Our Story
Discover what makes the Whitby Yard brand so special from our unique inspirations to our collaborations with innovative partners and our sustainable ambitions for the future...
Meet our Founder...
I’m Jacquie and was born in Wimbledon, London, starting my career working in an animation company before moving on to an interior design house in the prestigious Chelsea Harbour and more recently I’ve worked as a senior manager for a Blue-Chip UK company. I’ve always had a passion for creativity and studied at Salford University in interior design. Having relocated to the county of Yorkshire to live I soon discovered the Whitby coast and spent many weekends there and loved it so much decided to buy a holiday home in the town.
My inspiration for the Whitby Yard brand came about after a lazy holiday in New England in 2018, I wanted to capture the essence of Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard and evoke the thought of long Summer days, taking in the salty air and watching the yachts with their breezy sails cruising on the waves.
The sight of a whale off our Whitby coast is iconic, representing a grace and power to leave all in awe at the magic of these majestic mammals, this was the inspiration of the whale tail on my logo. I’m proud of my association with Whitby, its long sandy beaches and timeless nautical heritage. It is ancient seafarers who first created Whitby’s yards, enjoy meandering around these today and feel their spirit seep from the cobbles.
Collaborations
Whitby Yard are passionate about sustainability and that’s why we are excited about our collaboration with Sails and Canvas who share the same values for recycling and sustainability. Sails and Canvas was founded in 2015 by two childhood friends, Mandi and Juliette and are based in a sail loft studio in Devon. They recycle sailcloth, meaning every sail they use is given a new lease of life and less sailcloth end up in landfill. The thread, grommets, insignia and canvas used is all of marine quality and where possible sourced locally. Sails and Canvas have exclusively created a range for Whitby Yard, adding our whale tail and oars designs to their sailcloth bags.
Visit our recycled sailcloth collection and help save our environment by stopping sails ending up in landfill.
Sustainability at Whitby Yard
The team and I are passionate about sustainable fashion and we are always looking at ways we can continue to develop our approach and build it into the brand vision for the future. We love this illustration by friend of Whitby Yard, Eve Harker and we aim to continue our progress on this journey into the future.
