CWT was set up during the first lockdown when manufacturing ground to a halt. The business is underpinned by a British manufacturing heritage dating back to 1972. They’re aiming to be a sustainable brand designing and producing simple, comfortable, steadfast essentials in England for both men and women through their unisex collections.
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| CWT manufacturing men's and women's clothes in the UK |
As a start-up, they are at the beginning of their journey and are yet to build up their main lines. Their main products are very well-made t-shirts, but more products are planned and I thought it would be interesting to catch up with a new brand at this very early phase. I asked Karandeep Mattu to tell us more about the brand:
GF: Please introduce yourself and the brand - how long has it been going, where are you based?
KM: My family has been manufacturing and supplying high end brands with jerseywear in the Leicestershire countryside since 1972, and is now in the hands of the 3rd generation.
We started CWT in 2020 during lockdown when the factory was forced to pause. We had some free time on our hands so decided to create a brand founded upon our own values. We strive to provide a socially conscious product, with amazing quality, that invites a sense of community and responsibility. Our approach also allows us to combine traditional fabrics with modern manufacturing techniques to create products that will stand the test of time.
We started CWT in 2020 during lockdown when the factory was forced to pause. We had some free time on our hands so decided to create a brand founded upon our own values. We strive to provide a socially conscious product, with amazing quality, that invites a sense of community and responsibility. Our approach also allows us to combine traditional fabrics with modern manufacturing techniques to create products that will stand the test of time.
GF: What products do you make? Do you plan to expand your range?
KM: Jerseywear is our speciality, we have over 50 years of experience, knowledge and a vast range of suppliers we can draw from.
We have launched with our essential t-shirt, made from an extra-long staple cotton (Supima) grown on a Gossypium barbadense plant known for flowering very long silky cotton, also sourced from a third generation family owned farm in California USA. The yarn was then imported, knitted, dyed, cut and sewn all within a six mile radius of our sewing factory.
We have so many new pieces in the pipeline. However, next to launch will be our super heavy weight 100% organic cotton hoodie, which should be available online soon – keep your eyes peeled!
GF: Ethical and sustainable issues are mentioned as important on your website - please tell us how these are important and what steps you take on the issues. You mention, for example, the ETI Base Code - what is that and how does it work?
KM: The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is a leading alliance of companies, trade unions and NGOs that promote respect for workers’ rights around the globe. Their vision is a world where all workers are free from exploitation and discrimination and enjoy conditions of freedom, security, and equality. The ETI is not the only element which is core to our beliefs. We also believe our products should not have a negative impact, therefore all of our t-shirts are carbon neutral. They are offset through different projects that not only counterbalance the production of carbon, but also have a positive social impact for the local population.
"We are a British brand and if we don’t support British knitters, sewing factories, dye houses, printing and embroidery plants, wash houses, yarn and thread suppliers, who will? Nobody!"
GF: British manufacture is obviously important to you. Does this bring challenges in terms of sourcing materials, pricing goods and remaining competitive in the face of goods from overseas where ethical standards are not so high?
KM: British manufacturing is very important to us, we have been doing it for over 50 years and across 3 generations. We have seen good times but also bad, particularly during the early 2000’s when it seemed like every brand and retailer moved their production off shore.
It would be a lot easier for us as a brand to source our products from Portugal with their high quality, lower costs, shorter lead times, and good working conditions. However, we are a British brand and if we don’t support British knitters, sewing factories, dye houses, printing and embroidery plants, wash houses, yarn and thread suppliers, who will? Nobody!
Our business isn’t built on selling the cheapest t-shirt, or the highest quality t-shirt at the lowest price, a low price means something has been neglected and usually it means paying low wages and low prices to farmers. It doesn’t have to be that way, we are selling the highest quality which will last longer at a fair price.
GF: Cotton has had a mixed press recently. You mention sustainability - how do you ensure that your materials and products are sustainable?
KM: Sourcing the right cotton from the right places - our products are all produced using the finest Supima cotton.
Supima’s family of cotton growers are in the vanguard of innovation using and developing some of the most technologically advanced agricultural processes available. The farming practices employed set environmental and ethical standards for cotton around the world. The soil is the farmers’ productive capital, so great effort is made to maintain its fertility and increase its productivity.
Farmers work hard to minimize inputs while maximizing crop yield. Examples of this include using laser levelled fields to maximise water efficiency, drip irrigation which feed directly to the plant only, annual rotations to help keep the soil nutrient levels in balance, using GPS guided tractors that keep the wheels on the same path as prior passes, etc.
GF: How do you see the future of the brand?
KM: Positive, we will continue to grow the range of jersey garments, and eventually expand into British knitwear and outerwear, and continue to deliver on our social and environmental goals.
For further information or to view the full CWT collections, please visit www.cwtstore.com
For further information or to view the full CWT collections, please visit www.cwtstore.com
I was sent a grey marl t-shirt to try. Well-made from quality cotton, it's an ideal basic garment.
