What Makes Our Products Different
Designed and made in the United Kingdom
At 20 Seventh Letter (20SL), all of our prints and products are designed in the UK by April. Our designs are printed onto fabric by a specialised textile printer in the UK and all of our products are cut and sewn in the UK. Our ethos is to support British design and manufacturing, keep British companies working and to help skilled craftspeople keep doing what they love.
Make small quantities
We are designing and making in an age where mass production has peaked and we have an abundance of products at our fingertips.
Some high street companies make large quantities of products, not only to keep up with our constant demand and desire for something new, but also to help reduce the cost per product.
At 20SL we believe in creating and offering something different for our customers. We make small quantities of products that are not oversaturated in the market, allowing our customers to know they have found and purchased something unique. Secondly, we do not want to create an excess of items; we make small quantities of products to see how well they sell and gradually make more over time to keep up with our customers’ needs.
If you see a product that is out of stock on our website, please click the ‘email when back in stock’ section on the specific product page and this will enable us to make more products to meet your requirements.
Low wastage
The most common way to cut pattern pieces is to layer up panels of fabric and to cut multiple pieces in one go, which allows factories to cut and make products as quickly as possible and reduce their labour cost.
We are currently cutting our pieces individually, which definitely takes longer(!) but allows us to position each pattern to get the most out of the cloth and to keep wastage to a minimum. Any remaining off-cuts are then used to create new products, like our headbands and cardholders, which were first made by using leftover pieces of cloth. We also use the off-cuts to create one-off items that are then sold in our sample sales at discounted prices. Please feel free to sign up to our newsletter (at the bottom of this page) to be informed about future sample sale dates.
Personal touch
We understand why larger retailers have to make their products abroad in order to keep their retail prices low and to appeal to a wider market.
At 20SL it is important to us for our products to have touched very few hands before they reach their owner and for our customers to know the story behind their product.
All designs are hand-drawn by April. We then cut and make the majority of products with the help of other British makers. All orders are then personally packed by April and sent from our small studio in South London.
Our aim is to create well-made quality pieces that will be enjoyed by you for as long as possible. We are aware that due to the nature of our products, the fabrics will wear and fade over a period of time depending on how often they are used. All of our fabric-based products can be recycled in textile banks, or alternatively please get in contact with us and we will look into ways of up-cycling your product to create something new.
