Guillotine England, a boutique clothing brand based in the Wiltshire village of Chilmark, is a growing local business that has been catching the eye of various international customers.
Established in 2012, the company manufactures high-end cashmere and lambswool gilets from its craft shop at a farm in Wiltshire which it then exports globally (including to clients in the US). It uses British materials from Yorkshire-based Abraham Moon and Sons Mill and linings purchased from Liberty Print Art Fabrics. The materials are then sewn together in Turkey.
According to founders, Jerome and Juliet Kitson, the firm’s mission is to “create high end, fashionable, yet versatile gilets, equally suited to hardy country pursuits as well as cosmopolitan city life.”
In addition to celebrity patrons, such as Made in Chelsea’s Spencer Matthews, Guillotine England recently gained a new customer in Normandy. French Hotel owner Nicolas Chanu spotted a picture of a British pub landlord wearing one of its gilets in a newspaper photograph that featured David Cameron and Francoise Hollande.
After a search that took several months, Nicolas found the company responsible for manufacturing the gilet and has worn one ever since, claiming it to be “smart yet relaxed, matching the look and feel of his own establishment.” Jerome and Juliet recently visited Nicolas at his hotel in Normandy where they discovered the story behind his purchase.
Jerome said: “There are some great stories behind why people choose to wear our products, but this one is really special. It is always great to meet our customers face to face because most of our sales are from online.”
Current stockists of the brand include Osprey, London, Roxtons, Hungerford, Indigo Antiques, Wiltshire and Cresta Run Shop, St Moritz, Switzerland.
For more information about Guillotine England contact: Jerome Kitson on info@guillotine-england.co.uk
Pictured above: Juliet Kitson at work in the craft shop in Wiltshire
