Behind the design
At John Smedley we use a collaborative approach to create new designs: we work as a team from start to finish. Classic design is the essence of John Smedley menswear and womenswear collections. And we encourage our designers to use a hands-on approach to realise their imagination.
They operate alongside the people who will translate design ideas into finished garments. From initial sketches to final pressing, the designers draw on the specialist knowledge and innovative technology available at Lea Mills. Each season our designers meld inspiration and imagination with the latest trends to create a unique collection of stylish knitwear.
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Seasonal Collections
For our Autumn Winter 2010 collections John Smedley gets personal. Both the men's and womenswear include classic styles and new designs to refresh your outlook. The emphasis this season is celebrating colour.
Womenswear
For Autumn/Winter 2010 the womenswear design team have combined tradition with today's style. From the beginning of the design process, colour palette was key, focusing on a variety of bright, soft and neutral colours. Silver and Coffee Berry are back for a second season, with Nude and Pale Pink appearing as softer shades. Classic Navy complements a new intense summer blue Pool and several fresh new greens are introduced, including a sherbet Lime. Banana is the brightest of bright yellows, with Apple a sharp vivid green. Soft Violet sits well against the new bright red shade Poppy. Pumice is a welcome addition to the women’s neutrals, with other soft feminine shades including Mint and Blush.
Menswear
This season, our menswear design team showcases the attention to detail and quality that characterises over 225 years of British craftsmanship and is the key to the brand’s enduring popularity. Enlivened by fresh new colours, global influences and key highlight pieces, this range can be a riot of colour, a sea of calm neutrality, or a combination of both. Like the most exciting travelling adventures, John Smedley has created a collection that is evocative, eclectic and memorable.
We've always been a design-led company. Our original designs were produced by mathematicians, engineers and knitters. Then an artist with a good eye for colour joined the company as a designer. With each new season's collection, our specially trained designers continue to reflect the John Smedley ethos.
Ever since we made the transition from underwear to outerwear, we've developed the range and quality of the colours we use in our knitwear. Innovative machinery means our designers can choose from consistent plain shades or subtle mixtures to realise their stylish seasonal collections
One of the features of clothes design in the twenties is that, to modern eyes, it isn't always easy to distinguish the purpose for which the outfit was designed - pyjamas? beachwear? party? - but the beauty cannot be denied
'A man should look as if he had bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care and then forgotten all about them.'
Hardy Amies
