Taken from the extensive Sunspel archive, October have produced this bizarre print, depicting a robot riding an octopus – it makes for an interesting twist on their classic loopback sweatshirt. Originating from a 1960 letter which states ‘we know something about the art of attracting attention’…which indeed they do…
Sunspel Q14 ‘Cellular’ Fabric
Sunspel is one of England’s oldest labels in luxury underwear and casual basics. With a history that dates back to 1860, it’s fair to say our evolution from major textile manufacturer to specialist makers of beautifully engineered clothes has been dramatic. Today, we’re creating something new and modern from six generations of textile innovation and old school tradition. And it’s this unconventional connection between past and future that allows us to create Sunspel’s unique aesthetic.
Our focus is to evolve and improve with new collections and new fabrics. We’re already building on an archive of iconic garments. Under the direction of British designer, Jonathan Anderson, we’re refining our hero products; making them feel current but also making the most of our patented technical fabrics, streamlining the fit and using our painstaking methods of fastidious craftsmanship. A classic mix of art and science.
Our design approach is based on a traditional principle of ‘review and refine’. That much editing over so many years has led Sunspel to somewhere special. Unlike most clothing brands, our first concern is not how our clothes will look but how we can make them better. We begin with fabrication. After that it’s about the quality of the design, the fit and the make-up; so that anyone investing in a Sunspel garment knows they’re investing in an item of real value that will last and last. It’s about bringing a luxury mindset to well-crafted clothes that can and should be worn every day.
Our factory is based in Long Eaton, Nottingham. We’re one of the few labels to have retained the skills and capability to hand cut and sew many of our clothes here in England. When we require technical expertise to produce more of our products to our precise quality specification, we develop relationships with expert partners around the world to help us. That said, we have big plans for a renaissance of textile industrial know-how here in Long Eaton.
We make our clothes for independent thinkers. Men and women who are fashion savvy but never slaves to tendencies. Always with an understated style, our collections are defined by sleek silhouettes, meticulous detailing and a patented mix of engineered fabrics that maintain their form no matter how often they’re worn.
We describe Sunspel as a three way love affair between laid back luxury, edited simplicity and a desire to keep breaking new ground in garment and textile production. We make clothes that are engineered to fit. We do this by eliminating the unnecessary and perfecting the essentials. Some might call this a design philosophy. We call it having meticulously high standards.
More than anything, we love the idea of transforming basic wardrobe staples into clothes that don’t just look good, but feel good.
