Best of Britannia: discounts for readers - visit the Grey Fox curated area

I've mentioned in previous posts that Best of Britannia asked me to curate a menswear section at their London show at Victoria House, near Holborn, later this month (30th September and 1st and 2nd October). You may buy tickets at a 25% discount through the blog to this festival of British-made products from menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, footwear, accessories, jewellery, cycling, motoring, home furnishings and much, much more. It will be lovely to see you there.

To buy tickets click here and add the code BOB25 at the bottom right when you check out to gain the Grey Fox Blog 25% discount.

To read more about Best of Britannia here on the blog, click here.

For more information on the BOB website, click here.

The menswear brands in the Grey Fox Curated section are:

Johnstons of Elgin
Benson & Clegg

British Boxers

Khunu

Holdall & Co

Tom Dick & Harry

Northampton Sneaker Co.

Seaward & Stern
Realm & Empire (who will be offering a discount on their products to Grey Fox Blog readers with a code available at the show).

Best of Britannia to include British brands curated by Grey Fox

I was delighted to be invited to curate a selection of British brands to exhibit at Best of Britannia in London at the end September (details below). 

Image from last year's BOB London: Susannah Hall, Tailors

My interest in brands that manufacture in the UK is an important part of this blog. I've listed some attending BOB in recent features (click here to read these). However, I felt that there were other brands, small and large, who should be represented and I set about inviting them to attend. I'm delighted that the following, among others, will be part of the Grey Fox curated selection exhibiting in a special area at BOB:

Johnstons of Elgin
Benson & Clegg

British Boxers

Khunu

Holdall & Co

Tom Dick & Harry

Northampton Sneaker Co.

Seaward & Stern
Realm & Empire

The display will also include products from some of my other favourite brands - mostly menswear and accessories. I will be there for much of the time and hope to meet as many of you as possible. 

BOB is a great event which celebrates British manufacture; please go if you can to browse and buy. There will be over 150 brands including menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, footwear, accessories, jewellery, cycling, motoring, home furnishings and much, much more. Click here for more information on the event and to buy tickets.

Yet more British menswear brands at Best of Britannia in September

Best of Britannia in September already has the largest line up of British brands yet. In this third feature, I introduce a more of the exhibitors, some of which are fairly new to the menswear manufacturing world, but most of which I've already featured on this blog.

Community Clothing

Community Clothing Company

Founded by Patrick Grant earlier this year, Community Clothing Company plans to iron out the peaks and troughs of clothing demand and production by making its clothes at otherwise quiet times in their factory in Blackburn, Lancashire. After a recent successful fundraising on Kickstarter, this exciting cooperative makes affordable quality clothing in the UK. I'm looking forward to trying my Blackburn-made jeans, purchased through their Kickstarter initiative.

Hebden Bridge Trouser Company

Somewhere in my drawers I have an old pair of wool climbing breeches made in Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire. HebTroCo have revived this trouser-making industry and will be showing some of their wonderful cotton, moleskin and needlecord shorts and trousers, made in Yorkshire.

British Boxers

Regulars here will know British Boxers and their inspiring story: founded by Deborah Price, the name is taken from her boxing great great great grandfather, Jem Mace, a Victorian boxing champion. She makes superb underwear and sleepwear here and in Europe.

Johnstons of Elgin

Johnstons of Elgin

Johnstons of Elgin, based in Elgin and Hawick in Scotland, needs no introduction as they work with leading fashion brands around the world to design and make luxury men's and womenswear. Their cashmere knitwear and cloths are renowned for their quality and they also market clothes for men and women. 

Khunu

I featured Khunu here on the blog a few months ago. They make beautiful knitwear and other products from yak wool which is softer and warmer even than cashmere.

Lancashire Pike

Lancashire Pike is another small brand I've featured here on the blog. They make classic, vintage style outdoor clothing from Ventile and other materials. Some readers may recall how their cycling jacket was based on a vintage 1950s Greenspot Nomad jacket of mine.

Benson & Clegg

Based on Piccadilly in London, Benson & Clegg are bespoke tailors and suppliers of Birmingham-made buttons and other accessories. They hold a Royal Warrant for their buttons and also offer a range of off the peg menswear.

Best of Britannia is at Victoria House, London from 30th September to 2nd October 2016. 

Click here for my other features on British brands at BOB this September.

Best of Britannia: more British brands signed up for September in London

Continuing my series on Best of Britannia, here are more British brands that you can see at the London event in September. For more see my earlier post here.

From top left clockwise: Loake, Geoff Stocker, Ross Barr, Susannah Hall, Swift, Shackleton

Loake

Based in Kettering, Northamptonshire, Loake is still family-run and continues England's proud and long tradition of shoemaking. I was privileged to visit their factory and saw shoes being made with skill and pride. Their shoes are sold around the world.

Geoff Stocker

Designer of silk scarves, ties and pocket squares, I was able to collaborate recently with Geoff Stocker on a range of ties and pocket squares made in England. Geoff Stocker's products are digitally printed and hand-rolled in the UK.

Ross Barr

Launched with the support of The Prince’s Trust, luxury British menswear and knitwear label Ross Barr aims to be a major contributor to the resurgence of Britain’s wool trade, a cause close to H.R.H. The Prince of Wales’s heart.

Susannah Hall

Clerkenwell tailor, Susannah Hall, is a passionate supporter both of BOB and of British manufacture. Her business offers British-made tailoring, shirtmaking and accessories for both men and women.

Swift & Co.

Swift & Co make shoes in Burnley, Lancashire and combine traditional styling with modern technology to make footwear that is incredibly comfortable. I wrote about this brand a few weeks ago in a blog post here.

Shackleton

Shackleton make all their garments in UK and will be showing their AW16 collection and launching a limited edition centenary jacket at the show. They tell me that they have appointed two new designers (one from Belstaff) and are focussing our attention on significant changes for next year.

NOTE: I am not being compensated by any of the brands featured here but I will receive some payment from Best of Britannia for curating my selection. All opinions are my own.

Best of Britannia, London: Grey Fox to curate a menswear selection

Best of Britannia is a well established showcase for Britain's leading manufacturers. The events, taking place all over the country, give both commercial buyers and the public the chance to see and buy the best of British products, from fashion to food, jewellery, accessories, bikes, gifts and interiors.

I'm delighted and proud to have been invited to curate a selection of menswear brands for BOB London's September event. My admiration for products made in the UK is a major theme of this blog and I'm really enjoying curating my selection, details of which will be announced in due course.

Meanwhile, here are some of the brands that you will see at BOB in September. All make at least some of their products here in the UK and all are British to the core, celebrating this country's heritage of quality and design. I'll introduce more over the coming weeks:

Top left clockwise: Croots, Harry Stedman, Walker Slater, London Tradition, Cheaney, Reynolds, Mercian, Gymphlex

Croots

Makers of country sports bags and accessories, Croots also have a city range. The brand supplies HM The Queen, but doesn't spurn collaborating with Nigel Cabourn whose high quality heritage pieces are stylish and fashionable. Croots emphasis is on timeless style, heritage and quality.

Harry Stedman

This company needs no introduction to readers of this blog as I collaborated with them on a photoshoot recently (see the image above). They take their inspiration from Harry Stedman, a Liverpool man whose life and adventures inspire a collection of menswear which finds its roots in British, US and Japanese heritage and quality. Harry Stedman.

Walker Slater

Tweed jacket, suit and tailoring specialists Walker Slater are based in Edinburgh, London and online. Offering made to measure, off the peg and stylish accessories, they provide country and city tailored style to both men and women.

London Tradition 

Makers of British outerwear, London Tradition make duffels, peacoats for men and women - bespoke and off-the-peg. Founded in East London in 2001, the company continues a long heritage of coat manufacture in this country. It was awarded the Queen's Award for International Trade on 2014.

Gymphlex

Manufacturers of sportswear for over 100 years, many schoolchildren will have worn their products on the playing fields of the UK. Now a fashion and leisurewear brand as well, Gymphlex manufacture both in and outside the UK.

Mercian Cycles

Founded in Derby in 1946, Mercian Cycles build bespoke lightweight steel bicycle frames by hand, using traditional frame-building methods with one craftsman building each frame from start to finish. They also renovate and repair bikes and are known for their collaborations with cycling enthusiast, Sir Paul Smith.

Reynolds England

R.E.W. Reynolds was established in 1921 in Northampton, England as a cycle manufacturer. They started to make cycling shoes, using the skills all around them in England's shoemaking county. They still make cycling shoes, both classic and modern in style.

Cheaney

Joseph Cheaney & Sons make hand-made shoes in Northamptonshire, and have done so since 1886. Each shoe takes 8 weeks and over 200 hand-tooled operations to complete. Their city, country and casual styles offer something for everyone. They sell online and at outlets around the country.

BOB London, which will take place in Victoria House, Southampton Row in September. I'm still curating my selection of British menswear brands, so do get in touch if you'd like to be considered for inclusion.

NOTE: I am not being compensated by any of the brands featured here but I will receive some payment from Best of Britannia for curating my selection. All opinions are my own.