Cloth merchants and weavers

Where does the fabric for your next tailored suit come from? Here we present traditional weaving mills and fabric dealers who have made a name for themselves with quality and standards. Come to one of our branches and convince yourself of the cloth collections of these suppliers by touching and looking at them.

Ariston Naples

The Italian weaving mill was founded by Fernando Imparato in 1920 – it is still managed today by the Imparato family, now in its fourth generation. Based on the outskirts of Naples, Ariston weaves all fabrics entirely in Italy. Unlike the big Italian competitors, the fabrics are made from new wool, mohair, silk, cashmere, cotton and linen in rather small editions. The Ariston collections are characterized by individuality, passion, competence and tradition.

Bateman Ogden

Bradford in the English county of Yorkshire was one of the country’s most important textile cities in the 19th century, along with Huddersfield and Halifax. The Bateman Ogden fabric trading company was founded there in 1881 and still offers only top-quality fabrics from English production today. His speciality, then and now, after more than 130 years: luxurious worsted fabrics for men’s suits and coats. Customers all over the world use Bateman Ogden’s fine materials.

Barberis

The first documented mention of the Vitale Barberis Canonico weaving mill dates back to 1663, and it has had its current company name since 1936. Located in Biella, the heart of Italian textile production, the company is one of the top Italian addresses for fabrics. Best quality in all areas is the motto – from the finest raw wool to the finished precious cloth. The focus is on classically elegant fabrics for day and evening wear. As one of the few fabric manufacturers, Barberis does not manufacture its own clothing.

Breanish Tweed

The small family business on the Isle of Lewis still weaves by hand on a loom that is more than 90 years old. The two weavers, who produce the fabrics alongside father and son, can look back on more than a hundred years of weaving experience. To weave a bolt of 60 meters, it takes them four days in the traditional way. You can see the quality of the noble fabrics: lambswool, shetland wool, cashmere and vicuna are woven into light tweeds that are loved all over the world.

Draper’s Italy

Not a weaver, but a fabric dealer: Drapers Italy specializes in exclusive fabrics for men. All materials are made from natural raw materials and come from renowned weavers in Italy and Great Britain, who manufacture the fabrics exclusively for Drapers Italy. The family business was founded in 1956 in the heart of Bologna by the experienced fabric dealer Arturo Lolli. Today his son Domenico runs the business in the new headquarters on the outskirts of Bologna.

Ermenegildo Zegna

It all started with fabrics – the family business now manufactures a huge range of products in the fashion segment. In 1910 Ermenegildo Zegna went into his father’s weaving workshop, called the company Lanificio Zegna and thus laid the foundation for the famous luxury brand. Men’s clothing has been offered since 1968, four years later tailored suits were added. When it comes to fabrics, Zegna has specialized in high-quality wool, mohair and cashmere, with the cashmere fabrics in particular being of outstanding quality.

Hardy Minnis

The brand was created in the late 1960s from the merger of the well-known English wool merchants J&J Minnis and John G. Hardy. The latter founded his company around 1890 in the capital of the British textile industry, Huddersfield, and is considered the first Englishman to make Scottish wool socially acceptable in the south. His specialty, Alsport tweed, inspired the royal family so much that the Guards Division wore his tweed from 1929 and the brand was soon allowed to bear the title of Purveyor to the Court.

Harrisons of Edinburgh

Sir George Harrison began his career as a tailor’s apprentice in Edinburgh before founding Harrisons of Edinburgh in 1863. Today, three other companies combine under the name: Porter & Harding, H Lesser and Lear, Browne & Dunsford. The head office is in Exeter, the heart of the English wool industry. As a result of the merger, there is a large selection: the high-quality range extends from elegant suit fabrics to rustic tweeds.

Holland & Sherry

The history of British fabric merchants Holland & Sherry dates back to 1836. It was then that George Holland and Frederick Sherry opened their first store on London’s Bond Street. Since 1982, the company’s headquarters have been located on Savile Row, the famous street of tailors; More than 20 fabric manufacturers are now united under their name. Wool and silk are their specialties, and in the search for ever finer qualities, Holland & Sherry also finds rarities such as Super 200 and Vikunja worsted fabrics.

John G Hardy

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Loro Piana

The northern Italian company Loro Piana holds the world record for the finest spun wool fiber. Every year they buy the “Record Bales”, the finest wool from Australia and New Zealand, in order to weave exquisite cloths. Founded near Biella in 1924, Loro Piana is today the world’s largest cashmere manufacturer and largest retailer of the finest wool. The range of fine vicuna fabrics is also outstanding. Clothing and accessories were added to the range in the 1990s. The company has belonged to the French luxury group LMVH since 2013.

Magee of Donegal

In 1866, John Magee opened a fabric shop in Donegal, Northern Ireland. There he sold the hand-woven tweeds that were made at home by local fishermen and farmers. From 1900 weavers were hired to produce the now classic materials: herringbone, salt and pepper looks – all dyed with vegetable dyes found in the Irish countryside and still used in production today. After the Second World War, Magee of Donegal also began manufacturing clothing.

Porter & Harding

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