Textile Specialists
Textile manufacturers from Italy and the United Kingdom have long held the reputation as world-leaders, and many boast countless years as purveyors to monarchs, celebrities, and luminaries across the globe. At Care of Carl, we often espouse the importance of knowing all about your clothing and, to that end, we have created this short guide to just some of the illustrious textile mills that many of our hand-picked selection of brands choose to collaborate with.
ITALIAN PRODUCERS
The Italians have long been held in very high regard when it comes to tailoring, and suits, shirts, and ties in particular. Many of their textile manufacturers have existed for decades and sometimes even centuries – a testament to their quality and eye for detail.
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Bonotto
Bonotto was established by Nica Donazzan and Luigi Bonotto in 1972, and both the firm’s mill and its headquarters remain in the northern Italian town of Molvena to this day. The company firmly believes that true quality takes time and continues to produce its luxurious fabrics according to traditional methods. |
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Cotonificio Albini
The Cotonifico Albini textile mill was founded in 1876 in the town of Desenzano sul Serio and has today been in the Albini family for five generations. The manufacturer produces shirt fabrics of the very highest quality, used in both bespoke creations and ready-to-wear collections from a number of prestigious brands. In 1992, Cotonifico Albini also became owner of three historic British mills: Thomas Mason, David & John Anderson, and Ashton Shirtings.
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Fratelli Tallia Di Delfino
Founded in 1903, Fratelli Tallia Di Delfino hails from Biella, the Italian town that has been known for its woollen fabrics since at least the 13th century. Famed around the world for its outstanding wool, the firm is the first choice of many a famous tailor. Its ‘24K’ collection features a 24-karat gold weft – a singularly exclusive material.
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Lanificio Angelico
Giuseppe Angelico founded his textile mill in the early 1950s in the town of Ronco Biellese, just a stone’s throw from Italy’s textile mecca Biella. To maintain the exceptional quality for which they are known, Lanificio Angelico exclusively uses fibres that have been both spun and dyed in the company’s mill itself. This meticulousness results in fabrics of the very highest calibre, made using Mongolian cashmere, Egyptian cotton, and merino wool.
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Lanificio F.Ili Cerutti
The Cerutti family have been in the textile business since the mid-18th century, though it was first in 1881 that Antonio Cerutti and his brothers would establish their mill in the town of Biella. Their focus has always been on the manufacture of high-quality, modern fabrics – an area in which they truly excel. Another member of the Cerutti family, Nino, found fame as the designer who clothed Michael Douglas in 1987’s Wall Street.
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Lanificio Fratelli Ormezzano
Lanificio Fratelli Ormezzano was established in 1924 in the town of Valle Mosso. Bucking then-dominant trends, the company dedicated itself to the manufacture of fine woollen fabrics using brushed wool. In 1973, the producer added linen fabrics to its repertoire, and continues to diversify and expand through the addition of cottons and other fabrics to its already impressive portfolio. Today, the brand has gained further renown for its innovative blended fabrics and continued experimentation with colour.
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Lanificio Luigi Colombo
Luigi Colombo had a specific goal in mind when establishing his own textile mill: the production of fabrics using only the very finest raw materials. Today, the company is one of the world’s biggest producers of cashmere and has even launched its own range of apparel. The business continues to be owned and run by the Colombo family, who continue the tradition of combining the latest technology with an unrivalled passion for their raw materials.
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Vitale Barberis Canonico
The first document to mention the Barberis Canonico family’s wool production dates as far back as 1663. This document, sent to the Duke of Savoy, reports the family’s sales, and notes that they were knowledgeable about the dyeing of wool, a particularly rare skill at the time. Today, this well-renowned Italian producer is said to produce some of the finest woollen fabrics money can buy and it is no coincidence that Vitale Barberis Canonico counts Savile Row tailors Huntsman and Henry Poole among its distinguished clientele.
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Zegna Baruffa Lane Borgosesia
This company is the result of a merger between two Italian specialists, Zegna Baruffa and Lane Borgosesia, with the first dating from 1924 and the second having been established in 1850. Ever since they joined forces in 1974, they have been world-leaders in the production of high-calibre woollen fabrics using Australian merino fibres.
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BRITISH PRODUCERS
The Brits are famed around the world for their textile production, especially when it comes to warmer fabrics well-suited to the wet and windy climate of the British Isles. It is not uncommon for their textile manufacturers to be named as purveyors to one or more of the United Kingdom’s three Royal Courts.
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Johnstons of Elgin
An almost legendary name in the production of yarns and fabrics, Johnstons of Elgin are known for clothing and fabrics made using the most exclusive varieties of wool. The company’s roots can be traced back to 1797, when the company opened its workshop in the small village of Elgin in the very north of the Scottish Highlands. In 1851, they began manufacturing some of the most exclusive cashmere fabrics and, in 2013, became Purveyors to the Royal Court of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales.
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Moon
Founded in 1837 by Abraham Moon, English manufacturer Moon began by producing woven wool fabrics in the town of Guiseley. By 1890, this small English firm had won international acclaim for the quality of its fabrics, becoming particularly popular in Japan. What continues to make the company unique is its vertically integrated production, with everything from the carding and dyeing to the weaving of the finished product taking place under one roof.
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Thomas Mason
This historic textile manufacturer was founded in 1750 in the small northern English town of Nelson, Lancashire, and was one of the first to produce shirt fabrics using cotton fibres. By 1796, the firm had established itself as one of the top producers of high-end fabrics, becoming a favourite of many West End tailors. Since 1930, Thomas Mason has been the exclusive supplier of shirt fabrics to Turnbull & Asser, an almost legendary tailor whose premises lie on Jermyn Street, at the very heart of London’s historic clothing district.
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