Studio Favourites: Copper Accessories and Private White VC
Private White VC is a brand that we have admired in the Alice Made This studio for a long time. Made in Manchester, its collections are inspired by the military history and material honesty that runs, deeply ingrained, through the veins of its factory.
In 1917, Private Jack White was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery in the battle of Mesopotamia and, on his return; he began an apprenticeship as a pattern cutter in the factory which now bears his name. Today, run by his great grandson James Eden and designer Nick Ashley, son of Laura Ashley, the factory remains grounded in the strong virtues of the region’s garment making expertise and the sense of British history that Private White bestowed all those years ago.
The jackets and coats that Private White VC has become renowned for may look simple, but they are entwined with technical innovation, engineered precision and ruggedness. Skilled craftsmen create each individual garment with extraordinary exactness, using honest British fabrics, trims and components, sourced locally where possible. This is a factory that is founded on people, processes, material quality and utilitarian wartime design, updated with contemporary functionality for the modern day, discerning gentleman.
Having grown up as part of a military family, Alice has also turned to the metals and geometric symbols of military uniforms for inspiration – most notably with our Military Hardware and Military Tailoring collections of cufflinks and lapel pins. Although the regalia and ornate detailing of military accoutrements is exquisite, like Private White VC, it is the graphic lines, hard wearing raw materials and practical finishes that appeal to our clean design aesthetic.
Private White VC’s collection includes beautiful cashmere wool, locally sourced stretch cotton moleskin and exclusive ECOSEAM® water resistant finishes, all complimented by outstandingly intelligent details. Whether it’s real horn buttons, military grade copper hardware or RiRi zip gauntlet cuffs, the charm of a Private White VC piece comes from the exploration and discovery of its smaller, sometimes hidden, elements.
Paired with a selection of our copper cufflinks and cuff bracelets, it is the copper hardware and Private White VC’s eye for detail that we celebrate today. Taking the rawness of its military history and developing it into such a considered brand, makes them one of our most exciting contemporaries. Like Alice Made This, and our work with factories and British manufacturing processes, Private White VC is refining industry.
Learn more about Private White VC here and visit the Mayfair store to shop a selection of Alice Made This pieces.
