The work of an inspiring young knitwear designer near Burnham-On-Sea has been featured in the latest issue of the prestigious fashion magazine Vogue.
Madeleine Hann, 22, runs Edith Knitwear, her boutique design studio, in the village of Mark near Burnham-On-Sea.
She grew up in the village and went to Sidcot School before studying a BA (Hons) in knitwear at Nottingham Trent University.
Madeleine says: “I graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a BA Honors in Fashion Knitwear and Knitted Textiles in 2021. After finishing my studies, I knew that the city life wasn’t for me and that Somerset was the perfect place to start pursuing a career in handcrafted knitwear.”
Vogue contacted her directly and asked to feature her work as an inspiring young designer creating luxurious items which are also sustainable. They found her page on instagram and made contact with her to feature her in their January 2023 issue.
Madeleine adds: “It was a shock when Vogue contacted me and at first I wondered if it was a scam or a real email.”
“It is amazing to have the recognition for my work with such a well known publication globally. As with any business but especially an online one I have had to work hard and sometimes had orders cancelled, and had knockbacks and setbacks.”
“Now I have my own website and I can say that I have been featured in Vogue magazine!”
She adds: “Social media has really helped my business by keeping my business out there, reaching new customers, and keeping me in contact with other designers and the world of fashion in general.”
Madeleine says she has always enjoyed fashion and knitting which she learnt from her Grandma at aged 6. She was not very fond of school and not very academic but she could be found sketching and drawing outfits and designs even at a young age.
She always enjoyed meeting people by helping out with her father’s snack business and he encouraged her to start her own business.
Coming from a close family unit, Madeleine’s parents decided to give her the middle name of Edie, a shortened version of her Great Gran’s name, Edith – hence the choice of name, Edith Knitwear.
“With family time forming Madeleine’s most treasured memories, it seemed only right that this sentimental family name was given to Madeleine’s knitwear brand,” she says.
She also tries to keep her brand as sustainable as possible which is one of the main reasons why Vogue contacted her. The clothing pieces are knitted using sustainable yarns from UK-based yarn supplier, Yeoman Yarns. All materials come with a Green Label certification as well as a guarantee that no toxic substances have been used.
All of the items are carefully made using a non-electric, hand-operated Dubied knitting machine by Madeleine in her studio.
Each piece is created with zero or minimal waste as sustainability is paramount to Madeleine’s design process.
For her home and interior pieces, Madeleine uses merino wool as it is easy to wash and dries well which doesn’t cause fabric to lose its quality.
Madeleine has had one of her pieces has been picked up by the American actress Kelly Rutherford who shared photos of herself wearing one of her wraps on Instagram. “It was a pleasure to make American actress and style icon Kelly Rutherford a custom made ‘Betty wrap’.”
Madeleine’s collections are named after family members: Edith, Betty, and Susie. She can also create besopke pieces of clothing or items for her Home and Interiors collection. So far her collections include jumpers, scarves, wraps, cushion covers, hot water bottle covers.
Edith Knitwear can be found online and on Instagram at @Edith_knitwear. Edith Knitwear items are also available at Rich’s Cider Farm Shop in Watchfield near Highbridge.
