Written by Rhys Friedli
Published Thursday 13th November 2025
Founded in 2022 in South Wales by Ioan Bowen-Pickett, Cambrensis is a Welsh heritage fashion label dedicated to making high-quality garments for all occasions. We combine Welsh cultural history with contemporary designs and functional outerwear, whilst innovating new ideas and embracing modern design techniques to create a unique image.
We aim to become Wales’ leading fashion label and to pioneer the ever-growing fashion scene in new and creative ways. The journey is long, but we are just getting started. Follow along with our blog to learn more about the brand, new updates, and more!
Cambrensis is a brand deeply rooted in Welsh history and culture, symbolised by the miner’s lamp in our logo. The coal mining industry had a seismic effect on Wales’ culture and history for centuries, shaping the valleys of South Wales and providing work for a large portion of the population - briefly making Cardiff Bay one of the world’s leading coal ports and most important cities.
Our head office is located right here in Cardiff Bay, where we are constantly reminded of the vast history of the surrounding area. So, what better way to pay homage to those who made Wales what it is today than by centering our brand around the item so many of these men would carry daily?
We aim to create a brand that Welsh people can directly identify with, whilst maintaining
simplicity and quality that will open us up to the wider fashion world.
Cambrensis has seen a steep incline in growth since its foundation, including many events - the most notable being The Victory to the Miners runway show, Wales’ biggest-ever runway show, held in February 2025 and covered by mainstream media such as the BBC and S4C. This marked a very important night for the brand’s growth and brought significant attention to us.
We were highlighted as one of Wales’ rising stars in the Wales Business Insider, along with many other bright talents from the surrounding area. This has opened the door for the evolution of the label and means we can continue focusing on creating new events in the hope of reaching more fashion-minded individuals and representing our small but great nation in the global menswear scene.
We have sold across the world, but for us, the sky is the limit!
In October, we launched the brand-new Little Collier design which will be used as the
brand's long-running mascot and a major design inclusion in future pieces. The long term goal of the Little Collier is to raise money for children’s charities, inspired by a drawing made by the late Dewi Bowen in Merthyr in the late 1980s. It depicts Bert Minard, a young Welsh valleys resident who won first prize in the 1925 Merthyr Carnival for his miner costume.
This image is quintessentially Welsh and shows just how important miners were to the valleys of Wales and the people who resided there - not just as workers, but as an important pillar in the history of Welsh industry and community.
Just as young Bert celebrated those people in his costume, we aim to celebrate those who gave everything to the growth of our nation, and also to remember the work of Dewi - who was Ioan’s great uncle - an incredibly creative and driven man who worked as an art teacher in Merthyr and dedicated his life to his craft.
The Little Collier launch event was well attended and greatly successful. Held at The
Canopi on Tudor Street in Riverside, Cardiff, the event included a pop-up shop, a talk panel with the founder, and a first look at the Little Collier short film narrated by the BBC’s Roy Noble, another notable Welsh personality. The film goes into great detail about the foundation of this design and why it is so significant to so many people.
The Little Collier short film will premiere on Sunday, the 16th of November, on our official
Cambrensis YouTube channel. Be sure not to miss it by signing up for our newsletter and
following along with our social media.
The most recent event in the Cambrensis timeline was the launch of our new ‘Genoa’
collaboration with South Wales-based Tony Rivers, who co-authored the book Magnetic,
which focuses in great detail on the work of Italian menswear pioneer Massimo Osti -
famous for creating C.P. Company and Stone Island, both mainstays in global menswear
fashion.
The ‘Genoa’ range is dedicated to another important part of South Welsh history and
culture: Italian immigration to the Welsh valleys - whether as coal miners or as founders of the Italian cafés found in almost every valley town.
The collaboration between Magnetic and Cambrensis consists of:
● the ‘Picinisco' T-shirt, depicting a Welsh miner in a design reminiscent of Poste Italiane postage stamps, featuring the miner’s lamp and a map of Wales; and
● the ‘Bardi’ Jacket, a beautifully designed and crafted jacket in a medieval blue
colourway with white stitching details to accentuate the piece, including the aforementioned T-shirt design as a calling card on the inner lining.
The jacket highlights simplicity and quality, drawing inspiration from the early works of
Massimo Osti, whilst staying in line with the modern direction we move in as a brand.
The launch event for the ‘Genoa’ collaboration was held at Knight Vintage, one of Cardiff’s leading small businesses and a regular supplier of Massimo Osti garments. Located in the Castle Arcade in Cardiff city centre, the launch included free Italian beer and Welsh cakes to symbolise the link between the two cultures.
Many people turned up to support the launch, and it has provided a brilliant stepping stone for future collaborations.
In the near future, we are hosting many pop-up shops and events. Interested in learning
more about our brand? Maybe you’d like to purchase one of our high-quality garments for yourself or a loved one? Come see us at:
● The Official Wales Fanzone - 18.11.25, Walkabout, Cardiff
● Cambrensis Soft Launch - 22.11.25, Signori Menswear, Porthmadog
● Cambrensis Pop-up Shop - 29.11.25, Calandras Menswear, Hereford
● Coaltown Christmas Market - 6–7.12.25, The Roastery, Ammanford
● Cambrensis X Magnetic Pop-up Shop - 13.12.25, Calandras Menswear, Hereford
● Welsh Menswear Pop-up Shop: Cambrensis, Magnetic & Spirit of ’58 -
20.12.25, Signori Menswear, Porthmadog
Diolch yn fawr iawn - thank you for reading the Cambrensis Blog.