Hello and thank you for showing some interest in Archie Foal.
Our beginnings
Est. 2010, Archie Foal began on a market stall run by two friends, Julian and Tessa.They wanted to provide an antidote to the overpriced and mass produced fast fashion of the High street and most 'luxury' brands. Originally the company only sold socks but has since grown into a full collection of contemporary and sustainable menswear and womenswear, employing the best of British and European craftsmanship and quality. Archie Foal now has two shops in Stoke Newington and Fulham.
Our brand mission
Since 2010, we have endeavoured to make excellent quality, stylish garments, whose eco-footprint is a small as possible. Sustainability in clothing may be a buzzword now, but it has always been in the roots of our company, and will continue to be for years to come. And, as our collection has grown we have been careful to balance quality materials with an ethical supply chain, whilst producing designs which we hope you will love for years to come. In fact, we suggest that if you can’t see yourself wearing and loving our products over the next ten years then you probably shouldn’t buy them.
Our inspiration comes from the beauty of Yorkshire’s Lake District, and this love of the land can be felt throughout all aspects of Archie Foal. The grey of the slate in the hills, the moss green which buries into the stone walls, and the deep reds and browns which make up the well trodden pathways, all team together to provide a rich colour palette. We aim to make clothes which are functional in these elements, but which feel and look amazing too. Our love of the land is what drives us to make our clothes as sustainable as we can, and, because we believe in sustainability so strongly, we aim to sell our clothes as close to where they are made as possible. As we have expanded our collection we have kept our suppliers of completely natural and biodegradable fabrics and fibres close to home. Our waxed cotton outerwear is produced in Wolverhampton, our flat cottons come from Todmorden and our lambswool is spun locally in limited runs in Yorkshire. We even use London based production for our tailoring.
Unlike a lot of High-Street and ‘luxury’ brands, we don’t believe in adding a huge brand tax to our products. Instead, our prices reflect a supply chain which is fairly paid and responsibly sourced. As it stands, textile production contributes more to climate change than all of international aviation and shipping combined; and it has always been our goal to be an antidote to this toxic process. That is why we push to keep our supply chain transparent, allowing us to monitor each step of the process, from farm to shop. This means that our customers can feel the quality and craftsmanship of our clothes by touching them, not just by looking at a brand label.
Over the last four decades our expectations as consumers have been systematically lowered by big brands who employ planned obsolescence in their design principle. We want to remain at the forefront in opposing this approach and make clothes which will grow with you, clothes which will only get better and more comfortable with each wear. At Archie Foal we want you to feel confident in buying less, but buying better.
