Every year we continue to exist, it’s a surprise. I wouldn’t say we’re stressed about it, and I don’t think we have unrealistic expectations. The only reason the shop is open is because it’s a nice place, and we get to be ourselves. I did have an office job once that was totally soul-destroying. I wouldn’t like to wake up in the morning and dread going to work The UK’s textile manufacturing industry has seen a steady decline since the 1970s. Between 1979 and 2013, output fell by 64.7% and the number of people employed fell from 851,000 to 85,000. According to the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute, manufacturing in the UK has entered a new phase of decline; despite the creation of jobs, output growth since 2011 has been negligible. I was a typical lad in school, part of the rugby team and the swimming team, but then I’d go home and read . I would have loved to study fashion, but my dad really wanted me to do law. So I compromised and got a part-time job at Selfridges in Manchester while I was studying for my degree. That’s when I started to look at how garments were made. Even some of the big British brands were being made in China, and basically glued together. When I graduated, I decided to start my own business. I had no contacts, no background in manufacturing, nothing.
