Peregrine Clothing is redefining sustainable fashion by proving that producing locally can be both environmentally responsible and commercially viable. The Bristol-based brand manufactures 97% of its collection in the UK, using British wool sourced within a 300-mile radius from farms to mills to factories. Managing director Tom Glover, the eighth-generation member of his family’s textile business, argues this approach reduces carbon footprints while enabling superior quality control that offshore production cannot match.
Revival of British Wool Industry
Once abandoned by manufacturers fleeing to cheaper labor markets, British wool is experiencing a renaissance. Auction prices recently hit a nine-year high, driven partly by the Campaign for Wool—an initiative by King Charles III—and growing consumer demand for traceable, regenerative materials. Peregrine exemplifies this shift, with plans to expand its regeneratively farmed wool collections while maintaining commercial viability at scale.
Navigating Commercial Realities
The economics of UK production remain challenging. Peregrine absorbed Trump-era tariffs rather than passing costs to retailers, while managing unpredictable wholesale volumes alongside its growing direct-to-consumer channel. Despite these pressures, the brand has grown exports by 27% over three years, earning a King’s Award for Enterprise. Glover advocates for government co-investment in textile infrastructure—vertical factories and large-scale processing facilities—to make domestic manufacturing profitable again. Without systemic support, scaling place-based fashion remains an uphill battle for smaller brands committed to keeping production home.