During his time as Managing Director, Paul Gunn was meticulous in overseeing every aspect of the Glenevan Mill’s operations: from sourcing and carefully selecting the yarn, importing unique intarsia machinery from Italy, recruiting talented craftspeople, creating intricate patterns and ensuring their flawless execution.
In addition to his remarkable leadership skills, Paul also had a very developed artistic bent: while in Edinburgh, he studied under the renowned artist, Ricky DeMarco, who was instrumental in nurturing Paul’s natural talent. Some of his impressive sketches eventually became the starting point for Glenevan’s most iconic knitwear designs.
To bring Paul’s sketches to life, skilled intarsia knitters used different shades of the same colour to create a unique three-dimensional embossing effect for the various floral designs. This is a very difficult technique to master but after much dedication, the craftspeople at Glenevan, under Paul’s mentorship, became particularly adept and enjoyed much success with discerning consumers.
Another feature of intarsia is that a pattern can be knit with minimal seams. This creates a harmonious design which can also be replicated on a twinset, for an impressively elegant result.
Paul Gunn felt that each garment should have a certain element of je-ne-sais-quoi, which is why he pioneered the use of mother-of-pearl buttons throughout the collection, a first in the industry.
Having created such a remarkable and stylish product line, Gunn proudly went to show it to the world: first to London, where he introduced the Glenevan collection to the historic retailers of Mayfair and St James, to the delight of their discerning clientele.
His travels next took him to the Far East, namely to the prestigious department store Mitsukoshi, where the collection featured in its shops in Japan and London, showcased as works of fine craftsmanship.
Subsequent trips to America and Asia brought increased visibility to the brand, as well as many new private clients, some of whom made the journey to Innerleithen to visit the showroom.
By this time, the company had developed its bespoke service, so clients could have their chosen designs made to measure.
Glenevan Mill now had its beautiful product line, an established following, as well as an international and eminently prestigious brand identity. Paul had accomplished what he had set out to achieve.
Paul Gunn’s skills as brand ambassador, creative designer and technical expert have been passed on to the third generation of his family, who continue to design and create the luxurious cashmere hand-intarsia garments.
As a family we feel fortunate to have benefited from his guidance on our modern designs and supported in our relaunch of the Glenevan brand, and we pride ourselves on offering the same impeccable service and quality cashmere.