Our Loom to Heirloom

Ian Mankin founded the business in 1983; his vision was to take well-made, natural, simple fabrics and bring them into the realm of fashionable and beautiful interiors. He coined the phrase ‘accessible elegance’, which we embrace to this day.

Ian’s influences were always down-to-earth, unpretentious, honest and straightforward. He took his influences from his upbringing, and his choice to develop his collection using natural fibres was simply because synthetic fibres did not exist in his youth. His father was a fabric wholesaler, and he believed that this was the beginning of the idea for his own shop. Ian wanted an uncomplicated approach to the business, even banning computers, credit cards and accounts.  

One of the most significant aims of fabric in Ian’s collections was that you wouldn’t regret your purchase in a season’s time. He loved linens and cotton mix fabrics as they have a soft, lived-in quality that removes ‘the shock of the new’; a freshly hung curtain could look like it had been in place for years. He understood that paying attention to pattern, colour, and quality could create a fabric that, whilst humble, gives the feeling of real luxury: a beautifully crafted and considered fabric that stands the test of time. 

The Ian Mankin brand that you know today has held on to the fundamentals of this; the uncomplicated and straightforward products, natural fibres and craftspeople at the helm.

We had to get a couple of computers, though!