Fleming & Howland is the creator of the world’s best-known British sofa and chair design: the Chesterfield. This highly distinctive visual design has been preserved using the same techniques since its origins over two centuries ago. As a small cottage industry, the family migrated from the forests of High Wycombe to the plains of Lancashire where it quietly operates under an exclusive direct-to-consumer business model. The brand's philosophy? Trends come and go, fashions change with the seasons, but quality and style are eternal.
To find out more about our latest Walpole Member, we speak to Paul Fleming, Managing Director of Fleming & Howland...
Walpole: Tell us about the history of your brand...
Paul Fleming: We consider ourselves to be heirs to age-old practices – a romantic notion, perhaps, but the pressure to keep our niche craft going can be difficult. They say first generation is the founder, the second creates the growth and the third squanders all. We’re on seventh so we must be doing something right! My father was trained by his uncle John Howland, and before him George Howland moved up from High Wycombe to Ancoats, Manchester. In the 1881 census, George is listed as "chair maker employing two men" initiating the very first workshop. From then on the trade was passed down to each generation and in 2009 the family firm was rebranded as Fleming & Howland, a name that signified the union of the two families and the best of past and present craftsmanship.
What is your brand best known for?
The iconic Chesterfield sofa design and the ancient art of dying leather by hand.
What has been a significant achievement in your company’s timeline?
In 2015 we founded the Chesterfields Trade Association, a not-for-profit organisation that certifies and protects the high standards of a genuine chesterfield sofa. One of the prerequisites is to ensure source materials and build are from within the UK only.
Why do you love the brand?
It’s a legacy business that will be passed down to the next generation, so this gives us all a much deeper sense of purpose. The brand elicits so many emotions, it’s not just furniture. We feel it through our customers every day, the feedback we receive makes it all worthwhile. It’s also texture and colour that really sets us apart. Using a process unique to Fleming & Howland, dye is mixed and massaged by hand into leather hides to add colour, celebrating the unique characteristics of each different hide. The result is a range of brilliant colours, from classic and understated to striking and vibrant.
Why does your brand represent the very best in British luxury?
Our brand represents everything that Britain is known for: a history of craft, great resilience, a sense of timelessness and a touch of eccentricity. Our furniture is testimony that one object of genuine quality is worth more than a sea of mass-produced alternatives. We represent a Britain that was, and still is, on the global map when it comes to high standards of workmanship.
What attracted you to becoming a Walpole Member?
We predict the next few years will be a great opportunity to thrive globally. Perhaps because of the export challenges Britain has had to endure recently, it feels like we are about to bounce back. Becoming a Walpole Member, and being associated with such inspiring brands, we can continue to support and promote British luxury on a world stage.
If you could collaborate with another Walpole Member, which one would you choose (and what would you like to do)?
Any Member that shares a passion to promote British luxury is top of my list. As a manufacturer we have the ability to customise our furniture whether it’s for a large project or a small one-off commission. Collaborating with other brands can open up so many new ideas, and can significantly contribute towards discovering new ways to design and build our furniture. We’ve been going for a long time, but you can always learn something new. So many great brands to work with, so little time!
Tell us about an exciting development or new launch for your brand in the coming months?
It’s the year of the rabbit so we plan to hop around the East, exhibiting at the Seoul Living Design exhibition followed by the UAE and Japan. Our new It’s Alive video will be launching in Spring and we’ve recently joined the ESG+ programme with Positive Luxury. We want to do more than increase the lifespan of our furniture and ensure that every aspect of the business is conducted in the most ethical of ways.
