A company based in Ashington has successfully crossed the North South divide to supply one of the UK’s poshest and oldest schools.
All-in-One Company made 50 pink onesies for students and staff at Westminster School to wear on their annual skiing trip to France.
It is the second year the skiers have worn onesies which had been handmade in Northumberland and the school – which is 700-years-old – says it will be re-ordering another 50 next year.
“We wanted a different team garment – everybody was doing sweatshirts and hoodies, helmet covers and trapper hats,” said Teehan Page, who teaches Philosophy and English at Westminster and organised the visit.
“Our school colours are pink so we thought it would look odd, eccentric and splendid. Initially some of the kids were a bit self-conscious, but they realised that if you walk around a ski resort dressed as a giant toddler life just gets nicer. People love it. The hotel recognises the school and most importantly it means that we can spot them.”
He added: “On the last day we have a race and everyone wears them so we look like a team. They’re socially enabling, they make people feel nice, and they’re comfortable to wear in the hotel.”
Later this year The All-in-One Company celebrates its tenth birthday. It has been at the forefront of a fashion revolution which has made onesies a must have item of clothing. Under its founder Kate Dawson it has helped revive dying manufacturing skills and trained apprentices to ensure those skills survive. It has also harnessed the latest technology to allow customers to design their unique onesies through The All-in-One Company website and introduced innovative mass customisation to its production process.
As well as Westminster School, its high-profile customers have included celebrities and television programmes, such as The X Factor and Celebrity Big Brother. The All-in-One Company’s team of designers, cutters and machinists at Ashington has now made 66,000 onesies from its customers’ bespoke designs.
“Ten years have gone by in a flash,” said Kate. “Despite a lot of scepticism at the start we knew we had a snuggletastic product. Like any business it has not always been plain sailing, but we are proud of what we have achieved and very excited about what’s to come.
“We probably never thought, though, that 50 students and staff from Westminster School would one day be skiing down a hillside in France, all wearing pink onesies we’d handmade in Northumberland.”
Although the onesies were an unqualified success, Mr Page – who has led 34 school skiing trips in his career – broke a rib and one of his colleagues broke a thumb.
For more information about The All-in-One Company visit its website www.the-all-in-one-company.co.uk/