A NEW retail textile business has moved into the award-winning Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley.

Aristocrat London, which specialises in polo shirts, t-shirts, hoodies and baseball caps, has moved into a studio at the 1912 Mill at the complex.

This is the latest in a raft of new lettings at Sunny Bank, the iconic mill where Yorkshire Television’s Emmerdale and Heartbeat were filmed.

Aristocrat London was founded by entrepreneur Mac Rai last year and was based in Leeds city centre, before moving to the mill this summer.

He said: “We are a British retail fashion brand, led by an innovative and ethical ethos. Our clothing range is made from organic cottons and is vegan, without using any animal testing.

“We are honoured to be based in a former worsted weaving mill in the heart of Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley. Our wonderful new premises encompass our showroom, design studios, photography studios, print studios and office. We keep everything in-house, so we can control the quality of our clothing range and create a well-respected label, and sell on-line across the world."

William Gaunt, co-managing director of Edwin Woodhouse, the owners of Sunny Bank Mills, explained: “We are delighted to welcome Mac Rai and Aristocrat London to Sunny Bank Mills. To us, this is a wonderfully symbolic move and a potent reminder of our history.

“We have a tremendous textile heritage, stretching back to the early nineteenth century. It was obviously a wrench to stop manufacturing textiles here, but we believe the success of our regenerated mill has put the beating heart back into the magnificent village of Farsley.”

Altogether there are now 75 companies with more than 350 employees working across the mill complex.