Started in 1837, and one of Great Britain’s last remaining vertical woolen mills, Moon has a long and rich company history. Located just north of Leeds, the company was founded the same year Queen Victoria ascended to the throne. Being vertically integrated means the mill completes all processes of cloth production on site. Beginning with raw wool and through the stages of dyeing, blending, carding, spinning, warping, weaving, scouring, milling, and finishing, Moon controls each process in their own facility. The result is consistently high quality cloth, with colors that are uniquely Moon’s due to their special dye processes.

Looking through company archives is a fascinating exercise, as design and pattern books which date back to the early part of the Twentieth Century tell a story in themselves. Fashion fabrics from 1900 to 1913 gradually give way to army shirting, trouserings and greatcoat cloths from 1914 during the War era, which in turn are replaced by the emerging fashions of the 20s. Today, designers use the old pattern books for inspiration with new designs and the re-creation of vintage looks. Over the decades Moon has maintained it’s focus on quality, even with the onset of man made fabrics in the 1990s that challenged the wool industry, and indeed caused many mills to go out of business. Instead Moon continued took advantage of their ability to manufacture for the luxury market and didn’t compromise on quality.

See more information about the mill here.