Yorkshire Mill Visit
12th October 2021
On Wednesday 25th August Nitin, our videographer and Laura took the very delayed 8.03am train from London Kings Cross up north to Leeds to visit the Alfred Brown mill, the supplier for all our tailored suits.
After over a two and half hour delay we finally made it and were welcomed with warm hello’s. Alfred Brown is family run mill spanning five generations and has been weaving the finest tailored wools for over a century. Laura has been in discussions with the mill for months now, right from the initial beginnings of building the Laura Pitharas brand.
It was important for our Founder, Laura to work with a Northern mill to celebrate the UK textile industry but to also acknowledge her northern routes within the brand being born, raised and educated in Leeds.
We had hoped to visit the mill earlier in the year but due to the ongoing pandemic it wasn't possible. However it was worth the wait, our trip was incredibly rewarding meeting the Alfred Brown team and being allowed to film and witness their day to day lives working at the mill.
We met and spoke with many different people working in the various departments from the weaving room all the way through to the menders. Most of the workers have been there for many years following in the footsteps of their families generations who had also previously worked at the mill. There was a real sense of home and family at the mill which felt very warm and familiar.
Alfred Brown is conscious about it’s environmental impact and have been powered solely by wind farms since 2016. All of the wool used is certified non mulsed ensuring ethical farming and good animal welfare is practised and respected.
The history behind the Alfred Brown mill is fascinating. During the second world war the weaving production switched to exclusively fulfilling army, navy and RAF contracts only. Following the end of the war Alfred Brown fabrics were used to make uniforms for the bellboys serving on the Cunard Line’s RMS Queen Mary.
Alfred Brown sells fabric both here at home in the UK but also internationally to many luxurious brands oversees. They have a long and proud association with Saville Row, quality is the key reason why the most exclusive tailors and designers rely on Alfred Browns finest cloths. It is an absolute pleasure to work with the Alfred Brown mill as our main supplier for our tailored garments and we hope to visit them again soon.
