Leicester was built on sweat, bricks and textiles but where once we used to clothe the world, our industry lost its way.
At CWT, we want to bring real manufacturing back. That means making things with excellence, quality and heart and soul. It means a happy workforce, the highest skills and leaving the tiniest footprint possible.
Because that’s what making really good clothes actually takes.
I’m Karandeep Mattu, founder of CWT, and the third generation of a family making textiles in Leicester. My Grandad and his brother started it all off after arriving here from India in the 60’s and finding a sewing machine in a shed.
Their legacy became part of all our lives. As a kid, I spent the school holidays with my cousins playing in the rolls of fabric. On Friday afternoons we were allowed to sit in the pub while the men tried to order pints without their wives finding out. We knew every machine and every bit of gossip. It was hard to know where the factory ended and you began.
I learnt back then that manufacturing something really good is about much more than churning out clothes. It’s beyond cheap imports and poor production. CWT exists to show that there can be a much, much better way; the way that Leicester used to know when the world bought its hosiery, knits and shoes from our doorstep.
CWT is about craftsmanship, expertise and community. It’s about making something incredible for you, that will last for years, get better with time and has the smallest environmental impact there can be.
And maybe, if we get it right, we’ll change things for the better. We’ll bring manufacturing home and bring you the best T-shirts and sweats there are, from right here in Leicester.
