#1 Introducing, Nation of Artisans

My first step into the heart of making Britain and Britain making.

1. What am I doing?

I’m on a mission to Make Britain Make Again.

And it starts with a quest.

Over the next two years, I intend to design, craft, and sell an entire outfit — from underwear-to-outerwear — 100% in the United Kingdom.

Why? The short answer: I think this will be a fun and meaningful adventure. The long answer: I want to ignite and inspire a renaissance in British making and become the Josiah Wedgwood x William Morris of our time.

2. How will this work in practice?

TL;DR

• Step 1: Crafting an outfit from underwear-to-outerwear entirely in the UK

• Step 2: Newsletter & films, telling the stories of every maker, material, and method

• Step 3: Limited drops of each item to a ledger of subscribers, released over 2 years

Step 1: Crafting an outfit from underwear-to-outerwear entirely in the UK

First, I’ll zip across the country, painstakingly figuring out how to make everything—from boxers and socks to shoes and coats—without leaving British soil.

Piece by piece, I’ll dive deep into the local supply chain, unearthing the history, culture, and untold stories of our once-great manufacturing industries.

Maybe it’s impossible. I have no idea. I assume most of it has been offshored, sent to distant lands where labour is exploited while our factories and communities have been asset-stripped and left to rot by the ravages of globalization.

Or maybe my flat-white-sipping London brain is blind to a messier, more complicated truth. I look forward to finding out.

But one thing is certain—I want every piece of clothing to be enchanted with a story.

To do this, I’ll collaborate with the best of British makers, designers, farmers, suppliers, manufacturers, pigments experts, material scientists, and innovators—at every step of the journey. Britain’s brilliant boffins will be woven into every stitch.

Step 2: Newsletter & films, telling the stories of every maker, material, and method

This journey isn’t just about making clothes — it’s about unearthing the fascinating and quirky stories of British making.

I plan to build the whole thing in public, sharing every triumph, misstep, and unexpected discovery. Through regular Substack updates and short films, I’ll explore not just what Britain makes — but what makes Britain.

From odd little button factories in the Outer Hebrides to a rare breed of sheep producing the world’s finest wool, I’m going to see it all — and share it with the world (or at least whoever cares + my parents).

With each article and film, I hope to build something lasting — a new foundational story of British making. One that, in a few years’ time, might just inspire both the nation and the world to rediscover the magic of our local manufacturing and artisanship.

Step 3: Limited drops of each item to a ledger of subscribers, released over 2 years

This isn’t just a media and content project. I will sell what I make.

After each chapter — starting with boxer shorts — I’ll release a limited drop. Maybe 100 pairs at first, maybe more. Each piece will carry a story, a history, and a connection to Britain’s lost craft.

In time, I hope to build a quirky cult of activists — the kind of people who’d join me for a Blighty-coded Pitti Uomo lookbook in the Orkneys (or somewhere equally fun and mystical).

Of course, this isn’t entirely selfless. The early drops probably won’t make much money, and I’ll keep funding this quest through my work as a social scientist x strategy consultant.

But a boy can dream.

One day, I hope to be a gentleman-industrialist of great means, reinvesting in bigger, bolder projects — helping Britain make, once again.

Beyond the Core Project: Side Quests

Alongside the main mission, there will be side quests — deep dives into the nooks and crannies of British making. Expect explorations like:

1. Beyond Clothes: From the potters of Stoke to the bodgers of Herefordshire, I’ll uncover the hidden worlds of British manufacturing—pottery, paper mills, and more. I want to see it all.

2. Heritage profiles & Britain’s Making Past: The past is a different country. I will go back in time and learn all about the history of British making industries — and see how they relate to today.

3. Artisan futures: Where is all this heading? I’ll explore new brands redefining British craft, like Not Quite Past, the AI-powered Delftware startup fusing technology and tradition. Across the country, makers are forging the future — I’ll be there to tell their stories.

4. Exploring Britishness: I’m fascinated by the concept of Britishness — and occasionally write about it. Napoleon allegedly called us a Nation of Shopkeepers — but we are much more. Nation of Artisans (get it?) is not just a project, but hubristic mission to forge a new vision of British identity fit for the future, rooted in making.

3. Why am I doing this?

Many reasons. First and foremost, I want an adventure. I have an email job — one I love — but nothing compares to the raw thrill of just trying to do stuff.

Second, because the world feels alienating. In the algorithmic TikTok-Shein meat market, the things we touch and consume feel utterly disconnected from where they came from. I loathe the millennial obsession with “authenticity” (it’s trite, it’s meaningless) — yet I still feel the pull toward something less atomized, more rooted, more real.

And beyond the minor task of healing both Britain and my own spirit, I want to create things that inspire people, immerse myself in a world I know so little about, and gain the kind of wicked business skills that might just transform me from PowerPoint junkie to competent citizen-industrialist.

4. Where does it end?

The nature of startups — particularly when building in public is that one doesn’t really know. However, success would look like this:

1. A cult brand and media empire with a global audience and in the flesh shops all over the world — exporting British excellences.

2. A documentary and a book on my quest into British making.

3. A network-fellowship with whom to build bigger and better things in the future.

5. How can you get involved?

🚀 Follow Along – Substack, LinkedIn, Instagram (both personal & the brand-new Nation of Artisans account).

📢 Spread the Word – Share this with everyone. Friends, colleagues, strangers.

🧵 Introduce Me – Know a fashion designer, graphic desiner, materials producer, factory owner, tycoon investor, social media expert, maverick eccentric, or founder who would love this? Send them my way.

💳 Subscribe & Buy – Get a paid Substack subscription or, if you’re feeling bold, pre-order the full wardrobe upfront.

✍️ Write for Me – Want to go on your own quest into British manufacturing? Pitch me an idea — I’ll commission you. Paid, of course.

🚗 Lend or Buy Me a MINI – I will be road-tripping across Britain and I want to do it in a MINI wrapped in the project’s branding. Sponsor it, and I’ll put your company’s logo on it too.

📺 Sponsor the Content – If your brand or organisation aligns with this mission, let’s talk. I will be your loudest evangelist.

📰 Syndicate My Articles – Editors, if you want to run my pieces in your magazine or newspaper, we can make it happen. My articles will be like these ones I did on British luxury and the Bopea hypothesis.

💰 Invest – Nation of Artisans is a business. While I’m not actively pitching for investment just yet, I’m happy to meet anyone who sees potential. EIS/SEIS coming soon.