David Luke Catalogue 2022

But before I give you a flavour of the brilliant things ahead, there can be no denying the challenges of the last 2 years. 2020 required so much adaptation within retail, and 2021 suffered with the delayed impact on the upstream supply chain across the world. We are likely to continue to see ripple effects of this during 2022, and it is therefore vital that we work together as a market, to handle any complications effectively and manage the realities of doing business in these times.

At David Luke, we have made some robust moves to adapt to the changing times, investing in digital, data and design, to remain competitive as the market shifts. Whilst continuing to invest in people as we manage the organisational and skills transformations required. So, we’re delighted to introduce you to new team members over the page, and also hear from our long-standing David Luke leaders on p4, about where we are focused to deliver the greatest support to you.

Product development has continued, as it is more important than ever to keep investing in sustainable products and bringing new solutions to the market. Our spread on p14 gives you a

wonderful view on the product innovations you should be aware of.

We are acutely aware that in England, The Department for Education guidance is due to be published in Autumn 2021, this is likely to see some interest from parents and the press, and your schools will need to be supported, to understand what they need to do. Where schools do need to make changes and tender processes are required, we will be launching the David Luke Tender Academy (p6), so you have all the tools you need to approach these changes with confidence.

I want to say a huge thank you to you for the support we have received in this difficult year, and congratulate the impressive way you are managing business in these times. To quote my Dad - ‘What a time to be in business?!’ – and he means that with the thrill of possibility, of change and of learning. We look forward to continuing to experience all those things with you in 2022.

Wishing

Kathryn

MEET THE TEAM

Quality Assurance Manager

Ryan Cooke joins us from Burberry in the role of Quality Assurance Manager. Having cut his cloth in product development, he went on to manage the cutting room, overseeing quality and dealing with any issues the sewing lines discovered in production. Keen to share his wealth of knowledge, Ryan has already established a technical hub for the QC team to work and one of his first projects is to carry out a full review of trouser styles in order to create a quality standard for our suppliers to adhere to.

Customer

Laurelle Obi has just completed her first back to school season in her role as Customer Operations Administrator. Unflappable in the face of stock delays, her reassuring voice has helped countless customers navigate the challenges of this extraordinary period. Laurelle is a keen athlete.

Business Development Manager

Matthew Thompson strengthens our Sales team in the newly created role of Business Development Manager for Juco. No stranger to the fast-paced world of sportswear, Matt was previously at a sportswear brand where he was known to carry out virtual sales calls in his own at-home showroom when the pandemic changed the landscape of customer interactions.

RYAN COOKE

MATTHEW THOMPSON

LAURELLE OBI

Operations Administrator

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FUTUREPROOFING

What

the ongoing

the global supply

IAN MCLAVERTY

Merchandise Director

The last 18-20 months have been the perfect storm, creating chaos in all industries. Most supply chains pride themselves on reaction time, this can only be achieved with careful planning of raw materials (stock holding), manufacturing capacity levels, and reactive logistics. Each of these areas has seen and continues to see unprecedented disruption. Communication is the only way to manage our way out of this chaos, so the team finds themselves constantly negotiating and searching out solutions to problems that present themselves. It’s going to become so important for us to keep our communication open and direct with our supply chain to understand what is happening locally for them and how they see the future playing out. The speed of change in all areas has rapidly increased and we will be striving to be much more agile in our approach to our planning.”

Commercial Director

“We’ve been on a journey of understanding what data we have, where it is stored and how we can access it. Then we need to transform it into something that makes sense and can inform decision making. That is where the tools that have emerged in the last few years allow automatic analysis, and even suggest decisions and outcomes. Ultimately, trusting that analysis and allowing the technology to make decisions is what is meant by artificial intelligence in business. We believe that we are rapidly developing towards this, and all businesses should develop their digital technology and processes to a stage where they can take a leap of faith and rely on that technology to make decisions.”

with

impact of the pandemic and delays to shipments across

chain, it’s been a back to school season like no other. We’ve gone behind the scenes to find out how our teams have coped with their own unique set of challenges and what lessons they have learnt from the past 12 months.

MARK WOOLGAR

KIRSTY CONROY

Head of People

“Our experiences this last year have given us great insight and experience of how flexible, adaptable and productive our teams, who have these options, can be, whether working at home or on site or a bit of both. With trust from their manager and the continuous emphasis on connection, purpose and being part of something bigger, I can’t see this way of working changing anytime soon. What we hope to keep developing is how our managers manage this new blended approach to treat people as individuals with different needs, requests and circumstances, whilst ensuring a fairness within their teams alongside output.”

JAMIE MORLEY

Business Development Director

Having had limited communications over the last 18 months, introducing our new approach with a hybrid of traditional face to face contact, digital meetings and the old faithful telephone we can be in more regular contact with all of our customer base. The roll out of our CRM system over the next few weeks will give us the information our customers need when they need it and enable us to continually improve.”

MELISSA MCLOUGHLIN

Customer Operations Manager

“

For Customer Relations, the main challenge has been the impact of delays experienced throughout the shipping industry. It’s been our priority to ensure our customers are kept up to date with these delays as quickly as possible. We’ve implemented automated systems, but it’s been an ‘all hands-on deck’ approach to ensure the best possible service could be given under these difficult circumstances. We’ve worked closely with other departments who have been amazing at providing us with constant updates on date changes and disruptions to containers being delivered into us.

Moving forward, with the new BI reporting system, we have data readily available at our fingertips to share with our customers and keep them updated throughout the year. Communication with our customers will be heavily improved with our new CRM system and the information we can record and share through this.”

It is likely that many schools do not need to do anything, as they will already be complying with the guidelines, but for some schools, they may need to introduce an updated policy or they may not know what they need to do. It is also possible that there will be pressure from the press, MPs or parents, and schools will need to demonstrate that what they are doing is in accordance with the guidance and in the best interests of the whole school community.

Trade Marketing Lead

“ With our in-house design capabilities and proven experience in helping retailers win prestigious tenders, you can rest assured that you will receive an exceptional, bespoke service tailored to your needs.”

LET’S WIN TOGETHER

Please speak to Jamie Morley for more information if you are preparing your school data or if you have a tender you would like support with. Tender training and workshops are planned for October/November 2021, but we will run further sessions in 2022, dependent upon demand.

We maintain that the best solution for supply to schools is an independent retailer, backing stock through a secure contract, and with the support of a small number of key manufacturers. We want to work with you to win these contracts, so schools and parents can continue to receive the best service available.

AND WHAT IF YOUR SCHOOLS NEED TO GO OUT TO TENDER?

You can equip yourself with the tools needed to compete for a competitive tender by working with us. We are working with a professional tender-writing company, to provide training and workshops to independent retailers. We have in-house design capabilities, to put the tender together professionally with modern artwork and marketing materials. We have detailed supply chain information and accreditations, to show schools the origin of their products. We have access to the relevant agreements and legal review required, to take on contracts with schools, or jointly with us, if the school group is looking for a business to underwrite the contract.

The package of support we put together can be tailored to the individual needs of you and the school, with an appropriate level of David Luke products presented in the bid.

SAMANTHA LEIGH

Free Online Taster Workshop – Duration 1 hour:

The one-hour taster session will cover the following areas specifically tailored around school uniform tender completion and based upon the SA advisory tender template:

FREE TASTER SESSION

How to make sure you don’t miss a tender or see it too late to reply

What to expect when a tender arrives

Time, resources, and skills needed to write a winning tender

The type of questions and topic areas you will have to respond to

PREMIUM SESSION

Online Workshop 1 – Duration 4 hours:

The first four-hour subscribed workshop will cover the following areas specifically tailored around school uniform tender completion and based upon the SA advisory tender template:

Ensuring you have the right and up-to-date policies, procedures and evidence in place before the tender arrives

How you demonstrate financial stability and insurance cover

The importance of reading and preparation/research of the school and your competitors

Ensuring that you/your company meet the required mandatory exclusion criteria and can mitigate all/any risks to the school of selecting your company to supply

Understanding what the school wants to see in your response, what is important to them and how you can score high marks and impress them

The importance of the references/referees you provide in the tender documents and how to write strong, compelling descriptions of the current schools/services you provide

Planning your timeline from receiving the tender to submitting a winning proposal to the school within the deadline

“

JAMIE MORLEY

Business Development Director

The Tender Academy we are providing will give a level playing field to all our schoolwear retailers to tender for both their existing schools and any potential new schools that they may want to gain. Being able to complete tenders to a level to compete will be vital for their businesses and we want to be able to help achieve this.”

PREMIUM SESSION

Online Workshop 2 – Duration 4 hours:

The second four-hour subscribed workshop will cover the following areas specifically tailored around school uniform tender completion and based upon the SA advisory tender template:

Understand how your answers will be evaluated – what are the evaluators looking for and what do we need to ensure is in each of our answers

How to interpret the question then break it down to gain maximum points for your response, including the use of headings to signpost the reader/evaluator

Structuring creative answers in line with the school’s brief/requirements and how the answer will be marked

Effectively selling your company’s features & benefits

The importance of evidence and writing case studies to demonstrate capability/ capacity and competence

Developing a professional writing style, using persuasive language, graphics & visuals

Understanding (and avoiding) the most common mistakes made

PAKISTAN

PAKISTAN

SOUTH AFRICA

Take a trip around our world of factories, business partners and workers, to get a true understanding of the journey our products make from source to customer.

SRI LANKA

18 years

5,499 miles 10 hr 50 min 4 weeks

Girls skirts & trousers, junior boys trousers, polo shirts, JUCO, sportswear

CHINA

15 years 5,372 mile 10 hr 40 min 7 weeks Eco-blazers & jackets, girl guides

BANGLADESH

2 years 5,025 miles 10 hr 5 weeks Shirts & blouses

KEY:

SPOTLIGHT ON: How we value our supply chain

Understanding and valuing our supply chain is a critical part of our commitment to doing good business. During these difficult times, it has been more important than ever before to appreciate the true value of our incredible factories and their workforce.

“We have had a responsibility to support every supplier to ensure they could simply continue trading during the pandemic. Surviving lockdowns, working with reduced efficiency, increasing safety procedures, managing late deliveries and congestion at ports are all real-world problems that we have had to work closely with our suppliers throughout the chain to overcome. Most important of all is staff safety. Our long-term relationships have enabled us to support our suppliers and we have benefited from reciprocal support when we have needed it.” Ian

McLaverty, Merchandise Director

Decisions on where and who we do business with go far beyond just price. Price is an important factor but there is so much more that needs to be considered. That is why we see huge value on our partnerships with the ETI and Sedex.

“We are determined to have a positive impact on everyone involved in the chain and for us to do this our level of understanding needs to increase. Engaging the wider business in our work with the ETI is going to be key to ingraining the principles so that they are top of everyone’s agenda and not just those who work closely with product. We’re looking forward to having deeper conversations across the business to make this a reality.”

ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET? CLICK HERE

Check out our ‘Are we nearly there yet?’ report, to find out more about the sustainable journey that The Parently Group is on and why we are not even close to the end yet.

IAN MCLAVERTY

Merchandise Director

Factory Case Study:

SOUTH AFRICA

We have been working with David Luke since 1990. We started with the production of trousers and shorts and then a few years later introduced blazers.

The fabrics we purchase and use for David Luke are above the standard quality used by competitors. The processes we use to manage quality start from cutting sheet information, to cutting room sew bar, on line quality check, off line quality check and to final check in despatch before goods leave. Trims used, such as zips, interlinings & hook and bars are of superior quality.

We employ 340 to 450 staff depending on production requirements and pay SA clothing gazetted living wage.

Our average production is 150 000 trousers / shorts & 45 000 Blazers.

In these times where the world is feeling the strains of over utilisation in all fields it is good to be trading with a company that shares our similar views on quality and sustainable practices.

SEDEX

Member

Sedex is one of the worlds leading ethical trade membership organisations to help businesses improve working conditions within their supply chain. This online platform enables businesses to operate responsibly, sustainably, protect workers and source ethically.

ETI

We are members of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI). The Ethical Trading Initiative helps guide companies to trade ethically, to make a positive difference to workers’ lives. By becoming a member of ETI, we commit to adopt and implement the ETI Base Code and to undertake activities intended to promote respect for workers’ rights and to achieve real improvements in working conditions within our business and supply chain.

EXPLORE OUR BIGGEST EVER ECO-UNIFORM RANGE

ECO-SHIRTS & BLOUSES WITH RECYCLED PACKAGING

Our sustainable journey continues with the Eco-uniform range reaching another milestone in 2021. First to the Schoolwear market with Eco-shirts & blouses in the Spring, this latest offer pushes our already extensive eco offering of blazers, jackets, trousers, shorts, skirts, polos and sweats, even further. These new products contain 3.5 plastic bottles, with the polyester content of each shirt and blouse style 100% recycled, plus the packaging itself is also recycled and recyclable.

NO ACRYLIC, SOFT HANDLE SWEATS

Our sweatshirt offering saw a refresh in Summer 2021. The removal of acrylic from the ranges garment composition, gives the styles a much softer handle whilst retaining its high-performance colourfastness. The polyester content remains recycled with each sweatshirt style made using 3 recycled plastic bottles, which would otherwise end up in landfill.

ZIPPY - THE NEW FORMAL

All sweatshirt styles saw a freshen up this Summer, but it’s the full zip baseball style sweatshirt, the ‘Zippy’, that stole the show. The innovative and practical over-layer, with zipped front design, makes it the perfect solution for those ‘in between seasons’ months. Manufactured with durable, recycled fabric and designed with a modern unisex style, it can easily be passed down between siblings. Making the ‘Zippy’ the must have ‘basic’ amongst sweatshirts.

INTRODUCING

OUR UNISEX ECO-HOODIE

The unisex Eco-hoodie joins our bestselling Ecouniform range this Autumn. Perfect for layering in the colder months, it’s guaranteed to be a winter uniform favourite. Alternatively, this new style is a great option for a school leavers memento.

This versatile school jumper is made from a softhandle eco-fabric with a fabric weight of 300gsm and a cosy hood, that will ensure kids are kept warm.

NEW

JUCO, OUR SUSTAINABLE SPORTS KIT

Our Juco sports kit offers a contemporary update in the team sportswear market with a design-led look.

Within the range, 70% of the products are classified as Eco. The Envirotech fabric used in hero styles such as the Skort, Unisex Polo Shirt, Baselayers and T-Shirts, is made using recycled polyester which is derived from post-consumer plastic waste.

Items joining the Juco range in 2021/22 include a unisex sports short (DL7004). Whilst our popular Skort (DL909) and Legging (DL915) make the move from David Luke Sportswear over to Juco, with updated branding and the introduction of Envirotech recycled fabric compositions. Visit page 134 for the Juco lookbook.

KEY INFORMATION

ECO-UNIFORM

These products are made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. Roll over this icon and click for more details on each product's recycled content.

CERTIFIED RECYCLED CONTENT

These products are SCS Global Services certified as containing post-consumer waste in the polyester content. Roll over this icon and click for more details on each product's certified recycled content.

DL GUARD

DL GUARD

These products have a DL Guard finish, which keeps fabric looking better for longer. The finish is water repellent, kind to the environment, stain resistant and improves the durability of the garment.

NO COLOUR FADING

These products have no colour fading, ensuring the fabric keeps a required amount of colour after washing.

EMBROIDERY

Embroidery options are available for these products. See page 54.

0% VAT INFORMATION

Sizes highlighted in blue are zero-rated VAT and held out for sale for age 13 years and younger. We only sell school uniforms and are not involved in any adult markets, which differentiates our garments as being clearly held out for sale in the spirit of the VAT regulations.

STOCK ALL YEAR ROUND

We invest in high stocks to make sure we give you the best service in the schoolwear market. There will always be more arriving soon, in the unlikely event that we run out of a size or colour.

LIMITED STOCK AVAILABILITY

No minimums. A significant stock investment, but ultimately limited availability. These styles or colours need to be forward ordered to be sure of stock, with the possibility of sizes selling out around back to school if demand exceeds our forecast.

MADE TO ORDER

Made to order garments with lead times and minimums. This can differ by fabric or product, but we’re always working to reduce both. Please check the specific product information in the appropriate section of the catalogue.

SUPPLIED ON HANGERS

Indicates

by David Luke

Stock blazers and jackets can offer the flexibility to buy them as near to the point of sale as possible, improving retail cash flow and stock flow. And by adding school-specific enhancements, an individual look for schools is easily achieved.

STEP THREE: ADD EMBROIDERY

Our

We are able to offer this enhancement to turn

STEP FOUR: SELECT TAPING

Fast mock-up service

CAD drawings are a great way to help your schools make a decision. We can mock up a variety of options, plus insert the school logo. It's a great tool to win new business.

• At source minimum 100, UK just 20

• Standard stock colours are available, non stock on request with increased lead times

• Lead times determined by approval date and time of year

Samples

FREE origination whether badged at source or UK Fast UK in-house repeats, 8 piece minimum At source minimums 100 (surcharge for less) Lead times determined by approval date & time of year (confirmed at time of ordering) Tape colours available in our stocked blazer & jacket range 21

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POLYESTER / WOOL

Boys Academia jacket – DL 1970

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Our Independent blazers and jackets offer a bespoke alternative to schools that require an entirely personalised look. The garments are made to order with decades of manufacturing experience, producing the most durable and prestigious look a school could want.

Specific features of garments can be tailored to your individual requirements as follows:

Linings: stock colour or bespoke design

Vents: side double, centre single or vents

Pockets: patch, jetted flaps and positions

Buttons: stock or bespoke and quantity

Find out more on page 52

Fast mock-up service

CAD drawings are a great way to help your schools make a decision. We can mock up a variety of options, plus insert the school logo. It's a great tool to win new business.

Final enhancements and embellishments help you create a customised jacket or blazer. Please consider the following: • Embroidery: digitised image needed • Tape/cord/piping: standard colour or special dye • Tape/cord/piping: positioning

Tape colours available in our stocked blazer & jackets colours

Find out more on page 52

Samples

For schools wishing to see a finished garment or options for them to consider, we can produce examples or final sample garments subject to trims and embroidery design availability.

CHOOSE DAVID LUKE WOOL

The wool we produce at David Luke is manufactured to the highest specification and will withstand the test of time.

STEP ONE

The wool is first carbonised to eliminate impurities, and then carefully washed.

STEP THREE

The spinning process follows precise mathematical rules to create yarn of a consistent diameter.

STEP TWO STEP FOUR

The fibre blend is sent through the carding process. This eliminates the fibres that are too short and gently aligns the rest to ensure consistency.

The warping machine the beam for the weaving. Then, the warp, together the yarn, are woven.

With many prestigious and traditional schools requiring wool blazers for their schools, David Luke is the choice for this exceptional quality fabric.

It’s all in the blend

We use a blend of fine wool for softness and warmth together with slightly coarser wool to add shine and body to the finished fabric. Blending specific different fibre lengths creates a strong, full, even and round yarn to optimise a consistent dyeing process and final consistent finished presentation.

STEP FIVE STEP SEVEN

Using moisture, heat and pressure, the surface opens up, resulting in a controlled and even shrinkage creating a compact and wind-resistant structure.

The fabric then goes through a steam pressure treatment process at a temperature of around 120°C, which ensures the wool will not revert to its pre-finished state.

machine prepares weaving. together with woven.

STEP SIX

A colour matching procedure ensures consistent dye batches. The dye recipes have to be closely controlled and varied according to the behaviour of the wool between each lot.

CHOOSE OTHER FABRICS

Poly/wool

For a superior suiting look, the poly/ wool fabrics we use incorporate natural wool fibre with the durability of polyester to perform throughout the school year. (Also available with Elastane.)

Tweed

A quality to match the rigours and demands of schoolwear fabrics, whilst giving schools an individual identity with classic niche tailoring.

Wool/cotton stripes

Our Venetian stripes range remains popular with many schools wanting a truly distinctive look. The cotton adds strength and durability with bespoke designs giving a differentiated look for any school choosing this fabric.

Poly/viscose

This fabric offers an extremely durable, washable and easy care cloth. The hopsack weave provides a textured feel to the fabric as an enhancement to a standard polyester fabric. (Also available with Elastane.)

Polyester

Offering extreme durability, polyester is hard wearing for the rigours of everyday wear. The superior polyester we use in our Independent blazers has a barathea weave to provide a soft handle and structured finish.

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ADD ENHANCEMENTS

Tape, cord or piping can be added to further customise a blazer or jacket. Available in standard colour or special dye.

Taping is a great finishing touch, with lots of positioning options such as taped lapels, pockets and cuffs.

Pockets can have a variety of designs - patch, jetted, with flaps, slanted, mock to name just a few.

Choose from stock or bespoke buttons and how many to place on the garment. Most popular is a 2 or 3 button front.

Vents - whether you choose none, one or two, the back vents will often fall in line with the garment design selected but can also be specified.

The lining can be closely matched to the shade of the blazer or jacket or can be made into a design feature. Alternatively pick a bright contrast lining or a bespoke printed lining, specific to the school.

David Luke can make ordering your bespoke blazers and jackets straightforward. With the digital file of the school logo, many options can be explored to present the school with updated and stylish branding. Talk to us about your enquiry and we can work together.

Give us a call on: 0161 272 7474

Embroidery is typically placed on the breast pocket but with more modern jacket styling, the lapel or pocket flap are also becoming popular.

IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU REQUIRE,

GIRLS TROUSERS & SKIRTS

Designed to pass the toughest tests

With a wide range of styles and lengths, we are blending school requirements with what style conscious girls want.

SCS Global Services have certified that 100% of the polyester we use in our girls trouser, skirts & pinafore contains post-consumer waste.

Long sleeve eco-shirt with standard collar – DL 80

Short sleeve eco-shirt with standard collar – DL 81

Long sleeve eco-blouse with standard collar – DL 82

Short sleeve eco-blouse with standard collar – DL 83

Long sleeve eco-blouse with rever collar – DL 84

Short sleeve eco-blouse with rever collar – DL 85

Junior unisex eco velcro shirt – DL 86

SWEATSHIRTS

CRAFTWEAR

Because even our uniforms aren’t paint-proof

A must-have garment for arts, crafts & science classes, protecting even the most enthusiastic student's school uniform.

Pool cap printing

Printed pool caps are printed on directly and are an MTO product. Due to the powdering required, caps are not taken from stock to be printed. We generally advise printing on the silicon caps to ensure the life of the print, however the latex caps can also be used.

Minimum order is 25 by colour, and any more in multiples of 25. Lead time is generally 6-8 weeks, or sooner if possible.

CARE INFORMATION

CARE INFORMATION SYMBOL GUIDE

Normal (maximum) washing temperature

Normal (maximum) washing temperature

Wool wash

Hand wash only

Do not wash

Do not bleach

Cool iron

Medium iron

Do not iron

Can be professionally dry cleaned

Do not dry clean

May be tumble dried

May be tumble dried with low heat setting

Do not tumble dry

FORWARD ORDERS

365 Stock Orders: These must be taken by the originally agreed dispatch date. Any orders not dispatched by this date may be cancelled.

Manufacturing tolerance: For MTO stock, there may be some difference in the final quantities of the order. This is due to the requirements of the manufacturing process. We may dispatch the full quantity if the difference is negligible.