We recently began working with Japanese designer Tomoko Yamanaka. Tomoko graduated from London’s Royal College of Art in 2002 and launched women’s label CABINET in 2008. She is also a design consultant for exclusive Italian cashmere company Malo, Japenese womenswear label fig. london and childrenswear company Familiar Ltd. Tomoko specialises in knitwear and most of her garments are sold in Japan, however her work was featured at London Fashion Week in 2010.

Image © Tomoko Yamanaka

We have been working with Tomoko on CABINET’s Autumn/Winter Collection 2013, otherwise known as its 100% British Alpaca collection.As the name suggests, the collection is made entirely from Alpaca fleece sourced in the UK and Tomoko worked extensively with Alpaca farmers and micro mills in both Scotland and Dorset to source the fleece for the range – we then stepped in to help knit the pieces for the collection.

Image © Tomoko Yamanaka

The finished garments are in beautiful, natural un-dyed colours including white, fawn, brown and black. They include a two coloured stripe cardigan, glove detailed tweed dress and hand knitted chunky cable cardigan, all of which are pictured on this page.

While the collection’s overall appearance is quite muted and understated, each of the garments has some quite quirky and offbeat details, which combine to create a collection of what Tomoko describes as “beautifully peculiar pieces”.

Image © Tomoko Yamanaka

We have thoroughly enjoyed working with such a talented designer as Tomoko and we hope to work with her again in the near future.

To view a full set of images of the collection, visit our Facebook page.

This week, we held a creative meeting to discuss putting together a new collection of publicity and promo shots for our brand. Along with our Communications Agency mela, we met with Vicky from Cardiff and Amsterdam-based branding and design agency Smörgåsbord and brilliant lifestyle and interiors photographer Michael Sinclair.

Creative meeting at Corgi Hosiery HQ

A sock-themed table decoration was the centrepiece to our creative discussions

Over several cups of tea we shared ideas about the overall look and concept for the photographs  as well as potential locations for the shoot itself which, bearing in mind Wales’ rather temperamental climate, was quite the topic of discussion!

The photo shoot is scheduled for early May and we’ll be sharing some behind-the-scenes snaps from the day via our Facebook and Twitter pages so make sure you’re following us!

In the meantime, take a look at some of photographer Michael Sinclair’s previous work – it’s truly wonderful and we are so excited to be working with him on this project.

#1 The word sock is derived from the loose-fitting slipper, called a soccus in Latin, worn by Roman comic actors.

Soccus
Image: link

#2 In the 8^th century BC, the Ancient Greeks wore socks made from matted animal hair for warmth. Meanwhile, the Romans wrapped their feet with leather or woven fabrics.

Roman socks
Image : link

#3 In the 5^th century AD, socks were worn by holy people in Europe to symbolise purity. By 1000AD, socks were a symbol of wealth among the nobility.

#4 The earliest known surviving pair of cloth socks – dating from 300-500AD – were excavated from near the Nile in Egypt. They are now on display at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

Ancient Egyptian socks
Image: Wikipedia

#5 The district of Datang in the People’s Republic of China, has become known as Sock City. The town currently produce 8 billion pairs of socks each year, a third of the world’s sock production.

#6 A family of 4 will lose up to 60 pairs of socks every year.

Lost Sock
Image: Flickr, Lucius Kwok

#7 Missing socks are most likely to affect the male members of the household.

#8 Black socks are most likely to go missing. (This is why we thoroughly recommend our wonderful brightly coloured socks!)

#9 The act of putting on a fresh pair of socks is mentioned around 10,000 times a day on Twitter.

#10 Corgi socks are officially recognised as the best socks in the world (ok, we made this one up but it could very well be true!)

If you have any interesting sock facts you’d like to share with us, get in touch via Twitter (@Corgi_Socks) or Facebook.

First up it was San Francisco Market, a quirky store located in Seoul’s fashion district. The store is owned and run by two designers – one Italian and one Korean – who pride themselves on stocking brands that demonstrate the highest levels of originality and creativity through their products.

They stock a huge range of Corgi socks as well as products from our sister company Dents.

San Francisco Market shopfront

San Francisco Market shopfront

San Francisco Market stocks a large selection of Corgi mens socks

Next it was off to Corso Como, a fashion and design emporium located in the Cheongdam-dong ward of Gangnam – on a street often referred to as the area’s “Fashion and Art Street”.

Inspired by both Oriental bazaars and legendary 1960s and 1970s London department store Biba, the store offers a truly unique shopping experience and is well worth a visit if you’re ever in Seoul. They specialise in selling unique imports and luxury goods including, of course, Corgi socks!

Representatives from Corgi’s sales agency standing in front of the Corso Como store

Corgi mens socks on display in Corso Como

The final Corgi stockist that Chris visited was Boon the Shop. Boon is a regular haunt for Seoul’s fashion leaders, boasting an impressive array of fresh and attractive international brands with unique designs. They stock a good selection of Corgi socks for both men and women.

Chris and Hannah from Corgi’s sales agency standing in front of Boon the Shop

Unfortunately, there are no food snaps to share with you in this installment of Chris’ South Korea trip diary – look out for part three coming soon, though…

Find out what Chris gets up to during his visit in our series of blog posts…

Part 1

Chris arrived in South Korea on Sunday and set about settling himself into what will be his base for the duration of the trip – the Gangnam District of the city of Seoul. Seoul is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea, with a population of around 10 million people. The Gangnam District – recently elevated to international fame by the infectiously catchy pop song ‘Gangnam Style’ – is one of 25 districts that make up Seoul. It is widely recognised as one of the most prosperous and trendy areas of the city so is, no doubt, home to plenty of potential new Corgi socks fans!

Overlooking the city of Seoul

Chris spent his first full day in the city working with Kenny and Hannah, Corgi’s agents in Asia – they also represent our sister company Dents across the region. Kenny, Hannah and their team are well experienced in the art of promoting British brands to the Asian markets as they also represent British cult clothing label Superdry, which has over 25 shops in South Korea alone.

Superdry’s flagship store in Seoul

Chris gave a presentation to the team on the Corgi brand and also showcased our new collection for the coming season which features a selection of cashmere, wool and cotton socks for both men and women. The team’s response was incredibly positive and they are keen to start selling the new socks through their shops as soon as possible.

Chris showcases the new collection which features a selection of cashmere, wool and cotton socks for both men and women

After a hard day’s work, Chris – ever the keen foodie – set off to sample some of South Korea’s culinary delicacies with Kenny and Hannah.  Apparently the milk snow with set red beans that they ate at the city’s Hyundai department store was absolutely delicious… the sea cucumber dish he tried, though, wasn’t quite as appetising!

Sampling the local delicacies – milk snow with sweet red beans

Keep an eye out for the second update on Chris’ South Korea trip coming soon…

The Festival, which takes place over four days will celebrate the 60^th anniversary of The Queen’s Coronation. This exciting and unique event, hosted by the Royal Warrant Holder’s Association, will bring together – for the first time on this scale – over 200 companies that hold Royal Warrants of Appointment. Promoting the very best of UK PLC, the Festival will celebrate the extraordinary quality and variety of skills, craftsmanship and innovation produced by companies here in Britain.

As proud Royal Warrant holders, we are delighted to be part of the Coronation Festival. It will provide us with a great platform to showcase our dedication to manufacturing hosiery and knitwear of the very highest quality, using the finest materials and age-old manufacturing techniques handed down through the generations.

Visitors to the Corgi exhibition stand at the event will be treated to a live hosiery-making demonstration by the great-grandson of the company’s founder, Rhys Jones. We will also be exhibiting a new limited edition range, specially developed to coincide with the Festival, as well as socks and knitwear from our current range – designed and produced in Carmarthenshire but sold all over the world.

The Festival will be open to members of the public from Friday, 12th to Sunday, 14th July with around 60,000 visitors expected to attend. For further information on the Festival and to book tickets, go to www.coronationfestival.com

Recently we were asked by Workways – an employment project backed by the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government – if we could provide a temporary work taster to Joann Smith, a 38 year old lady from the area.

Image courtesy of Carmarthenshire County Council

Joann had never worked as she had spent the previous 19 years raising her family and providing round the clock care for her late husband. She lacked work experience and confidence, and had no qualifications or CV. However, she had shown an interest in working as a machinist.

We were more than happy to oblige and offered Joann a 2 week work taster at the factory. At the end of this taster period, our Director Chris was so pleased with Joann’s attitude and progress that he offered her a temporary role.

He said: “When Joann arrived, she was very nervous. All she wanted was a chance to show what she could do. She got on fine with what we were trying to teach her and as a result we were happy to offer her a temporary job”.

Over the course of her temporary contract, Joann learnt how to follow patterns and use the knitting machine. Because of her progress, Chris was pleased to be able to offer her a permanent position and Joann is now a fully-fledged member of the Corgi team.

To read more about Joann’s experience and how she has settled in at Corgi, visit the Carmarthenshire County Council website.

Welsh flags, a photo by National Assembly of Wales on Flickr

Every year, parades are held across Wales to commemorate the occasion, the largest of these in our capital city Cardiff. Across the country, children take part in school concerts or eisteddfodau, with recitation, singing and folk dancing being the main activities.

Cawl, a Welsh vegetable broth is frequently prepared and eaten on Saint David’s Day, accompanied by a slice of homemade bread and piece of Welsh cheddar cheese. Other traditional Welsh treats like Welsh cakes and Bara Brith are often served up too.

Welsh cakes, a photo by zingyyellow on Flickr

Being a proud Welsh company, St David’s Day is a key date in the calendar for Corgi but there are some elements of the occasion that are particularly special to us.

Corgi’s proud Welsh heritage is advertised on our logo

For example, the traditional Welsh costume worn by men and boys in Wales, both historically, and now annually on St David’s Day, is made up of a waistcoat; a jacket often of blue or grey wool; a neckerchief; a pair of breeches; a black felt hat and long woollen stockings much like those Corgi’s founder Rhys Jones originally made when he founded Corgi back in 1892. Back then, Rhys made the socks specifically for local miners but the garment has become synonymous with traditional Welsh dress.

Another connection we have with St David’s Day is HRH The Prince of Wales’ involvement in the the annual celebrations. It was HRH The Prince that awarded Corgi our Royal Warrant back in 1998 and he has been a keen supporter of the brand and business ever since, even visiting our Ammanford factory.

HRH The Prince of Wales

Every year, HRH The Prince of Wales or his mother HRH The Queen, will formally attend Cardiff’s St David’s Day parade. This year, the Prince of Wales was in attendance, accompanied by his wife HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. The couple attended a religious service held at St John The Baptist City Parish Church, which included an address from the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan. They then went on to visit the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, of which HRH The Prince is patron.

Corgi has its roots firmly in Welsh history so commemorating our patron saint is very important to the company. And although we won’t be coming to work in full Welsh costume on the day, you can be sure that there will be lots of symbolic red socks on show!

Coterie is an international fashion exhibition held bi-annually in NYC. Featuring contemporary to traditional women’s ready-to-wear fashions, the event attracts big-name brands from all over the world.

Picture source: ENK International – http://enkshows.com/coterie/

Lisa was at the event to showcase Corgi’s upcoming ladies’ collection before a whole host of  international buyers, magazine editors and fashion bloggers, all of whom attend Coterie to get a sneaky peek at the products that will be available in the coming season.

This is the first time in a while that Corgi have exhibited a range exclusively for women so Lisa and the design team took the opportunity to give the exhibition stand a girly makeover. A muted colour scheme and dainty floral accessories were used to create a feminine look that allowed the brightly coloured socks to really stand out.

This year’s Coterie was a hugely successful and well-attended event, giving Lisa the opportunity to meet and greet plenty of influential figures from within the fashion industry.  The response to the new ladies range was overwhelmingly positive so expect to see the socks being sported by fashionistas all over the world very soon!

The new ladies collection will be available for purchase shortly but in the meantime, take a look at the existing range on the Corgi website.

They featured not one but five pairs of Corgi socks in photo-features in their online style journal in September and October 2012.

Here’s a sneaky peek of one of the images, head to our Facebook page to see the others.

Mr Porter is one of our biggest customers in the UK and they stock a range of Corgi socks in their online store .