One blanket, two coats

Young Welsh designers Jayne Hicks and David Tomlin have just launched their first label together and are dedicated to reviving the Welsh woollen industry. The co-founders of new label  Coracle have each left successful careers in the luxury fashion industry, based in London, to revive a forgotten industry, and reopen a Carmarthen based woollen mill, using the original looms and equipment that have lain idle for many years.

Using techniques that were previously used to weave tapestry Welsh blankets, tradionally given as wedding gifts, the garments to launch the first collection are two vibrant coats that are both unisex and made with high quality materials.

The blanket coats are completely reversible, and fully bound in a flexible, durable binding.  The bomber jackets are lined in silk, and feature both real lambs leather and shearling.

Passionate about making clothes ‘out of the past for the future’, Jayne and David have received initial funding and mentoring from the Princes’ Trust but are looking for a small amount of extra funding to help them finish production of the rest of the planned collection to show at London Fashion Week in February 2016.

If you would like to be part of the community that helps them realise their dream and help stimulate a new era of Welsh designed, sourced and manufactured luxury wool garments then take a look at their campaign just launched on Kickstarter.

I applaud and admire what the team at Coracle are trying to do, and would love to see them succeed and realise their first collection.

There’s a definite growth and interest in the maker movement lately where more of us would like to see and own something special and unique, perhaps bespoke or handmade, that has also been responsibly sourced. There’s also a lot of new energy and focus across the Welsh fashion, creative and design industries too, long may it continue!