LOU DALTON X JOHN SMEDLEY
Lou Dalton left school at 16 to start an apprenticeship at Pardie Clothing in 1989 where she worked as a Bespoke Menswear tailor, before returning to education in 1996- studying at the Royal College of Art. Whilst studying for a ‘Master of Arts’, Lou simultaneously worked at Charlie Allen as a Design assistant.
Lou left College in 1998; she earned a distinction but more than this she gained a vision of how she wanted to impose herself on the menswear
fashion scene and ten years later founded her own fashion company Lou Dalton Menswear where today she is still very much hands on in her role as creative director. She creates contemporary designs for Outerwear, Knitwear, Shirts, Trousers, Sweatshirts, T-shirts and Accessories. Taking inspiration from her father and partner in conjunction with a devotion to premium materials Lou is able to create beautifully unique styles that are made from the most innovative materials.
Lou Dalton x John Smedley
Lou Dalton has always had attentiveness to quality and specifically quality materials- therefore she innately kept a keen eye on John Smedley’s latest garments. John Smedley’s design team are also avid fans of Lou’s work- having an affinity for her contemporary designs. Naturally, therefore both parties were thrilled when in April 2016 the chance transpired to collaborate on a piece together for the AW16 season.
The original collaboration piece, featuring a map pattern, was designed by Lou- however she was very open to any opinions or thoughts that were put forward by our design team out of respect for their knowledge and expertise. The mutual respect for each other’s work opened up a natural gateway for communication throughout the design and manufacturing process; this was particularly important as the garment was produced at our Lea Mills site in Matlock, Derbyshire.
AW16 brings a second collaboration from Lou Dalton x John Smedley – after the highly successful Map pullover was released in June 2016…
This time around the collaboration collection from Lou Dalton x John Smedley has produced a style that is crafted from Merino, Mohair and Silk with all Merino trims to establish a look that feels as good as it looks.
The definitive characteristic of this garment is the Daub pattern that features throughout the garment.
This style is available to purchase in three new, exciting colourways:
Lou Dalton x John Smedley Pullover – White / Navy
Lou Dalton x John Smedley Pullover – White / Grey
Lou Dalton x John Smedley Pullover – White / Mix
The garement was produced at our Lea Mills home, in Derbyshire and personifies exactly what a collaboration should look like.
Regular and strenuous quality control checks are a standard procedure for any John Smedley garment but this collaborative piece was checked vigorously, due in part to its map pattern that features all over the garment. It was crucial that the pattern met John Smedley’s quality standards and that aesthetically it met Lou’s innovational expectations. Feedback is something that was incremental to achieving the finalised pieces: frequent conversations took place between our design team and Lou to ensure that any obstacles or quality problems could be overcome.
After a period spent perfecting the process of production, the garment was finalised. The outcome?
A collaboration that does just that- culminating everything that John Smedley stands for: quality and craftsmanship, with everything that Lou Dalton’s contemporary design exudes.
The Lou Dalton x John Smedley garment is exclusively available in the Grey and Orange colour way. The garment is available to buy from our Brook St and Jermyn St Stores, our website and at www.loudalton.com
With developed Lou Dalton and John Smedley collaboration designs planned for SS17, exciting times lay ahead for British knitwear.
