Founded 2007 — Sussex, UK

About Susannah Cotton

Susannah Cotton is a lifestyle brand founded in 2007 by designer Susannah Hardie and her partner, musician Jimmy Hartridge (Swervedriver). Based in Sussex, UK. Run by two people who care deeply about what they make.

How It Started

The idea came from an experience Susannah had years earlier, when a close friend gave her a beautifully printed cotton gown that she immediately loved — soft, breathable, loose but flattering. She could never find anything quite like it in the shops. In 2007 she decided to do something about it, designing her own patterns from scratch and turning the idea into a business.

The Gowns

Almost all of the designs are Susannah's own. Some take years from first sketch to finished gown — refined, tested on fabric, adjusted, sometimes rethought entirely before a single piece is cut. They are never bought off a shelf, never sourced from a catalogue. This matters, because most of our competitors do exactly that.

The market for cotton kimono robes has no shortage of cheap imitations — mass-produced in bulk, with little regard for design, quality or the people making them. Ours are the opposite: original designs, carefully crafted to last.

The gowns are hand-made using traditional hand-block and screen-printing techniques, in workshops Susannah visits personally. We use only the lightest, most breathable cotton — and every order is checked and packed by Susannah herself.

Many designs are produced in limited runs and sell out entirely. Over the years Susannah has built a loyal following of collectors — some of whom have bought every single design she has ever made.

The Background

Susannah comes from a creative family. Her grandfather was Colin Hardie — classical scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford, and a member of The Inklings, the literary circle that included C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Making things with intention runs in the family.

Who Wears Them

Iggy Pop, Rachel Goswell (Slowdive), Jessica Paré, David Sedaris and Mary Portas are among the fans who found us on their own. Our gowns have appeared in the BBC's Trigger Point, ITV's Murder in Paradise, and in Hollywood productions. We supply hotels and resorts in California, Greece and the Maldives, and have been featured in The New York Times, The Independent and The Daily Telegraph.

Tens of thousands sold worldwide. Still made one at a time.

“Thank you for visiting. We really hope you like what you see.”
— Susannah & Jimmy