Looking Ahead: Cambrensis 2026 | Founder Q&A
Written by Rhys Friedli
Published Thursday 22nd January 2026
Happy new year everyone, and welcome back to the Cambrensis blog. Best wishes from everyone at our team here in Cardiff. With Christmas already behind us and a new year beginning, it’s right back to work, leaving no stone unturned and looking forward to another bigger, better year than before. 2025 was a brilliant year for our brand, with thanks to all those who purchased garments, attended our events, or even just followed along with our brand through our media platforms. We thoroughly believe we can continue our upwards trajectory in new and exciting ways throughout 2026. With huge announcements in the works and plenty of events to look forward to, this year is sure to be an exciting and vitally important step on our way to becoming Wales’ biggest menswear brand.
Here we have a Q&A with the founder of Cambrensis, Ioan Bowen-Pickett, on all things Cambrensis, menswear, and of course, our plans for the coming year.
Q: Where does the name Cambrensis come from, and what does it represent to you?
A: Cambrensis means ‘Of Wales’ in Latin, deriving from a man called Gerald Cambrensis, who was one of the earliest people to document his travels through Wales. I feel it represents Wales and our direction perfectly as it combines history and identity in one word.
Q: How did your personal background influence the brand’s identity?
A: My parents are both from the Welsh Valleys, so Welsh culture and history are ingrained in me from birth. I am passionate about representing Wales. I hope we can keep putting Welsh fashion on the map.
Q: How would you describe Cambrensis’ aesthetic in three words?
A: Timeless, Premium and Welsh.
Q: Was there a specific moment when you knew this brand had to exist?
A: I’ve always been interested in menswear from a very young age, through following my team, Cardiff City, and this is where my sense of style and education within menswear and fashion started. I saw an opportunity for a premium Welsh label, as it
hasn’t been done before, especially with my vision of South Wales through my upbringing and early exposure to designer labels. That’s where I realised Cambrensis had to exist.
Q: Where do you draw inspiration for your brand?
A: Everything in Cambrensis is representing and celebrating Welsh heritage and culture, specifically the history of Welsh mining that has become ingrained in South Wales and beyond. I try to include as much of the visual identity of the Welsh mining culture as possible, but it’s important to incorporate all parts of Welsh culture, and I’m looking forward to exploring much more in the future. I feel it has a real personal and emotional aspect and makes for a special visual identity – it’s what gets me up in the morning.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring fashion entrepreneurs?
A: Just start, that’s obviously the first hurdle. It’s about persistence and carrying on, even though the hard work can be mind-blowing sometimes. Having strong visual identity is so often overlooked by people starting up. People will subconsciously recognise when hard work has been put into the story of the brand, and it’s so important to keep a unique identity.
Q: Who or what inspires you outside of fashion?
A: My biggest inspiration has only come to light since starting Cambrensis, and it’s my great uncle, Dewi Bowen, who was an artist from Merthyr. I have incorporated so much of his artwork in my recent designs. His archive is unbelievable. He dedicated his whole life to art, specifically art involving Welsh heritage. His style and talent are so unique and skilful, and I am so lucky to be able to include his artwork in my designs and hopefully give him the recognition he deserves, even after passing away.
Q: And finally, what will 2026 look like at Cambrensis?
A: This year is our biggest year yet. We have some amazing and exciting plans around the corner that can’t be revealed just yet, which we are on the cusp of announcing. I’m really looking forward to introducing Cambrensis to a much wider scene, growing our community, and meeting more like-minded people. Expect big things.
Diolch yn fawr iawn - thank you for reading the Cambrensis Blog.
