Taylor Made Designs (TMD), a creator of uniforms and workwear for leading visitor attractions, theme parks, zoos, aquariums, and museums across the United Kingdom and Europe, has shared how it created a sustainable brand experience for the National Oceanography Centre.
Based in Southampton, UK, the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is one of the world’s top ocean research institutions. NOC’s scientists work around the globe, uncovering links between the ocean, climate change and biodiversity loss, to help every living thing on our planet flourish.
NOC challenged Taylor Made Designs to create a truly sustainable staff uniform range that could showcase their brand without compromising on quality.
“This client’s branding is incredibly intricate,” says Lucy Squire, business development manager at Taylor Made Designs. “It only looks right with flawless high-definition print and embroidery.”
In-house experts
NOC often pairs its logo with a series of proprietary marine illustrations: fine-line drawings that show off the wonders of our oceans and the work that NOC does. When NOC approached Taylor Made Designs, it needed a branded uniform that would make the most of this intricate artwork while still honouring its environmentally responsible values.
The TMD team collaborated with world-leading workwear suppliers, then delivered a mix of embroidery and print finishes on sustainable and organic clothing.
“Our in-house branding experts are the best in the business,” says Squire. “We pushed our embroidery machines to the absolute limit in the R&D phase, but there were times when the artwork had to go thinner than the diameter of a single embroidery thread. Thankfully, our high-definition print systems can apply precise designs you can measure in microns.”
Every finished garment was delivered in fully recyclable packaging on carbon-neutral trucks, which is a standard part of the service at Taylor Made Designs.
Once the branded uniform project was complete, Taylor Made Designs then supplied NOC with a range of retail-ready branded merchandise. The same rules applied: products had to be sustainable, high-quality, and feature exceptionally fine design work.
Taylor Made Designs sourced and decorated a range of sustainable tote bags, tops and stationery. The company also used its own in-house specialist lathe printer to apply 360° wraparound designs to its own sustainable bottle range.
“We’ve always been passionate about sustainability, ever since we started in 1993,” says Ed Taylor, managing director of Taylor Made Designs. “In the early days, going green used to involve so much compromise. Clients often had to expect higher prices, inferior materials or a poorer standard of finish, just to do the right thing. That’s never sat right with us.
"We’ve been working to improve our offering, bit by bit, for years. It’s been hard work, but we’ve stuck with it, and we’re proud to say the days of compromise are – for the most part – over. At TMD, we can create products that are both beautiful and sustainable.
"We’re so grateful to clients like NOC, who give supply-chain sustainability the attention it deserves.”
TMD recently shared insights into how a branded uniform can boost team performance.
