DAKS and John Smedley join forces for knitwear collaboration collection

British heritage brands DAKS and John Smedley have come together to launch a 12-piece men’s and women’s knitwear collection for the first time, championing ‘Made in England’ manufacturing.

In 2024, John Smedley reopened its production lines to brands for seasonal orders and approached DAKS to join the initiative.

Recognising their shared values and admiration for one another, what was initially a conversation to manufacture DAKS own product turned into a true partnership, bringing together their design teams and talent to create co-branded collaborative knitwear designs.

DAKS celebrated its 130th anniversary in 2024, and it wanted to ensure that the first collaboration for 2025 was with a brand and manufacturer "as steeped in British fashion history as themselves".

With the Derbyshire factory being operational since 1784, John Smedley is the oldest knitwear maker in the world and globally renowned for its craftsmanship, so the partnership made immediate sense.

With a complimentary design ethos, rich history rooted in British manufacturing and both brands holding a combined four royal warrants, the collection is "a celebration of heritage meets innovation on British soil".

Jess Mcguire-Dudley, Deputy Managing Director at John Smedley, said: "When we reopened our factory to third-party manufacturing, it was important that we collaborated with brands that truly recognised the benefit of our skills and experience of which we have honed over generations.

"DAKS were able to work across the full spectrum of our offering, drawing on our expertise from design and production to create a collection that is innovative in colour and design and that represents both brands commitment to responsible manufacturing."

A spokesperson for DAKS added: "Audiences of both brands view the ‘Made in England’ tag as a marker of quality and authenticity, which has long been a key aspect to DAKS and we have found the perfect pairing to deliver this in working with the John Smedley team."

The collection, created using John Smedley’s fine gauge Sea Island Cotton, references DAKS’ archive and house colours, with John Smedley reinterpreting two iconic DAKS styles, the house check and house stripe. Exclusive variations of both that can be seen across John Smedley’s knitwear silhouettes, including extra fine polo knits and cardigans for men and women.

The DAKS x John Smedley collection is now available on both brands’ websites, as well as in DAKS stores across Asia and in John Smedley’s two London boutiques.