UK – Until the 1990s, the South Wales valleys had a thriving underwear manufacturing industry. In September 2023, Patrick Grant, designer and founder of clothing brand and social enterprise Community Clothing, launched a campaign to bring underwear-making back to the valleys.
The Hello Boyos! campaign, a Welsh spin on Wonderbra’s iconic Hello Boys 1990s ads, features Welsh stars such as singer and radio presenter Wynne Evans and comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean in their pants.
The company aims to start production on a line of size-inclusive and 100% organic cotton underwear after it secures pre-orders for 10,000 pieces. Each item will be hand-cut and sewn by seamstresses at a factory in New Tredegar, Caerphilly county.
‘We want to restart full-scale production of a range of underwear for men and women, make use of all those amazing skills, keep the tradition of making underwear in south Wales – which not a lot of people know about – and create important jobs in a town that, frankly, really needs it,’ Grant told the BBC.
As explored in our Neo-collectivism macrotrend report, alliances that decentralise industries, redistribute power and emphasise community are more important to conscious consumers than ever.
Strategic opportunity
Whether it is food or fashion, conscious consumers want transparency about where products come from. Focus on highlighting the sustainable and social benefits of your manufacturing process and establish a loyal customer base that appreciates the craft of your brand as much as the end result