Our founder, Joan Johnston, has worked for over 20 years with British and international luxury and has travelled the world, recognising the wastage within the industry.
Passionate about UK manufacturing and natural fibres, Joan became aware of cashmere guard hair and the natural benefits of this special fibre that is often ignored by the mainstream textile industry. After extensive research, exploration and development, Joan created the first-to-market Ava Innes duvet, filled with the dream blend of cashmere guard hair, sourced from Afghanistan, blended with a touch of British wool.
Most recently, Ava Innes has become an official supporter of The Wool Campaign - a multi-national, cross-industry coalition working together to raise the profile of wool as the natural sustainable fibre for fashion and interiors. Furthermore, the extensive innovation behind the Ava Innes duvet has been recognised globally, within its first year of launch, in being shortlisted for ‘The International Design & Architecture Awards’ under the ‘Fabric’ category.
As a small team, we share a passion for what we do. Our raw cashmere guard hair is bought directly from Afghanistan and shipped, by boat, directly to our family-run manufacturers in Yorkshire, reducing our carbon footprint, often associated with textile products.
Proud to support UK manufacturing, we buy excess cashmere fabric from local mills, extending their life. Our duvets and pillows are made in Yorkshire whilst our cashmere gifts and accessories are all made in Scottish textile mills and hand-finished by our local seamstress, Fiona. We pledge to give 10% of our profits to AfghanAid who support women in Afghanistan.
We are driven to make better use of natural resources and offer a sustainable approach. Our cashmere and British wool duvets and pillows not only help you achieve a great night’s sleep surrounded by natural materials, but our duvets and pillows are fully biodegradable at the end of their life.
Where possible, we use environmentally friendly and plastic-free packaging and are always looking into this area further.
We believe in a circular economy and consistently seek to find resourceful ways to use and extend the life of our materials and give back to people and the planet.
We look to continue expanding our collections to help our customers receive the best possible night’s sleep, as we understand the great influence this has on our daily lives.