Nick Ashley

“My name is Nick Ashley. In the ‘80s, I was design director for my family’s business, Laura Ashley.

Back then, we had 10 factories across the UK, all of which produced the fabric and clothing that we exported to our 500 worldwide shops.

Since then, I’ve had my own label, Nick Ashley, with 10 shops in Japan that sell British-made clothing.

I’m currently working with a group of clothing factories and mills in the UK, and selling our product globally.”

Is Made in Britain an important part of your marketing and brand message?

Made in Britain is good for my image, although it’s not so good for my job. I would much prefer to be Italian. Italian manufacturers understand clothes, whereas British manufacturers don’t have a clue.

Getting anything made in Britain is always going to be an almighty battle between designers knowing what people will be wanting next, and factories wanting to continue making what they are used to making. But there is a romance to clothing made in Britain, and I quite like imperfection.

Do you find that your customers understand why British goods cost more than many others?

(Do you need to explain this, or do they understand it when they come to you?)

They didn’t before, but the conscientious consumer is on the rise – albeit frustratingly slowly. There is a perceived value to a British made product. For example, a coat can be reassuringly expensive, whereas underwear has to be cheap and cheerful.

The problem is our minimum wage labour rate of £10.50 an hour and the solution is automation. Our car-making industry, for example, has gone fully automated, which eliminates labour rates. Clothing – some parts of it at least – could follow suit, but it’s going to take some big investment into robotic production plants.

In my opinion, coats, shoes and tailoring can continue to be hand-made.

Do you feel that there’s a growth in interest in this type of provenance?

During my 40 years in the industry, I have seen nothing but decline in manufacturing in the UK and China has become the breadbasket for global production. However, even the Chinese consumer can have an emotional attachment to clothing.

The homogenisation of clothing has flushed out the romantics among us, and the handful of people who believe that your clothes and your emotions are intrinsically linked are on the rise.

Who makes your clothes – and why – really matters these days, so high provenance, investment, long-term, multi-generational, locally made clothing is gaining momentum... very slowly.

What British goods do you use every day?

All of my clothes are designed by me and made in Britain. I cook on an Aga, drive a Land Rover, a Vauxhall van, and a JCB digger. I use Britool tools, listen to a Roberts radio plugged into Wharfedale speakers, the list goes on... but the rest of it isn’t entirely British.

What British-made goods would you most like to own/do you have your eye on?

Everyday essential clothing such as T-shirts, sweats, trainers, underwear, socks – these could all be made using a local fibre, like linen, for a reasonable price in the UK – with fully automated production.

Linen grows in Northern Europe, it doesn’t use the same amount of water as cotton, and can be made into jersey for underwear, sweatshirt, joggers and more.

What’s your favourite British food?

I live on a farm, so home-grown vegetables, with our own lamb.