## The History of Lavenham

Our founder, Mrs Elliot, created the world’s first nylon quilted horse rug. Horse rugs of the time were made from wool that was slow to dry and quick to perish. Mrs Elliot was driven to do things differently and wanted to create a hardwearing and durable item that would last for years to come. The horse rug was a hit and a nylon quilted gilet, the first of its kind, was soon to follow. Lavenham outerwear was originally designed to be worn whilst horse riding but has since surpassed this original purpose to become mainstays of the modern wardrobe thanks to their quality, practicality and understated appearance. Mrs Elliot’s commitment to creating ‘fit for purpose’ items continues to be the driving force of our brand and we pride ourselves on the traditional manufacturing techniques we employ and the high quality materials used across our collections.

## The Lavenham Factory

The Lavenham factory employs over 100 local skilled craftspeople and the entire manufacturing process takes place within our factory. All our fabric is quilted in house on one of our five quilting machines. The fabric is then cut into pattern pieces before making its way to the finishing floor where it is sewn into the final garment. Finally each piece is thoroughly inspected as part of our quality control before it is ready to make its way out and into the world.

## Being Better

Sticking to our Suffolk roots keeps us connected to the British countryside that’s ours to look after. It’s also our biggest inspiration: these people and this landscape are why we’re committed to Being Better, and living within the means of the planet. You can read more about where we’ve come from, and where we’re heading, [here](https://www.lavenhamjackets.com/gb/stories/lavenham-being-better "Lavenham Being Better ").

## Lavenster

The durable, water resistant polyester fabric we use to make the majority of our clothing - affectionately named ‘Lavenster’- is now 100% recycled and is made from post-consumer plastic bottles.

## Traditional Workwear Fabric

We work with traditional workwear fabrics such as cotton canvas, waxed cotton, corduroy and moleskin and source them predominantly from British fabric mills who are renowned for their quality, such as Temple Moyles of Manchester and Halley Stevensons of Scotland. Wool is another favourite fabric to quilt with and our wool classics utilise wool cloth sourced from Italy that affords a premium finish and even more warmth.

## Wadding

The wadding we use in our classic styles is a partially recycled polyester that locks in warmth whilst remaining lightweight.

## Design and Innovation

Lavenham quilting uses expert techniques to produce a textile that’s light but warm, and lends itself perfectly to the modern, layered wardrobe. Since 2018 our collections have been designed by Kazu Yokostuka. Kazuyuki YOKOTSUKA, studied at Central Saint Martins. Kazu (as he introduces himself) went on to work in London, designing for his own menswear brand and holding design roles at British brands including Fred Perry, and Margaret Howell. He currently lives in Tokyo with his family. You can read about what inspired Kazu’s latest collection [here](https://www.lavenhamjackets.com/gb/stories/in-conversation-with-kazu-yokotsuka-SS24 "S24: In Conversation with Kazu ").

## Lavenham Classics

The styles we are most known for we call our Classics. We have been making versions of them since the early 1970’s with subtle design updates along the way ensuring they suit the needs of the contemporary wearer. Our Classic Styles all feature 2” diamond quilting, cotton corduroy binding and our signature Lav Tab branding to the pocket.

## Collaborations

As experts in our field - quilted outerwear - brands, designers and artists often come to us with collaboration ideas. This began in 1993 with APC and since then we have come together with many like minded creators to form unique pieces that honour the ethos’ and creative vision of each party. You can shop our latest collaborations here.