At the heart of Poetry is my love of natural fabrics and a desire to produce beautiful clothes that can be enjoyed for years to come. We design and develop the collections at our studio near Putney Bridge, London, taking inspiration from trends in fashion but also from the wider world of art and culture.
The Poetry aesthetic is one of understated luxury. Easy, relaxed pieces in beautiful fabrics. Simplicity of design with clean lines and contemporary silhouettes. Colours that are subtle and sophisticated, chosen to show off the natural beauty of the yarns and fabrics. Poetry clothes are easy to wear and put together to create a look that is effortlessly stylish.
  We use only the highest quality natural yarns from some of the best mills in the world. Our preferred yarns for knitwear are cashmere, fine merino wool, alpaca, linen and cotton. Alpaca is a yarn that we have championed since we started working with Michell in 2007. Michell is the world's oldest alpaca mill with a long history and tradition of producing high quality yarns. They also have an extensive program of support for the local community in the areas where the alpaca herds are reared. Our suppliers play a central role in making Poetry what it is and I'm proud to be associated with all of them. Luke Dashper, Founder |
Over the last 20 years I have been lucky enough to work with some amazing fabric mills and garment makers. The majority of them are small owner-managed businesses like ours, and most of them we have worked with for many years. They are all focused on the low volume, high quality end of the clothing market and hence they have small factories with a highly skilled workforce. I visit them all regularly and know that they are pleasant places to work with decent pay and conditions. It's only by working closely with our suppliers and drawing on their knowledge and technical expertise that we are able to develop unique and beautiful fabrics and clothes. The best suppliers for a particular material tend to be those located where the material has a long history and is part of the culture: Alpaca from Peru, silk from China, woollen fabrics from Italy. Tradition plays an important role in the development and production of beautiful clothing but so too does technology and our suppliers blend both the traditional expertise with the latest technology to keep improving their products. A good example of this is one of our knitwear suppliers based in Hong Kong, owned and managed by Jackie, recently with the involvement of his charming son Chapman. I don't think anyone can know as much about knitwear as Jackie although he still professes to be learning. He recently bought one of the latest Japanese knitting machines that can produce knitted garments with a unique appearance more akin to a woven fabric. It is always a pleasure to visit Jackie (he knows the best fish restaurants in Kowloon) and it is always a pleasure to receive a sample from him as he nearly always interprets the design so well.   |
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Over the last 20 years I have been lucky enough to work with some amazing fabric mills and garment makers. The majority of them are small owner-managed businesses like ours, and most of them we have worked with for many years. They are all focused on the low volume, high quality end of the clothing market and hence they have small factories with a highly skilled workforce. I visit them all regularly and know that they are pleasant places to work with decent pay and conditions. It's only by working closely with our suppliers and drawing on their knowledge and technical expertise that we are able to develop unique and beautiful fabrics and clothes. The best suppliers for a particular material tend to be those located where the material has a long history and is part of the culture: Alpaca from Peru, silk from China, woollen fabrics from Italy. Tradition plays an important role in the development and production of beautiful clothing but so too does technology and our suppliers blend both the traditional expertise with the latest technology to keep improving their products. |
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A good example of this is one of our knitwear suppliers based in Hong Kong, owned and managed by Jackie, recently with the involvement of his charming son Chapman. I don't think anyone can know as much about knitwear as Jackie although he still professes to be learning. He recently bought one of the latest Japanese knitting machines that can produce knitted garments with a unique appearance more akin to a woven fabric. It is always a pleasure to visit Jackie (he knows the best fish restaurants in Kowloon) and it is always a pleasure to receive a sample from him as he nearly always interprets the design so well. |
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We use only the highest quality natural yarns from some of the best mills in the world. Our preferred yarns for knitwear are cashmere, fine merino wool, alpaca, linen and cotton. Alpaca is a yarn that we have championed since we started working with Michell in 2007. Michell is the world's oldest alpaca mill with a long history and tradition of producing high quality yarns. They also have an extensive program of support for the local community in the areas where the alpaca herds are reared. Our suppliers play a central role in making Poetry what it is and I'm proud to be associated with all of them. |
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Developing our fabrics is a slow process. Selecting the yarns, considering the colours, the way in which the yarns are dyed, weaving or knitting the yarns to produce a fabric and then experimenting with different washing and finishing processes. Initially we go through this process to produce handlooms. Once we have a handloom that looks like it has potential we produce a sample length that we can then test and develop further. This part of the design process is one I particularly enjoy, combining technical expertise with creativity to produce something beautiful. I think it's well worth the effort because at the end of it we have a material that has so many dimensions to it. How it drapes, its texture, the way the colours blend, how it responds to washing and how it develops over time as the customer wears and washes it. Qualities that help to make Poetry clothes unique. |
OUR SISTER BRAND WRAP LONDON
As well as Poetry, we have a second brand Wrap London. The design and marketing team for both brands is effectively one team of about fourteen people. There are some within that team that are focused on one brand or the other but we sit in a shared space working together and sharing ideas. As a result the two brands have many shared values: a love of beautiful, predominantly natural fibres is at the core of both; the look for both brands is relaxed and informal. The Wrap London collection has more print and embroidery than Poetry and denim plays a central role. This gives a more casual, urban feeling to the collection whilst prints and embroideries make a statement. To see the Wrap London collection click here to visit the website.