Historic textile mill revamps branding after 240 years of craftsmanship

AW Hainsworth, a heritage textile mill established in 1783, has revealed its rebrand. The transformation was led by Charlotte Law, Hannah Pugh and Shaan Sohal from the in-house marketing team and local brand transformation consulting agency ThreeTenSeven, who worked on developing the key messaging, brand structure and visual identity that combines the brand’s rich history and constant drive for innovation. In addition, fellow Yorkshire-based company Fishtank Agency designed and launched a brand new website for AW Hainsworth as part of the process.

The new branding aims to retain a connection to AW Hainsworth’s historical culture while modernising the look, feel and messaging of the parent brand and brand divisions. Hainsworth Fabric of a Nation, manufacturer of premium woollen textiles loved by designers, tailors and garment manufacturers, will now be known as Hainsworth Signature Fabrics; Hainsworth Top Table, which produces high-quality woollen snooker and pool cloths, will be renamed Hainsworth Cue Sports Fabrics; Hainsworth Technical Felt, manufacturer of technically advanced woollen fabrics, will become Hainsworth Speciality Fabrics. Visually, each brand features a new logo, strapline and colour scheme that weaves consistency throughout AW Hainsworth’s brands.

Charlotte Law, Head of Marketing, explains: “We have been working on this rebrand for a couple of years, with the aim of updating the brand to better reflect how AW Hainsworth has evolved and who we are in 2024. We have several brands that sit under the AW Hainsworth parent brand, and one of our biggest challenges was to streamline our brand divisions for efficiency and create more of a family feel while redefining our mission, vision, and values.”

Founded in 1783, the fully vertical woollen mill in Stanningley has been weaving fabric across eight generations of the Hainsworth family, integrating traditional qualities of craftsmanship with cutting-edge innovation and product development.

The AW Hainsworth brand is recognised globally for producing exceptional quality woven fabrics - historically and most notably used by the British Royal Family, in the House of Lords, to safeguard emergency services and military personnel, weaving felt for pianos and snooker and pool tables around the world.

Amanda McLaren. Managing Director of AW Hainsworth comments: “As our refreshed Mission Statement sets out, ‘we’re here to improve and enhance the lives of everyone our fabric touches – our customers, our people, our community and our environment’. We wanted to communicate this in our branding, whilst ensuring our values of quality, family, and sustainability shine through in everything we do. Our Vision Statement is the foundation of all our plans - ‘We believe in the future of the UK Textile Sector’ and as such, we are wholly committed to ensuring our exciting pipeline plans, come to fruition – from developing new fabric solutions, to creating opportunities for a new generation of textile workers and being a true champion and leader in sustainable manufacturing.

“In line with AW Hainsworth’s commitment to sustainability, the rebrand programme will be rolled out slowly to avoid creating unnecessary waste, so you might see some of our old branding crop up from time to time, until we have fully utilised any remaining collateral.”

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Editors notes

AW Hainsworth is a heritage textile mill, established in 1783 and based in West Yorkshire. AW Hainsworth creates exquisite woollen cloth, high-performing textiles, and iconic fabrics for customers worldwide. The specialist textile company is the parent company to Hainsworth Signature Fabrics, Hainsworth Protective Fabrics, Hainsworth Cue Sports Fabrics, John Atksinon by Hainsworth, Natural Legacy by Hainsworth, Northern Rubber by Hainsworth, and Replin by Hainsworth.