The local textiles business that supplied fabric for Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation

Andrew Wagland is the Managing Director of Wagland Textiles Ltd, based in Blackhorse Lane. As well as being one of the oldest textile companies in the UK, Wagland Textiles provided a majority of the trims and fabrics for Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation.

Andrew said, “We supplied approximately 80% of all trims and fabrics, and some are still stored in our warehouse to this day.”

Wagland Textiles Ltd have a rich history in textiles. Andrew’s family originally came over to England with William of Orange, as the Royal silk makers, spending 200 years in Scotland before moving south to England.

The company was founded by Andrew’s great, great grandfather, William Henry Wagland in 1919.

Andrew explained, “The business originally started making walking sticks, umbrellas, and bag linings, but as the need for walking sticks phased out, we focussed on bag linings solely, and became one of the main suppliers of bag linings to the European bag industry.”

Around this time, they were supplying fabrics for high end retail, which is when they supplied the luxurious gold trims and fabrics for Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation gown.

They moved to Waltham Forest in 2000, taking over the site on Blackhorse Lane which was originally a steelworks.

Andrew said, “After the Second World War, my grandfather got the company running again by buying the majority of the silk from the Royal Air Force parachutes, which we stripped back into rolls of fabric to sell.” Wagland Textiles were also the first textile company in Europe to bring denim to the UK. They now mainly sell polyester fabrics commercially and design their own prints and fabrics.

Wagland Textiles are a member of Waltham Forest’s first Creative Enterprise Zone, Blackhorse Collective. Andrew has exciting plans to turn their warehouse into a fashion district and become a central hub for the Creative Enterprise Zone.