In this first episode of the Women in Wool series, I’m joined by Dee McGilvray, founder of CLÒ FOLD.

Dee has launched a womenswear brand built entirely around 100 percent British traceable wool. In just five months, alongside a full time job, she has taken an idea rooted in farming and the British countryside and turned it into a finished product made entirely in the UK.

Her first piece is a wool gilet woven in Yorkshire using traceable wool sourced through British Wool. Every part of the supply chain, from farm to finished garment, has been kept in Britain.

This isn’t just a story about launching a fashion brand. It’s about supporting farmers, restoring value to British wool and building a genuinely local supply chain.

1. Why so much British wool goes to waste and why farmers are often paid very little for it
2. How Dee built a fully traceable supply chain starting with British Wool
3. What traceable wool actually means and how customers can scan a QR code to see which farms their garment came from
4. Working with UK mills, manufacturers and suppliers
5. Why launching with one product was a smart move
6. The reality of starting a brand quickly and testing demand in small batches
7. Why wool is one of the most underrated fibres in British fashion

If you care about British farming, UK manufacturing and using fibres that actually grow on our hillsides, this episode will give you a practical look at how it can be done.

CLÒ FOLD is a British womenswear brand built on the principle of land led living. Every garment is made using traceable British wool, with full transparency from farm to finished product.

You can find Dee and CLÒ FOLD at:

Website: www.clofold.com

Instagram: @clofold

Make sure you join her mailing list to hear about upcoming launches including traceable British wool welly socks and future outerwear pieces.

🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply

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Series 8 of the Make it British podcast is here!

After many of you asked, “Where’s the podcast gone?”, it's coming back with a brand-new themed series: Women in Wool.

Over the past few months, I've been recording interviews behind the scenes. As the conversations unfolded, a clear thread emerged. Every guest was a woman. And every one of them was working with the same fibre - Wool.

This new series shines a spotlight on the women driving innovation, craftsmanship and revival across the UK wool supply chain – from farming and spinning to weaving, knitting and manufacturing.

🐑 Why Wool? Why Now?

The UK textile industry was built on wool. Entire towns, trades and skills grew around it, yet over recent decades, wool has been pushed aside by cheaper synthetic fibres.

Now, the tide is starting to turn.

Recent cultural moments have helped bring wool back into the spotlight:

1. The 'Traitors effect' with Claudia Winkleman’s tartans, tweeds and knits dominating headlines.
2. The Princess of Wales visiting Welsh mill Melin Tregwynt and wearing Welsh wool.
3. Growing attention on natural fibres and fully traceable supply chains.
4. The launch ofThe Great British Wool Revival, a platform dedicated to strengthening British wool supply chains.

At a time when brands are preparing for Digital Product Passports and increased traceability requirements, wool stands out as one of the very few fibres we can genuinely grow and process here in the UK.

👩‍🦰 Why Women in Wool?

While the textile industry has historically been male-dominated, more and more women are now leading businesses across every stage of the wool supply chain.

From micro-factories to knitwear brands, from farming to finishing, female founders are shaping the future of British wool. This series celebrates them.

🎙️Be My Guest

If you work in wool, or know a woman who does, and would like to be featured in the Women in Wool series, email kate@makeitbritish.co.uk with the subject line Women in Wool.

🧡 Love the Podcast?

If you’re a regular listener and this show has helped you, please take a moment to leave a review. Reviews help more people discover the amazing prhttps://www.instagram.com/makeitbritish/oducts still being made and manufactured in Britain.

Want to start or grow a British-made brand?

There are several ways that we can work together depending on what stage your business is at.

➡️ Let's Work Together!

Follow Kate on Instagram @makeitbritish

🚀 Want to join British Brand Accelerator? Apply here: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply

Got a question before applying?

DM me on Instagram: @makeitbritish