Industrial Marvels - Cluny Lace

In my previous article, I wrote about my photoshoot for the emerging couture clothing brand Beautiful Creatures, featuring model Volodina. Well, as a follow up to that piece, this article documents a visit I made to the UK factory where the clothes that are made by brands like Beautiful Creatures and Parasol Rose all start : the Leavers Lace factory called Cluny Lace in Ilkeston, UK.

When I visited the Beautiful Creatures studio, I didn't actually know, at that point, that the lace they use to make all the garments came from Cluny Lace. Furthermore, I did not know that Cluny Lace is so local to me in Derby - its just 5 miles up the road, in Ilkeston! And lastly, consider this : Cluny Lace was also used, in part, for the lace in Kate Middleton's wedding dress. And rumour has it (I do not know this as fact) that other prestigious couture fashion houses also use Cluny Lace.

Once I learned all that, their position not far from me in Derby actually all made a lot of sense because historically of course Derby, Matlock, Belper, Cromford, Ilkeston and parts of Nottingham have a deep and rich history in the textile industry. This is because most notably of course due to Sir Richard Arkwright who, in the 1770s, brought the creation of industrialised production of fabrics to not only the UK, but the world from his base in Cromford. His industry was a big a part of what became "The Industrial Revolution" of that era. Visit Cromford Mills in Cromford, and you will see what I mean! A lovely day out by the way.

Anyway, I reached out to Cluny Lace to explain my back story and asked if I could visit and take some photographs of the factory to bring the whole story together - from fabric, to seamstress, to product line. Happily they agreed so I got to explore and learn more about their business. From their own website https://www.clunylace.com/ (April 2025) the company states the following :

"Cluny Lace offer a catalogue of 365 exquisite patterns for Haute Couture, Pret a Porter, Household Textiles, Haberdashery, Film, Opera and Theatre as well as Ecclesiastical laces"

So, during the Easter holiday period when I had a little spare time, I secured my visit. It was fascinating to see the machinery in action. The precision of the machinery, and its enormous size, and the way it works by using a form of old punch cards called 'Jaquard cards' - a bit like an early computer of sorts, pre dating the electronic computer of Alan Turing by some 150 years.

I shot 3 rolls during my brief visit and captured some really nice photographs. A few of my favourites are below.

If you are a haute couture endeavour seeking lace material for your garments, then I strongly advise you to contact Cluny Lace. They can create a wide variety of patterns and nothing brings uniqueness to your product line more than a custom made pattern. I for one would love to see this factory continue to keep doing what it does so well, and has done for some 250 years! True British heritage still in action today.

If you would like me to help elevate your haute couture clothing brand with unique photography please reach out to me.