The Brora Philosophy
Ethical trading and environmental issues have thankfully become a very big focus for retailers with more and more pressure from the consumer to abide by a certain code of conduct. For us at Brora “ethical” has never been an optional extra; it has been the natural core value of the business since we started fifteen years ago.
We have always been a “buy British” business, the key element being that all our cashmere is made in the Scotland to the highest possible standards. We have supported small craftsmen and large British manufacturers building outstanding relationships with our suppliers and we work very closely to continue to offer the customer value and quality without compromising our integrity. Where we do make abroad, it is because that region specializes in that particular product e.g. most of our shoes and boots are made in Spain.
People stay at Brora for a long time; there is a real feeling of friendship and support. We are socially responsible to our employees who are cared for & nurtured; the company is run in a very personal & democratic way. This extends to the customer who becomes a friend and like good friends there is a relationship built on trust, honesty and willingness.
We have always been passionate about “made in Britain” and supporting British industry. Brora was the child of Hunters of Brora, the oldest tweed mill in the Highlands of Scotland, sadly no longer trading due to pressure from abroad. In fact over the past fifteen years we have watched one mill after another closing shop due to the same problems. More and more retailers have moved their supply to the Far East in order to be “cheaper” than their neighbour and increase their margins.
At Brora we have the opportunity to be different. For a start, the company is 100% privately owned so there are no shareholders breathing down our necks asking for larger profits. We are still small enough to personally deal with all of our suppliers visiting them regularly and involving them in the journey of the finished product. They love receiving our brochures and seeing what they have made on the models; there is a real sense of pride. We have wonderful relationships with our suppliers on the Shetland Isles, in the Borders, the Highlands of Scotland and the Yorkshire dales as well as the seamstresses in our small British workrooms. Many have been working in the same factories for generations and take extraordinary pride in their work.
Brora is not about fast fashion. We produce beautifully made often timeless pieces from quality cloth and yarn that will last; we like the idea of buying less and making sure that what you do buy is very special. Brora should be passed on and enjoyed by more than one generation and it is a luxury that we would like more people to be able to enjoy. Once converted to Brora, it is hard not to get addicted!
Where do we source our cashmere?
Sourcing cashmere fibre is a long and intricate process, and of course ethics are part of our approach. From the beginning our cashmere products have been made in the same mill in the Scottish Borders. They are acutely aware of the need to have a sustainable supply of fibres and have been dealing with the same suppliers for over two decades.
Fibre is sourced from goats living in the high, dry plateaux surrounding the Gobi Desert which stretches from Northern China into Mongolia. The herdsmen in this region are committed to quality and their goats produce the best cashmere fibre. The animals are combed by the herdsman and often his family, usually between April and May. The winter season there is very cold, in fact, the colder the winter the better the harvest, and thus the “coats” cannot be removed from the goats until the climate is warmer. The herdsmen are paid a fair price, usually more than they would get from internal Chinese sources, because only by paying a premium do we obtain consistent quality.
Ownership of the land tends to belong to the commune and there is not generally a clash between the need for food and fibre. Older goats are culled season to season and provide meat during the winter but this is the same as in any farm situation. The combing process is not painful and no harm whatsoever comes to the animals, they are corralled in the milder weather and the occasion is one of family involvement.
However, we are concerned that the increase in demand for cashmere has led to, in some areas, overgrazing of the land. This is not good for anyone and the mill has been working with the Chinese to prevent over production and unsustainable use of land – both of which not only are bad for the economy but which can also produce less than the most desirable of fibres.
Why is our cashmere different?
We only use the longer fibres; the shorter cashmere and the less pristine coloured are then usually bought by internal Chinese, often for use in lower grade jumpers that you will find in supermarket outlets. As far as pricing goes the mill pays one year in advance, and are paying, like other top quality European producers, the highest prices. Our knitwear cannot be imitated cheaply not only because of the quality of the fibres but just as importantly because of the unique dye blends that go into each colour. This is a real art; often as many as six or seven shades are blended together to produce one of Brora’s unique colours. This can create a slightly marled effect which gives the Brora knitwear depth and intensity that is hard to equal.
When you buy a cashmere jumper made in China, you are buying something produced for the mass-market, generally in a neutral flat shade and not designed to stand the test of time. Our factory in Scotland has been honing its skills for over 200 years and a jumper from Brora is an artisan product with longevity. Also the actual design of the pieces, the use of quirky buttons and trimmings, the perfect shapes, textures and styles add together to make Brora cashmere stand out in the crowd.
Our Scottish factories
The mill that makes our cashmere was established over 200 years ago and has been employing local Scottish families for generations. They have two mills, one in the North of Scotland for dyeing, spinning and weaving, the other in the Borders for knitwear. We visit the factories monthly and have worked closely with them for 15 years. We account for 20% of their turnover; other customers include the very best in the luxury world; Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Burberry as well as fashion newcomers like Christopher Kane.
There is a great sense of community and of belonging to an established mill. So many mills in Scotland have sadly been closed in recent years due to British brands moving manufacturing abroad so they can increase margins and thus profits. We feel proud that at Brora we help to keep some of these old establishments in business where the staff are happy, fulfilled and well looked after.
Made in the UK
We make all our cashmere and the majority of our clothing in the UK; a rare situation in this day and age. We have soft jersey cotton T-shirts made in the UK, our dresses and skirts made in the East End of London in workrooms full of wonderful, skilled English seamstresses. In the winter months we buy tweed and wool from various Scottish and Yorkshire mills. We have been successfully incorporating many beautiful Liberty prints in our recent collections, another old established British brand.
Due to our UK supply, our margins are probably the lowest in the business and our profits considerably smaller than most. However, Brora is privately owned and making a vast profit is a very small consideration. The business is a lifestyle choice as much as anything. It is also about creating a beautiful product, made with great care on British soil, working with some of the oldest mills in the UK who have the same work ethic.
Where and when do we source abroad?
We want to bring the best products of the highest quality to our customers. To that end, a very small percentage of Brora designs are not made in the UK. When we do source abroad, it is because we believe that these countries are particularly experienced and very good at producing certain items. However, all our suppliers have to comply with our code of conduct. We communicate to all of them our expectations and high standards in the areas of health, safety, worker welfare and the environment.
For example, we buy shoes from the oldest family run shoe factory in Spain, we buy belts and bags from Argentina that are hand made by skilled craftsmen in and around Buenos Aires, and we buy silk from Italian mills, often small family run businesses. We are also sourcing our first lines in organic cotton from overseas. In all cases we rely on the craftsmanship and the traditional methods of production of our manufacturers.
We believe in timeless pieces of exceptional quality that last
Every year, in the UK about 1.2 million tonnes of clothing end up in a landfill according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA, 2006). We at Brora believe that people should think about buying fewer but more timeless items of exceptional quality that last – and that can be enjoyed by more than one generation. Brora is about giving the customer a quality product they wear with pride for many years to come.
The price of cashmere results both from the scarcity of the fibre and the handwork required to convert that fibre into a luxurious garment. So rare is the product that the cashmere from each single goat might make one scarf; a jumper can use 5.5 km (3.5 miles) of cashmere yarn, two to three goats annual offering.
Brora cashmere is usually knitted on hand-operated machines. Each jumper undergoes approximately 50 processes before even reaching the final QC stage. This careful and thorough processing in experienced factories combined with a little respect from the consumer (gentle hand wash in warm water with a mild soap) should guarantee that you can enjoy Brora cashmere for many years to come.
Our team
Many Brora employees have been in the company for years; some have been here since we started in 1993. People new to Brora always comment on the family atmosphere; we celebrate everyone's birthdays, commiserate over personal grievances, support each other in our work roles and make friends for life. We have recently moved the business out of London to larger and more environmentally friendly offices in Stevenage and have been able to take the majority of our staff with us. In many ways it is the start of a new era and we are full of optimism for the future of Brora.