Ethical fashion brand brings job opportunities to Yorkshire

A sustainable clothing brand has created new jobs at its head office as part of its plan to expand operations.

Lucy & Yak, which is headquartered in Wombwell near Barnsley, has taken on seamstresses for its newly-launched ‘made in Britain’ range.

Currently the brand’s products are made in India by its tailoring partner Ismail and his team of 40 tailors, based in a factory that owners and founders Lucy Greenwood and Chris Renwick helped to build.

By launching its British-made line of clothing, Lucy & Yak hopes to source homegrown talent within Yorkshire as well as create sustainable and ethically made clothing and grow its business.

Co-founder of Lucy & Yak Lucy Greenwood explained: “From the start of our journey, it’s been crucial to us that all our staff - either at home here in Barnsley or at our factory in India - are paid fairly, and we felt so saddened to hear about some factories across the UK paying their workers as little as £3.50 per hour.

“When we decided to create a home-grown range of products, it was important to us that it carried the Yorkshire stamp through and through, and employing local people was the first step to this.

“We then discovered that so many people working as seamstresses in the region were left unemployed by big fashion companies moving their production overseas, and so creating jobs for these people was absolutely the next step.”

Amanda Bower, one of the new seamstresses at Lucy & Yak, added: “We feel extremely proud to be part of the Lucy and Yak team, creating the new made in Britain range.

“Opportunities for seamstresses in Yorkshire are very limited since the larger fashion companies re-located so this has given me the chance to exercise skills that have long been forgotten.

“It’s fantastic to see an independent brand leading the charge on making a change and not only offering work to people in Barnsley, but recognizing local talent.”

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