Firm takes on apprentices to make Mary Portas’s knickers

LAW firm Glaisyers has advised Middleton-based lingerie firm Headen & Quarmby on bringing eight new apprentices in to produce a new range branded as Kinky Knickers as part of a new TV show fronted by Mary Portas.

The aim of the show, which has a working title of Mary’s Knickers and is set to be broadcast next month, was for Ms Portas to find a British manufacturer to produce a range of handmade lace underwear. This was launched at Liberty London earlier this month and will soon be available through a number of other retailers.

Glaisyers’ head of employment Russell Brown said: “Of all the projects we’ve worked on with Headen & Quarmby, this was certainly one of the more interesting!

“We advised on all the employment and HR issues that arose from the recruitment of the apprentices for the specific purposes of filming by Endemol UK.

“It was great to see that traditional British manufacturing techniques being invigorated in a town that has a long heritage in the textile trade. These apprentices were handpicked by Mary Portas and, under her stewardship, have already been involved in creating a national and what hopes to eventually be an international brand.”

Managing director of Headen & Quarmby, David Moore added: “We were initially approached by Channel 4 to take part in a documentary about Britain’s clothing manufacturing heritage.

“This quickly grew into an investigation, fronted by Mary Portas, to see if mass-garment production in the UK was still a viable business.”

He added that none of the eight apprentices had prior experience, but all have now been fuklly trained and that he hopes to be able to employ them all moving forwards. He also credited Glaisyers for “their hard work and dedication…on a project that could provide a much-needed boost to the UK’s clothing manufacturing industry.”

Headen & Quarmby was set up in Middleton in 1935 as a premium manufacturer of ladies’ nightwear and underwear.