| Company type | Privately held |
|---|---|
| Industry | Clothing, Formalwear/Uniform |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Oliver Adkins, Ruth Nicholls |
| Headquarters | Essex, United Kingdom |
| Products | Graduation gowns, caps, hoods |
| Website | churchillgowns |
Churchill Gowns is a United Kingdom-based supplier of graduation attire, established in 2017. The company provides academic dress, including gowns, hoods, and caps, designed in accordance with the regulations of universities and other educational institutions. It distributes products primarily through an online ordering and home delivery model. The company has incorporated recycled polyester into the production of its graduation gowns. [1] [2] [3]
Churchill Gowns was founded in 2017 by Oliver Adkins and Ruth Nicholls. The company began operations in the UK with the aim of supplying graduation attire to students and institutions. [3] [4]
The company supplies academic dress for graduation ceremonies, including:
Churchill Gowns provides products tailored to the academic dress requirements of individual institutions. It also offers rental and purchase options, as well as wholesale supply to universities and colleges. Institutions that have been reported as customers include constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. [3] [4]
Churchill Gowns has introduced gowns made from recycled polyester. According to the company, the gowns are composed of 70 percent recycled polyester derived from plastic waste, with each gown estimated to reuse the equivalent of 28 plastic bottles. [5] [6]
Churchill Gowns has alleged that Ede & Ravenscroft, a long-established supplier of academic dress, engaged in anti-competitive practices in violation of the Competition Act 1998 . [7] [8]
The company claimed that exclusivity arrangements between universities and Ede & Ravenscroft restricted its access to students as an alternative supplier. Churchill Gowns also challenged the University of St Andrews over its exclusive gown supply arrangements, arguing that the restrictions limited competition and student choice. [7] [8] [9] [10]
In 2018, Churchill Gowns appeared on the BBC television programme Dragon’s Den . The founders received two investment offers from Deborah Meaden and Touker Suleyman, though no deal was finalized following the broadcast. [1] [11] [12]
Churchill Gowns was selected to participate in the Cambridge Social Ventures programme, an initiative of the University of Cambridge Judge Business School. [2]