Veske - New Accessory Brand Launches

Veske, a new Scottish, design led, Accessory brand launches today in Scotland and the UK.

Veske is a new sub brand for the well-known kit bag manufacturer, Montrose Rope and Sail ltd, who have grown their reputation and business within the Oil and Gas market globally, nationally and locally in the North East of Scotland over the last 40 years. Now their sights are set on growing their new brand Veske into the fashion and lifestyle market.

A New Direction
During the last oil and gas downturn in 2014, the company recognised a need to diversify some of their product range so that they could continue to develop new business and expand into new markets. It was then, Montrose Rope and Sail ltd took a strategic decision to undertake a Knowledge Transfer Partnership Project in collaboration with Grays School of Art, Robert Gordon University. By investing in this project, Montrose Rope and Sail recruited an Associate with experience in design and the luxury fashion and textiles industry to join their team and embed design into the company.

Since early 2018, Veske has been in work at the company with design development, prototyping and trials underway while the brand name and conception was created. Amy Gair, the designer on the project created the idea behind the new sub brand and the products based on the research she undertook at the company. She said “During the project, we researched the company heritage and discovered what the company was really about. We made sure to take those values and ideas and use them as a starting point for Veske.”

Craftsmanship and Heritage
The company was first established back in 1789, hand manufacturing rope and hand sewn sails for the local fishing fleets in Montrose and the North East. Fast forward over 200 years, the traditional family business has been in the same family for over 4 generations of the Paton family. Neil Paton the current Managing Director said that “it was vital for us to consider ways to diversify our products into new markets. With Veske we have expanded on the core values of the company as well as developing higher level of skill in our staff.”

With the core values of quality, local hand manufacturing still at the heart of what they do. Amy Gair who is now employed by the company as the Design and Brand Development Manager said “We worked hard to make sure Veske was authentic to the heritage of the parent company but also that it adopted new design ideas to make it appeal to the fashion and lifestyle market. As a designer in the manufacturing industry, creativity and craftsmanship work hand in hand to get the final outcome.”

Considered Materials
With values passed down from Montrose Rope and Sail ltd, the Veske brand products are designed to last and transition through seasons. As well as this, local manufacturing at the companies work shop in Montrose, means that they ensure exclusivity and avoid waste in over making by only making what is ordered.

Designing, developing and hand manufacturing everything at their workshop in Montrose has also had an impact on what materials and suppliers they have considered, with as much sourced as close to home as possible. In their first release, the “Heritage Collection” uses materials from Halley Stevensons in Dundee, only 30 miles away from the Veske manufacturing workshop in Montrose.

Future Plans
Just at the beginning of the new journey, the company plan to grow Veske within the UK fashion and lifestyle market before expanding to international markets that appreciate Scottish made products, heritage and craftsmanship. They have new products and exciting collaborations planned in the pipeline.

The new Veske collection is available on their website now: www.veskebag.com 

Twitter: @veskebag1
Instagram: @veskebag
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veskebag 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/veske