Hello all, Alex here, LANX Warehouse & Shop Manager and now Chief Blog Post creator. I am a man of many talents, so says my Mrs!
Welcome to the second instalment of "Proper People by LANX". Incase you missed our first article, this blog is our way of spreading a little wholesomeness in the form of a virtual pat on the back to some local brands and people who we believe you need to know more about.
Our blog this week will be about the textile company, British Millerain. For those of you who are not sure who/what British Millerain is/are, they are a textile company now based in Rochdale, Lancashire who are the original manufacturer of waxed cotton from all the way back in 1880. This is a great material to use for apparel and clothing accessories, as its waterproof properties allowed companies to produce clothing suitable from the rigours of life in the armed forces to the demands of country pursuits – sort of a 19th Century spin on our slogan “for the boardroom to the bar”!
In fact, Millerain patented their material globally all the way back in 1890, as well as their first rainproof-finished materials four years later. This rainproof material was perfect for outdoor use as it was very practical, so much so that it was adopted by India’s military forces who used British Millerain on the front lines. A 1897 copy of the newspaper ‘Times of India’ wrote:
“The Government of India have sanctioned the use of Millerain Khaki Drill… For the use of troops who in all probability will be ordered to the front.”
The last Century of British Millerain’s heritage has seen ownership passed down through the Miller family, and under this new directorship have undergone the acquisition of other textile mills and printing companies to further progress themselves into the 20th and 21st Centuries. The 80’s saw the acquisition of Dux Willesden in Salford and Francis Webster and Sons Ltd, improving their finishing quality and strengthening their textile capabilities. Add to that their procurement of other high performance fabric textile mills and dyeing facilities in the 90’s and 2000’s, and the addition of in-house digital printing in 2014, Millerain now have an excellent balance of old and new technology under their belt further strengthening their family principle: “We strive to bring new products to the market based on both our old and new technologies.”
We loved the fact that they have a deep heritage in and around the North of England, and the fact that they still produce high quality materials keeping the textile industry alive in Lancashire and neighbouring counties was all the persuasion we needed to grab a few samples of their waxed cotton and sketch up a few collab shoe ideas of our own (something for later in the year!). British Millerain have gone on to be recognised as a world leader in specialist textiles for outerwear, and have even won a Drapers Award in 2016 for Fashion Supplier of the Year for their work with over 800 brands including Barbour, The North Face, Belstaff, and Filson.
One great thing about creating this list of Proper People is that it gives all of you reading this new catalogue of brands to add into your rotation, and hopefully this blog piece itself will give you a greater appreciation of British manufactured clothing that you may have hanging in your wardrobe as we speak. It is also a great way for us to discuss some companies or brands that we are working alongside and give you a sneak peek into what is to be expected in our future releases.
To read more articles from our Proper People blog please click here. If you have any ideas of any people or brands who you believe are ‘proper’, then please feel free to email me via hello@lanxshoes.com.
Thanks for reading.
Alex Jackson - Warehouse & Shop Manager
