By Noelle Williamson
When Fashion Design student Gareth Godfrey-Williams got the chance to visit Hainsworth at Stanningley Bottom earlier this year, he saw for himself how textiles are produced.
He witnessed how the raw fibre delivered to the loading bay is processed into thread on site. He watched and photographed that thread being woven into cloth – cloth which is used by fashion, interior and theatre designers all over the world, and worn by troops from the Household Cavalry to the Mounties.
From Gareth’s photos of the mill machinery came his design for a garment made from Hainsworth Military Lightweight Cavalry Twill in cobalt blue (pictured below) and a prize of £500.
It started with the 23/24 Live Brief competition, in which Hainsworth, a family firm which has been weaving at Spring Valley Mill for 241 years, teamed up with Manchester Metropolitan University in a challenge for third-year Fashion Design students.
The students were given the brief to focus on style and function over trend, and craft a slow fashion garment that can be worn across the seasons.
Slow fashion rejects consumerism and mass-produced clothing in favour of high-quality design and ethical clothing production and consumption.
Hainsworth produces premium woollen textiles to last a lifetime, and the beauty of wool is its thermo-regulating quality, keeping the wearer warm in winter and cool in summer. Following their visit to the mill (pictured below) the MMU students were encouraged to use Hainsworth woollen cloth to take advantage of this quality.
A team from Hainsworth judged the competition and gave first prize to Gareth’s design for a field jacket with a wool shell, linen lining and nylon hood, 14 pockets, and adjustable cuffs and sides. Vivien Li’s design for a raincoat that folds down into a bag won her second prize, and £200.
Ivana Noon, Business Development Manager at Hainsworth, explains: “Gareth’s final garment was truly remarkable. We were in awe of the unique construction of his garment. His attention to detail was second to none. Gareth also demonstrated utmost professionalism throughout the project, a truly deserving and talented winner.”
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