There are no distinct boundaries in the talents and interests of Charles and Patricia Lester. Over the last 50 years of their marriage and their business life, Charles and Patricia have carved their own path, mapping out their own unique journey of creativity, invention and innovation. Untrained and self-taught, their original fashion and textiles have been the primary vehicle through which they have consistently pursued excellence in both their artistry and their business acumen.

Maverick to the core they have been ‘unfollowers’ of fashion determined to create something unique whilst standing for their core values and ethos. Their work is the epitome of couture and is inspired by their spiritual and emotional connection to their environment.

Patricia Lester

Trained as a secretary, Patricia decided to take in dressmaking when their daughter was born. Patricia is a designer who is dedicated to showing that all women can look and feel beautiful regardless of size, shape or age. Her philosophy that body shape is far more important than size is clearly evident throughout her work. Her hands-on approach of designing directly with the fabric on the dressmaker’s stand, without patterns or pre-drawn ideas enables her to create elegant works of art that are a joy to see and wear. Her intrinsic creativity touches on all areas of their lives.  She is passionate about many aspects of art; an amateur painter, writer and keen gardener even growing flowers and vegetables in the gardens at the studios as well as developing wildlife meadows and habitats for wildlife both in Llanfoist and Llansteffan.

Charles Lester

Charles was originally a textile physicist specialising in ultrasonics, working with nylon at ICI Fibres. When ICI moved north Charles retrained as a Design, Craft and Technology teacher, a subject he taught for a number of years before joining the business full time in 1986. A keen photographer, innovator and inventor, he has been instrumental in developing new processes and techniques alongside Patricia. The workhouse was restored by him and a small team of builders. Charles designed and built every piece of equipment including the printing tables, baking equipment etc.  He is passionate about the environment and designed his first solar heating system while in his teens.