Graduate Fashion Foundation is pleased to announce an exciting collaboration with Dugdale Brothers & Co. the last remaining independently owned cloth merchant in Huddersfield. For over a century, Dugdale Brothers & Co have operated as both a cloth maker and merchant, supplying the world’s finest tailors and brands with exceptional cloth, combining heritage. innovation and a relentless commitment to quality.
The partnership will see Dugdale Brothers & Co and Graduate Fashion Foundation collaborate on a regional tour of the UK, visiting 15 universities from Cardiff to Leeds, to share fabric samples, knowledge exchange and highlighting the importance of responsible sourcing.
Graduate Fashion Foundation members that will be visited are:
Nottingham Trent University
De Montfort University
Leeds University
Leeds Arts University
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Bath Spa University
Winchester School of Art
Sheffield Hallam University
Norwich University of the Arts
Northumbria University
Kingston University
Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts
University of Lancashire
Manchester Metropolitan University
Arts University Bournemouth
Through this collaboration, Foundation member university students will discover the creativity, curiosity and fresh approach to heritage cloth alongside exposure to tailoring at the highest industry level.
“Great industries are sustained by great talent. Our partnership with the Graduate Fashion Foundation reflects a shared commitment to championing the next generation of designers and makers. As the founding cloth partner of the Foundation for Tailoring, we are proud to continue Dugdale’s pioneering tradition of investing in the future of our craft”
Robert Charnock, Chairman Dugdale Brothers & Co
With the shared mission of championing new talent, the partnership represents the opportunity to inspire creativity, encourage innovation and help shape the future of fashion through exceptional cloth. Dugdale actively collaborates with emerging designers, students, makers and industry innovators, providing a platform for fresh ideas and new perspectives to flourish.
“The fashion industry needs talent from across skill sets, from fabric development and design to tailoring and mills. We’re pleased to be able to showcase and celebrate vital skills through this partnership, furthering our mission of creating graduates that are industry ready and able to step into exciting careers in the fashion industry”
Nicola Hitchens, Managing Director, Graduate Fashion Foundation
The session will give studerits the opportunity to explore the journey of wool from fibre through to finished tailoring cloth, while learning directly from an established British cloth manufacturer about how the industry works and how they can use wool within their own collections
The workshop will cover:
- The journey from sheep and raw wool through to the tailor’s workbench
- How wool is made into cloth and the different fabrics available
- An introduction to Dugdale Bros & Co and the brands and tailors they supply
- A short film: An Introduction to Cloth by Dugdale
- Exploring a wide range of cloth and swatches hands-on
- Understanding the versatility of wool cloth and how it can be shaped, manipulated and used within collections
- Tailoring cloth and how different cloth weights, qualities and constructions can be used
- Sustainability and the role of wool as a material
- The concept of cloth as a luxury product and understanding its value
- A QSA with the Dugdale team
- Practical guidance on selecting and using cloth for student collections
It is through industry collaboration that Graduate Fashion Foundation is able to create opportunities for students and graduates, through access to industry education, development programmes and exposure to industry members. The Foundation is pleased to be working with Dugdale Brothers & Co. to further the mission of leading the fashion industry in new ideas, fresh energy and world class talent.