Turtle Doves becomes part of Refined Brands portfolio

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jan 9, 2023

Britain’s Turtle Doves has been acquired by eco- and ethically-focused group Refined Brands, which looks like a good fit for the business.

Shrewsbury-based Turtle Doves was founded in 2009 by Kate and Graham Holbrook and uses post-consumer textile waste to create upcycled ‘new' clothing and accessories. It saw sales of £4.5 million in the last 12 months.

As part of the Refined Brands grouping it joins labels such as digitally native sustainable knitwear, footwear and outerwear business Celtic & Co, as well as Frugi, the ethically-sourced sustainable kidswear brand.

With Turtle Doves on board, the company now has an interesting selection of labels that are set to make the most of consumer interest in sustainability. And it looks like the parent company wants to make the most of synergies and the complementary nature of the brands.

For instance, SS23 will see the launch of the first of many collabs with the debut of cashmere mule slippers. These will be hand-made in Cornwall and will feature a Turtle Doves recycled cashmere upper and a Celtic & Co British sheepskin lining.

Company chairman Ben Barnett said that Refined Brands had been created to build a differentiated family of sustainable fashion labels along with their founders. And with that in mind, Graham Holbrook and the team are staying with the business under its new owner.

He said it’s a “natural step” for Turtle Doves as it targets international markets: “The systems and expertise at Refined Brands will enable us to sell directly to customers around the world, and also to large retailers and online marketplaces. We will be able to employ more people in the UK, save more clothes from landfill, and deliver our award-winning service to more customers. We are already seeing the benefits from the exchange of ideas that come from like-minded businesses working together.”

And Group MD James Williams added: “Combined, our brands create the leading portfolio of digitally-native, British ethical fashion brands with a razor sharp focus on natural and sustainable fabrics. As a group, we see significant opportunity to bring our pioneering brands to an ever-growing audience of ethically conscious consumers.”