The rise of British farm-to-fashion: 3 Companies spearheading the return to local production

In a fashion landscape defined by increasingly complex supply chains and globalised tensions, the UK’s ‘farm to fashion’ movement has emerged as a stabilising presence. Such setups are not exactly new in the way of localisation, yet the format is being revived and modernised alongside a cross-industry call for a return to “Britishness”.

Many of these systems are rooted in the heritage and indigenous nature of certain textiles in the UK. Materials like leather, wool and flax have long been associated with the country. However, as industrialisation and globalisation took hold, they lost their status to cheaper, more scalable imports.

Now, in the wake of geopolitical shifts, agricultural challenges, and a broadening desire for transparency, fashion brands seem to be turning inwards in their pursuit of a viable textile supply and production process. In addition, fresher labels have emerged as captains of this movement, operating entire ecosystems that are wholly based inland and, often, just a stone’s throw away from where their products are finalised.

Many of these companies are built by one individual or a small team who have ingrained traceability into their framework from the outset. They therefore serve as examples of moving beyond industrialised systems and globalised supply chains, and returning to a homegrown approach to creation.

What has unfolded is a movement focused on rebuilding regional fibre and craft networks; taking the consumer from soil to garment, preserving heritage crafts, boosting rural economics, and cutting down the carbon footprint typically associated with clothing production. Here are some companies leading the way.

Herd: “The ‘grow to wear’ movement offers genuine connection in an increasingly fast-paced world…”

Self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur Ruth Alice Rands had a vision for a brand that not only produced high-quality knitwear, but also prioritised local production methods. She was specifically drawn to the intricacies of British wool and its long-spanning history, and embarked on a journey to source wearable local yarn. It was the wool of the native Bluefaced Leicester sheep she landed on, having identified the material for its power to soften blends.

Merging an ability to knit with a passion for provenance, Rands then established Herd in 2020. The company’s wool is sourced from over 40 sheep farmers across the North of England before it’s transferred to factories in Yorkshire less than 50 miles away. “It is a more lengthy and costly process but this uncompromising attention to detail shows in the hand-feel of our knitwear and tweed,” Rand told FashionUnited. “Not only does this mean we can consistently offer the finest British yarn, we also pay farmers directly, guaranteeing them a fair rate every year.”

Rands had initially started out in yarn wholesale, supplying brands like Sunspel and Toast. This division was then halted in 2022 when momentum for Herd’s own knitwear took off. The company has since expanded into leather, cotton and linen, and for its latest SS26 collection has included localised details like lace and buttons from the last remaining UK suppliers for these products. Rands’ philosophy extends into all aspects of the business, including colouring yarn with plant dye, a process that has been scaled with a Yorkshire-based factory.

To Rands, the farm-to-fashion movement–akin to farm-to-table movement–celebrates provenance and natural philosophies that work with nature’s abundance and support personal and worldly wellness. “Our customers love knowing the details, from the characteristics of the breed to the methodology of our plant dyeing, which makes the finished pieces so special and timeless,” Rands said. “The ‘grow to wear’ movement offers genuine connection in an increasingly fast-paced world, and insights into the pre-digital worlds of farming, manufacturing and craft, an increasingly necessary balm of our times.”

Billy Tannery: “Customers are bored of empty sustainability statements, we’re focused on showing the whole process…”

Billy Tannery was founded in 2016 by Jack Millington, who returned to the Midlands after a stint in London in pursuit of a more hands-on lifestyle. He set out to find a solution for waste from the food industry while also addressing the decline in British leather. What emerged was the establishment of a small-batch tannery, which had at first focused on the production of handmade goat leather goods, before expanding into deer leather and bespoke hospitality products.

The farm answers the question of what happens to animals that may not make it through the food chain. Male goats born on a dairy farm, for example, were often killed straight after birth before meat companies stepped in, while numerous deer were being culled each year to prevent damage to native ecosystems, yet their skins were going to waste. Millington tapped into the UK’s centuries-old leather knowledge to provide an alternative to this waste, and sought to challenge misconceptions surrounding leather by setting up a framework for bringing production methods closer to home.

According to the company, all leather is sourced as a food by-product and tanned using bark extracts in the UK, creating products that embrace natural variations and are therefore free from plastic coatings and pigments. Products, most of which are bags, backpacks and accessories, are made with two artisanal workshops in Somerset and Leicestershire and typically consist of clean lines and seasonless designs.

Millington said: “At Billy Tannery, connecting the dots in our entire supply chain - from the source to our farm micro-tannery and workshops, and directly to customers - is all about trust and transparency. Customers are bored of empty sustainability statements so instead we’re focused on showing the whole process as honestly as possible. Our small-batch methods are less about scarcity and more about total oversight. Our customers want to feel connected to the British countryside and we want our leather to be the medium. Scars and all.”

Glencroft: “It’s essential our customers understand they are paying for a product that is better made because it’s entirely traceable…”

Family business Glencroft has specialised in classic countrywear since 1987, and has used 100 percent British wool for all of its knit products throughout its lifespan. As the business grew, the team–consisting of founders, husband and wife duo Richard and Justina Sexton and their son Edward Sexton–began to question how to incorporate wool from sheep within Clapham–their corner of Yorkshire–and in turn support farmers looking to broaden their scope.

In 2021, Glencroft began expanding with its own wool, starting with the minimum commercial quantity of 500 kilograms. After partnering with the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the project took off, resulting in what is now known as Clapdale Wool. The initiative sources fleeces from seven local farmers, many of whom Edward grew up with at the local school and now own local breeds like Dalesbred and Texel, which are not traditionally associated with knitting wool.

“The global supply chain is efficient but it has caused consumers to lose touch with where their products actually come from,” Edward Sexton said. “As a small family business, we can’t compete on price with massive brands manufacturing overseas. But while these brands pay lip service to sustainability, it creates an opportunity for smaller brands like us to use our local connections, and in our case our proximity to Yorkshire - one of the oldest wool processing areas in the world.”

Clapdale uses wool with little monetary value to create premium, traceable products, each made within a local supply chain network. In 2022, the company sourced three tones of wool to make mixed-breed yarn for limited edition knitwear or to weave into tweed products. Farmers were then paid a premium of at least one pound per kilo to cover their shearing costs, and a further 10 percent share of profits. While Clapdale recognised the challenge of processing and selling through this amount of wool, the company said it was looking forward to sourcing more in summer 2026.

Sexton added: “For a small business making premium knitwear, it’s essential that our customers understand they are paying for a product that lasts longer and is made better because it is entirely traceable. There is absolutely no disconnect between our brand, the fibres, and the people involved from the beginning to end. I can even take you into the fields next to our office and show you which sheep our jumpers are made from.”