Yorkshire Dales brand Frimble flies the flag for bold British tweed fashion

Yorkshire brand Frimble is making a new name for itself with its British tweed jackets and skirts in contemporary cuts and bold colours. Stephanie Smith talks to owner Sophie Osborne.

When Sophie Osborne bought tweed clothing company Frimble in 2012, she was glad she already had a memorable, nifty brand name to go with the cool, contemporary tailored designs she wanted to sell.

“Thankfully, the name was already very and truly established,” she says. Frimble was founded in Ripon in 1983 by Joan Haxton, whose designs are still sought-after today – a collection went under the hammer at Tennants Auctioneers in Leyburn in May, last year.

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“I knew the brand well as she attended the shows that I still attend today with Frimble, such as Cheltenham, Badminton and Burghley, along with many others,” Sophie says.

Navy Pirate jacket, £395, at Frimble.com.Navy Pirate jacket, £395, at Frimble.com.
Navy Pirate jacket, £395, at Frimble.com.

Sophie moved the business to Bedale, where she now has a lovely shop, and set about putting her own stamp on the Frimble brand, creating a new collection for a new generation, with flattering, slim-fitting jackets and skirts, even modern minis, in both traditional tweed checks and brighter statement colour tweeds, with even bolder linings.

Sophie, 32, lives in Sutton Howgrave, North Yorkshire, with her husband, John, although she grew up in Beverley with her sister Jessica Osborne, who is an interior designer and set designer with her own company designing fabrics and wallpaper (www.jessicaosborne.com). Their father, Andrew, is a property developer and their mother, Miranda, works for the Yorkshire Party Company.

Sophie went to Queen Margaret’s School near York and then worked at the Star Inn at Harome so she could earn enough money to travel around South America for seven months with her friend Virginia. She has also worked as a personal assistant to a Yorkshire estate owner and as an office manager at Akebar Park, near Leyburn. “I loved every single job,” she says. “I’ve always loved working and enjoy working hard.”

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Ritchie Wentworth jacket, £395, Frimble.com.Ritchie Wentworth jacket, £395, Frimble.com.
Ritchie Wentworth jacket, £395, Frimble.com.
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On her return from South America, Sophie studied Business at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester. “When I came home, I saw Frimble the business was for sale in an advert in The Yorkshire Post and the rest is history,” she says. “Being from the countryside, tweed jackets are common. I wanted ladies to feel fantastic in tweed jackets but also make tweed desirable and something they could wear with trainers and a jumper, not just to the races.”

The Frimble tweed jackets are made in Lancashire, hand-cut from tweeds sourced mainly from Scotland with some from Yorkshire. “I am very very proud that my tweed jackets are 100 per cent British-made,” says Sophie.

As well as the shop at 33 North End, Bedale, there is a website, where a click and collect service is in place while the shop is closed during the latest lockdown restrictions.

“We also – normally, when Covid didn’t exist – attend shows up and down the country, such as Blair, Badminton, Burghley, Bramham and many many more,” Sophie says. “Our social calendar is on our website where customers can see when and where we will be attending next. We hope to be going to many more shows in 2021.”

Sophie Osborne wears her own tweed Pirate jacket, £395, at Frimble.com.Sophie Osborne wears her own tweed Pirate jacket, £395, at Frimble.com.
Sophie Osborne wears her own tweed Pirate jacket, £395, at Frimble.com.
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Those customers can be found across the UK and also in the US, mainland Europe and Asia. She offers new collections seasonally. “The tweed changes in colour and thickness depending on the season, but it is never scratchy and heavy, always soft and easy to wear,” she says.

“I love seeing an idea become an actual tweed jacket,” she adds. “And the best feeling of all is when a lady tries on a tweed jacket and they feel great and you see that look on their face and they feel a million dollars. That’s what it’s all about. Owning your own business is hard, especially this year. But when you see ladies walking around wearing a Frimble jacket, I do a little victory dance.”

The whole family help out, and Sophie is grateful for their support. “I could never have got to where I am now without my family. They all help me in various ways, my grannie Leonie, dad, mum, my sister Jessica, my Auntie Melanie and my husband, John. They have all been roped in over the years, whether it’s helping set up the stands, keeping me calm, rushing to the post office with online orders, bringing me copious amounts of coffee on the stands, keeping me sane, helping in the shop, checking paperwork, or just general business help,” she says. “They have also been there when I’ve needed support and, when things have been tough, they have pushed me forward.”

Designs coming in soon, at Frimble.com.Designs coming in soon, at Frimble.com.
Designs coming in soon, at Frimble.com.

And 2020 has indeed been challenging, with the shop closed and all the shows cancelled. “I love being in my shop,” Sophie says. “We had to delay all of our new designs but now we are back up and running, we will get back on track.”

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Sophie plans to expand her tweed collection further with even more styles of jacket. “We have had two new designs this year and another three next year in various amazing tweeds. We honestly can’t wait. Watch this space. It’s going to be a really exciting next few months.”

Frimble, 33 North End, Bedale, North Yorkshire, DL8 1AF and www.frimble.com.

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