Hunter Apparel Solutions has won a six-figure contract to make ethical and sustainable uniforms for the new train service Lumo

Launching on Monday the 25th of October, Lumo is a 100% electric rail service running between London and Edinburgh and will bring a greener and more affordable travel option as the industry looks to the future of railways.

Hunter Apparel Solutions was the perfect choice for Lumo as they offered to design, source and produce a sustainable uniform whilst keeping the companies carbon footprint to a minimum. The design of the uniform also needed to mirror Lumo’s ambitious and innovative vision for rail travel with something that was completely different to traditional rail uniforms. 

The design process has seen a comprehensive collaborative and bespoke approach with Lumo’s employees also involved providing feedback directly to the team at Hunter about what they need from their work attire. Features such as easy maintenance, ethical production and creating a uniform that makes the employees feel proud to wear were high priorities. 

Eight uniform items have been created for Lumo staff including an overcoat, jumper, shirt, blouse, skirt, trousers and two hats. The Hunter team have used inspiration from their catwalk design experience along with cutting edge fabric innovation to meet Lumo’s design brief. 

The fabrics used for the garments have been sourced with mills that use the bluesign® system which means that no environmentally harmful substances have been used in the manufacturing process, guaranteeing that each item has been made sustainably. 

The uniforms are currently in production for more than 100 Lumo staff members at Hunter’s factory which is in Derry~Londonderry. The large order will also support apprenticeships, maintain jobs and maintaining traditional skills in the region.

Helen Wylde, Managing Director at Lumo, said: “We firmly believe in ethical manufacturing, and we wanted to give our colleagues quality attire that they were proud to wear. We have even consciously moved away from the word ‘uniform’ because our approach isn’t uniform, it’s unique and thoughtful, and we wanted garments to reflect that. We wanted gender-neutral apparel options that showcase our holistic and inclusive approach to business.

“Collaborating with Hunter means we’ve been able to design pieces that are totally bespoke to our needs that have been produced ethically and sustainably in the UK and EU. We’re extremely proud of how this process has been a true reflection of Lumo’s ambitions and that our attire doesn’t look like train uniforms you’re seen before!”

Hunter designer Thomas McLaughlin said: “The Lumo team is taking on a unique challenge. They’re reimagining rail travel, so our goal was to reimagine the rail uniform. Their clothing needs to be durable and comfortable and reflect their inclusive and sustainable values. Rather than taking inspiration from historic examples, we started this process completely from scratch. Instead of producing a generic garment that would be assigned to everyone, we have designed a gender-neutral, inclusive wardrobe of professional attire the whole Lumo team can select pieces from.”

Simon Hunter Esq, M.B.E., CEO Hunter, said: “This has been a truly collaborative undertaking with a brand that we have great synergy with. We value investing in our employees’ skills and development and throughout the design process it has been clear that Lumo value their employees’ needs in the same way. We’re very proud of the final selection of attire and the positive feedback we have already received from Lumo staff.”

Where Next?

RAILADVENT NEWS
The latest railway news
RailAdvent Plus
Railway Discounts, 4k Video, pictures and more!
FREE NEWSLETTERS
Signup to our daily and weekly newsletters
RAILADVENT SHOP
Railway Prints, DVD’s / Blu-Ray’s, books and more
LOCOSTOP COMMUNITY
Come and share your railway pictures
UK STEAM INFO
Upcoming mainline steam tours/loco movements
lumo
Visit their website