2007-08 Clothkits baby dress, red with bird print

Clothkits is an English

clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...

company, originally based in Lewes, East Sussex. Founded as a

mail order Mail order is the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote methods such as: * Sending an order form in the mail * Placing a telephone call * Placing ...

business by Anne Kennedy in 1969 and sold in 1988, Clothkits at one stage employed 400 workers and had 7 shops. The name continued to be used for a short time after the takeover of the company by

Freemans Freemans is a British online and catalogue clothing retailer headquartered in Bradford, England. Freemans offers a range of products, predominantly clothing, footwear and homewares. History The company was founded as Freemans & Co in 1905 by ...

, a larger mail order catalogue business, and was discontinued in 1991. Clothkits specialized in selling pre-printed kit clothing for children and adults, with colorful prints designed under the guidance of

Janet Kennedy Janet Kennedy (c. 1480 – c. 1545), was a Scottish noble and the mistress of King James IV of Scotland. Life She was the eldest daughter of John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy and Lady Elizabeth Gordon. Through her father, she was a great-great-gran ...

. The kit would comprise a

pattern A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated li ...

printed onto the fabric so that it could be cut out and assembled without needing to pin a paper pattern. The kits were also notable for containing all the materials needed to complete the garment. The spare fabric around the pieces of the main pattern would often feature a

doll A doll is a model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and wood are foun ...

sized pattern for the same garment. As well as the printed kits, they sold ready-made clothing and coordinating knitted items such as jumpers and tights. After a period of hibernation, the Clothkits brand was bought in 2007 by artist Kay Mawer and the company relaunched in early 2008. Clothkits continue to produce kit clothing, also available pre-assembled, inspired by the original concept. Collaborations with contemporary artists and designers form the core of the business, and partnerships include with screen printer Jane Foster, papercut artist

Rob Ryan Robert Allen Ryan (born December 13, 1962) is an American football coach who is currently the senior defensive assistant for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). Ryan has served as a defensive coordinator or assistant co ...

and designers People Will Always Need Plates. Such kits have seen renewed interest due to concerns about the sustainability of ready-to-wear fast fashion.

References

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External links

* Sewing Clothing companies of the United Kingdom Companies based in East Sussex 1969 establishments in England English brands {{England-company-stub