GRENFELL

British outerwear house founded in 1923 around a single fabric: Grenfell Cloth, a tightly woven Egyptian-cotton gabardine made wind-proof yet breathable. The cloth was developed by Walter Haythornthwaite (of T. Haythornthwaite & Sons, Lodge Mill, Burnley) after attending an inspirational 1922 talk by Sir Wilfred Grenfell — the British missionary doctor who needed durable, breathable clothing for his work in Labrador. The cloth and the resulting coats went on to be worn by Sir Malcolm Campbell, Sir Stirling Moss, British royalty, Cary Grant and Gregory Peck, and were issued to mountaineers, racing drivers and aviators. After a period under Japanese ownership in the 1980s–90s, Grenfell returned to British manufacture; today the brand is headquartered and made in East London.