A small weaving company is proving how successful textiles manufacture can still be, despite fierce competition, especially from abroad. One of Ezra T Lee's latest coups is an order for scarves, from top British fashion designer Paul Smith, which have been seen on catwalk stages across the world. T&A Reporter CLIVE WHITE reports.

The glamorous of the catwalk is a far cry from the world of a small West Yorkshire textiles firm.

But, as models strutted their stuff from New York to Tokyo earlier this year for top British fashion designer Paul Smith, a Keighley company's team of 32 staff were grinning with pride.

For those university-style scarves worn by the models were made at Ezra T Lee.

The order was won by sister division Filaspun, which works out of the same building in Parkwood Street.

The designer scarves - in Yorkshire woollen stripes on one side and silk on the other - are from the firm's designer accessory range.

Smith will sell the scarves - the women's containing the colourful swirl pattern seen on his range of shoes - for a minimum of £85.

Sales director Carole Barr, who has charge of Filaspun, the company she took with her from Bradford to join divisional boss Tony Lee, said: "We were recommended for the job by one of our customers.

"Paul Smith's people came up to see us from Nottingham, where they are based, with the designs and the colours - they included lime green and chocolate.

"We then worked from those diagrams to produce the end result. The scarves were very labour-intensive. A machine can't do it - the manufacture is a very delicate job. We were very pleased with the result.

"At first, production samples were shown on the catwalk in the spring.

"And then 2,500 were ordered and successfully completed in September, ready to go into the autumn range."

The company was set up in 2000 after Mr Lee sold his label-making company, HH Colman of Keighley, which had a turnover of £26 million.

The Swedish firm which bought the company decided to discard the neck tie and dress fabric element.

"He was upset by the redundancies and decided to re-launch and diversify," said Mrs Barr. And it was the decision to broaden the product range and bring Filaspun on board which helped the company succeed.

It produces fabric worn by brides and the clergy and materials which go into theatrical costumes.

Material is woven for cashmere stoles, scarves and pashminas and for accoutrements for uniforms, such as epaulettes. It produces woven badges, garment labels and material for leisurewear such as polo shirts, fleeces and T-shirts.

At the heart of the company's success is its ability to meet the design needs of customers.

"We have such a talented team here both on the technical and artistic side," said Mrs Barr. "Everyone is absolutely one hundred per cent for the company. We are really a team.

"We train people on the machines and we even have a young man training to be a machinist, which is great.

"We have a good time; we're a bit like a soap opera here - there is always something happening."

Spearheading the design element are three women - artist Lesley Blisset and Louise Waddington-Ingham and Emma Goddard, whose skills on the computer enable the designs to be transferred to the looms.

They are there to help the customer make the product unique, Mrs Barr said. "We ask customers to come in and talk to us and then sit with the design team to explore exactly what they want."

They were recently approached by the Variety Club of Great Britain about producing ties after they heard about the work the company had done for the rugby-based organisation, the Wooden Spoon Society. The foundation was set up two years ago to help financially disadvantaged youngsters pay for sports equipment, coaching and travel.

The company has also just completed a tie manufacture commission for Yorkshire personality and former cricket umpire Dickie Bird.

Mrs Barr has also secured an order for "corporate" ties for the USS warship Nimitz Association, which will be winging its way to the Falkland Islands where the ship is based.

A tie and badge have also been ordered by the Bermuda College on the island of Bermuda.

A commission the company has had for some years has been to produce the English Olympic team ties.

And one of the most recent jobs was for the Bradford Kashmir Trust which involved weaving a special ribbon to mark a year since the earthquake which killed 80,000 people.

The ribbon, which has the words "Threads of Life" in English and Urdu woven through the fabric, will sell for £5.

A batch of ties with the ribbon woven through the fabric and ten pashmina shawls are also being produced to help swell the earthquake fund.

e-mail: clive.white@bradford.newsquest.co.uk