but building better.
At Pinto Hervia, these signals matter.
Designing knitwear here, working with factories we can visit, means understanding every decision — from the way a stitch holds shape to the way a garment earns its place in someone’s life. Proximity creates responsibility. When the making is this close, quality isn’t a target — it’s a requirement.
The future of British fashion won’t look exactly like this mill did in its prime.
But the idea it represents — craft, accountability, local strength — feels more relevant than ever.
This is why we’re exploring a new knitwear direction.
Because if British manufacturing is rising again, we want to help shape what it becomes.