Outdoor and skiwear brand TOG24 teams up with local artists to create Yorkshire logo T-shirts and floral co-ords

TOG24 stands for “Truth Over Glory Everyday”, reflecting an ethos that caters for a real and accessible outdoors lifestyle, taking walks and skiing holidays with family and friends, rather than planting flags on mountains.

Based in Heckmondwike, TOG24 was founded in 1958 by Donald Ward - Big D - who had been apprenticed as a millwright. At first the firm made footwear, then, in the 1970s, sports bags and football kits, before finally producing the waterproofs and fleeces that remain its core designs, later adding skiwear, casual and holiday clothing and accessories.

In 2010, manufacturing switched from the Spen Valley to overseas, but all products are still designed in TOG24’s HQ base at Spen Vale Mills in Heckmondwike, where Donald’s sons and grandsons now run the firm. As well as online, the brand retails from more than 60 outlets across Britain and Ireland, and its original factory shop in Heckmondwike.

For its spring/summer 2024 collections, TOG24 has teamed up with three Yorkshire illustrators and designers, Hannah Penrose, Luke Horton and Joseph Cox, to create a series of patterns and illustrations that feature on key pieces.

Vanessa Barber, TOG24 head of product, says: "We have been working on supporting our local community more through fundraising, employee donation days and donating products.

“We also wanted to support local artists and decided that collaborating on a range of prints and graphics for our summer collection would be the perfect opportunity to do this.

"After a lot of research, we came across local Yorkshire artists Hannah, Luke and Joe and thought their handwriting and style of illustration fitted with our collection's look and feel for the season.”

Hannah Penrose, an award-winning designer based in East Yorkshire, has created a series of bold prints of flowers, leaves and vibrant colours for a TOG24 women's range of T-shirts, sweatshirts and summer co-ords, including floral shirts and shorts sets that make the perfect beach-to-bar combo.

Illustrator Hannah, who lives in Skidby with her husband and three children, works from home and sells her illustrated maps and cards in local shops and online. (Hannahpenrose.co.uk; @hannah_penrose_illustrations). She also creates patterns, especially floral designs.

“Collaboration with a clothing outlet such as TOG24 is huge for my small business,” she says. “My immediate thought was to use colours such as fuchsia and cobalt blue, as I feel they emit a strong summer vibe.

“I think the world of fashion is very closely linked to art. I use art as a way of expressing myself. I think choosing an outfit and getting dressed is just the same - it’s a way of expressing how you feel and how you want to be portrayed.”

For the men's spring/summer collection, Hull-based illustrator and graphic artist Joseph Cox (josephjcox.co.uk; @josephjcox) has created colourful, location-inspired graphics that nod to TOG24’s Yorkshire surroundings. Managing director Mark Ward says: "The prints Joseph has created for TOG24 are inspired by the Yorkshire seaside and feature all the classics such as seagulls, fish and chips and ice cream."

Born in Beverley and now based in Hull at Juice Studios on Humber Street, his work encompasses illustration, graphic design, animation and print, with projects including work for music festivals such as Humber Street Sesh and Slam Dunk, album artwork and promotion, illustrated maps and museum activity books. He also runs and sells his work through Form Shop & Studio in Hull with his partner, Alice. His designs are inspired by technology, architecture, music, industry, science, cities, infrastructure, museum collections and the local area.

At home with The Zip Yard franchise owner Neluka Dunning

“I work mostly digitally, while commercial pieces often start as sketches and compositional ideas first,” he says. “For my own work I‘ll often just jump straight in and start illustrating the shapes and forms of something that’s caught my interest.”

Collaborations are important to an artist’s work, he says: “Individual projects can push you out of your comfort zone and make you explore new ideas.

“I’ve always liked that fashion provides a canvas for a different type of work. I find some illustrations I create work well as wall art prints, whereas others work better as a T-shirt or surface pattern. It allows artists to be versatile and change their style for different purposes.”

Also working with menswear, Sheffield-based artist Luke Horton (lukehortonart.co.uk; @lukehortonart) has created graphics that pay homage to the Spen Valley and the North, packed with wit and humour. He has a shop on Middlewood Road, Hillsborough, Sheffield, and a pop-up shop at Fox Valley Shopping Park.

“I am a huge believer in surrounding yourself with things that make you smile and feel good and I base my designs on these fundamental values,” he says.

“Any collaboration is exciting. TOG24, in particular, was really enjoyable as our values, style, and approach seem to align. Fashion is art, and art is fashion so for me, these two align naturally, just like TOG24 and LHA do.”

See the TOG24 collections here

Luke is hosting an art showcase of his latest collections at The Mowbray in Sheffield on September 19. Joseph Cox has a solo exhibition planned later in the year at Eastgate Studio in Beverley and will be exhibiting in a group show in October at Juice Studios

Hannah has a busy summer, autumn and Christmas ahead taking part in makers’ markets.

TOG24’s Vanessa Barber says: "It’s been great working with Hannah, Luke and Joe and we plan to continue collaborating with local Yorkshire artists for future collections and are already working on the next collection for Summer 2025."

tog24.com