Our directors, Sam Thorpe and Gavin Courtnell, have travelled the world promoting English Cloth. As such they have a fantastic reputation within the industry and a fantastic rapport with tailors and wholesalers.
Gavin Courtnell, Director
Having worked in a wide variety of industries, but settling into the cloth supply chain, Gavin helped to change the face of international exports within the field. Committing to 24 hour order turnaround at a time when such service was unheard of, as well as pioneering truly active social media, Gavin has helped to bridge the gap between tailors and mills in unprecedented ways.
As Director of Sales at English Cloth, Gavin is once again pushing boundaries. Now at the forefront of designing new ranges with his partner, Sam Thorpe, the pair have worked with established mills to create stunning new cloth ranges designed to seduce the market.
Sam Thorpe, Director
Having worked in the industry since the age of 16, Sam has been something of a prodigy. With a natural instinct for cloth, its qualities and appeal, he has been a driving force in the design and sourcing of new ranges for English Cloth. Having started on the cutting table, he has worked his way up to warehouse management, and is now Logistics director at English Cloth, creating the warehouse floor-plan and working with our IT team to create the most efficient stock control system possible.
Sam particularly enjoys visiting the US and dealing with the film industry. He's been invited to the set of Gotham and often has to find the most outrageous patterns for the strangest projects - luckily he's a natural at sourcing them!
Zack Whitehead, Sales Director
Joining English Cloth in 2022, Zack is the newest addition to the EC team. His textile and market knowledge is rich and diverse due to his experience working as a fabric agent, attending European textile exhibitions and working with mid-high end fashion houses across the world. Zack also has many years experience within the Yorkshire wool/worsted industry, making him a perfect fit for EC. Providing a cheerful and professional service, Zack is equipped to handle enquiries of any size and is always happy to discuss new fabric ideas with customers - be that bespoke designs, special finishes or new and innovative fibres, depending on your end uses.
Within the Industry
Sam often visits Manchester United with our suppliers and gets on well with everyone, from finishing houses, bunch book producers and mills. Between them, they're often called upon to give input on new range designs thanks to their extensive knowledge of world markets and their individual seasons.