The Labour Party may be enjoying the 'Burnham bounce,' but the manufacturer of the Prime Minister's favourite clothes is also reaping the rewards. When critics mock Andy Burnham for spending £80 on a T-shirt or £295 on jeans, Manchester's Private White V.C. sees its sales soar.
The 150-year-old business, which makes the understated quality garments in the PM's wardrobe, has its own campaigning motto: 'saving Britain, one raincoat at a time.' Kemi Badenoch mocked Burnham as 'a pair of eyelashes and a black T-shirt,' but James Eden, CEO of Private White V.C., told The Mirror it's actually very dark navy and no ordinary black T-shirt.
A loyal customer
Burnham, who visited the store last Friday to buy an £850 wool peacoat, also owns a £695 Harrington jacket, £295 jeans, and a made-to-measure suit—all paid for himself. With his salary boosted from £118,267 as Mayor of Manchester to £174,039 as Prime Minister, Eden hopes he will buy more.
Eden, 43, a former investment banker and great grandson of the founder, said: 'Andy's been a fan and loyal supporter of our brand for three years now. There have been no freebies - he has purchased all his pieces himself.'
Historic mill
The company's red brick mill in Salford, just a 26-minute walk from Heron House, the new No10 North, is steeped in industrial history. During a recent half-hour visit, Burnham drank builders' tea and ate chocolate Hobnobs and Jaffa Cakes while picking out pieces, according to Eden, who called him 'the most authentic man.'
Marketing executive Harrison Heaton, 21, added: 'You wouldn't think you were serving the man in charge of the country, he's so down to Earth. And he certainly looks good in our clothes.'
A legacy of bravery
The brand's story began with Jack White V.C., who won the Victoria Cross in 1917 by jumping into a river under heavy machine-gun fire to tow a boat to safety. Copper detailing on many garments nods to his bravery, including the copper zip on Burnham's Harrington jacket.
After the war, Jack worked at a raincoat factory in Salford, eventually becoming owner. The business evolved over the years, and in 1996, aged 13, James began working there for summer money. After a career in banking, he invested in the factory in 2012 to make their own label.
Craftsmanship and tradition
Today, the label employs more than 100 people and has dressed celebrities including David Beckham, Liam Gallagher, Tom Hardy, and Pierce Brosnan. Princess Anne is also a fan. The factory, which makes all garments on site using 90% locally sourced materials, still uses two 100-year-old Manchester-made cutting machines.
Eden explained the cost: 'We pay for the best materials - and source them locally. We pay our workers well, and as a result there are people who have been with the brand for decades. You're not paying for a machine to mass produce a garment, you're paying a highly skilled artisan to make something by hand.'
Boosting British brands
Eden hopes Burnham's patronage will inspire others. 'We currently export more clothes than we sell here in the UK. Our biggest market is the US, who seem to have a greater appreciation for British clothing than the Brits do. We'd love for that to change.'
'If people spent their money on British brands, it would boost the economy, increase opportunity. We have such a rich history of textiles in this country and we are incredibly proud to be flying the flag.'
