Pudsey mill plays a part in Oscar glory

Fabric is the foundation on which A W Hainsworth has evolved and developed down the decades since Abimelech, ‘Old Bim’ Hainsworth, began his clothiers business in 1783 at the entrepreneurial age of 14.

The seventh-generation of this family-owned firm are now steering it forward ensuring future generations can pick up the baton - but its success already speaks for itself.

Hainsworth’s premium woollen cloths are used for high-quality fashion apparel, costume design, academic uniforms and ceremonial military dress alongside cloth for fire PPE, piano felt, car headlining, cue sports and bakery belting.

But, perhaps, the greatest testimony to the Pudsey firm’s success is its patented production; The Queens Award for Enterprise and Innovation and the granting of the Royal Warrant to supply HM The Queen.

Prince Charles wore Hainsworth cloth when he married Lady Diana Spencer, and Princes William and Harry wore Hainsworth cloth when Prince William married Kate Middleton.

The company’s scarlet cloth is regularly seen on parade worn by the Queen’s Guards, and there is eager anticipation that Prince Harry could don his ceremonial uniform, created from Hainsworth’s cloth, for his wedding to Megan Markle in May.

More recently, the firm’s fabric recently came under the spotlight after A W Hainsworth worked with the props and costume department to provide a range of different cloths for use in last year’s critically acclaimed war film ‘Darkest Hour.’

The film is an account of Winston Churchill’s early days as Prime Minister. Hainsworth’s Baize Cedar can be seen in all scenes set in the Cabinet War Rooms where Gary Oldman, who clinched the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Churchill, attempts to convince his team that negotiation with the Nazis is not an option.

Examples of Hainsworth’s cloth can also be seen in costumes throughout the film, including the famous RAF Barathea, Grebe Grey Doeskin and Ren Khaki. Some of the film’s sets also feature Hainsworth’s Minerva Blue and Para Maroon Doeskins and taupe Broadcloth.

Julie Greenough, marketing manager at A W Hainsworth, says the firm’s involvement in Royal occasions and high profile assignments such as supplying fabric to films are testimony to the quality of the productions and the desire for genuine heritage.

“It is great the fact that they come back to us, they are true heritage fabrics we are actually providing,” she says.

Julie explains A W Hainsworth were instrumental in producing the first British Khaki (meaning dust in Urdu) for the military.

For the film, the company supplied five different Khakis and Hainsworth’s long-standing customer, Savile Row tailors, Henry Poole, created the outfits.

“Being involved with Darkest Hour is a huge honour, and it’s so exciting to have our different types of cloth featured in a film that depicts some of the most pivotal events in British history,” says Julie.

“Our credentials in military, traditional and royal apparel are unrivalled, and it’s fantastic to be associated with a project that fits so well with our 230 year heritage and absolutely represents the very best of British.”

A W Hainsworth are, of course, no stranger to appearing on the small or Big Screen. As well as their role in Darkest Hour, the firm has also supplied materials for costumes in blockbuster films including the Harry Potter series, Titanic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mission Impossible 3 and Grand Budapest Hotel which won the Best Costume Design Oscar.

The company also had a starring role on BBC Four’s documentary series ‘A Stitch in Time’ presented by fashion historian and author, Amber Butchart. Focusing on Dutch painter, Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini portrait, the presenter is shown the processes wool goes through to create the broadcloth used to make the Arnolfini gown.

Due to the demise of Bradford’s textile industry over the years, a city once cloaked in smog from the mills where workplaces were throng with folk contributing to the then thriving textile economy, there may be the perception that textiles no longer have a presence around these parts.

But, according to Julie, the industry is very much ‘alive and kicking.’ It has certainly seen a resurgence and there are other positive signs too, such as The Textile Academy, born out of a £31,000 investment from the Textile Growth Fund which is being developed by Leeds City College (Keighley Campus) to tackle the skills shortage within the industry.

So it is fitting for a local firm, located not so far away from Bradford, the one-time wool capital of the world, to have such a high profile on the small and Big screen.

Testimony to A W Hainsworth’s success is the craftsmen who are creating the fabrics whose work, Julie says, is also recognised through such high profile assignments.

While the workforce won’t often get to see the fruits of their labours, seeing the fabric they have worked on brought to life in costumes for films such as Darkest Hour introduces them to a wider audience - including family and friends.

Tom Hainsworth, the company’s managing director, says: “The teams in the mill work extremely hard to ensure that the cloth we manufacture meets the high standard expected by the company and our customers, they often don’t get to see the results of their work so high profile projects are a fantastic moral boost where they can really understand and appreciate what it is that they are a part of.

“It’s easy for anyone that is producing a product to simply focus on their own part however public projects allow workers from every department to really see the bigger picture and take pride in the results of their specialised input.”

Tom also expresses his pride at the high profile assignments they work on. “The royal connections and high profile assignments make me and the company immensely proud.

“I am the Seventh generation of the Hainsworth family to work in the company and to know that it is still going from strength to strength, carrying the family legacy forwards is hugely satisfying.

“As a family company our long term goal is to make sure the business is still there to hand down to future generations and projects like these definitely let us know we are on the right track.”

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