In 1987, Andrea Galer embarked on the Withnail journey to design the costumes for the ‘cult classic’ film Withnail & I, including the “iconic coat”, worn by Richard E. Grant.
With six weeks to design and produce the costumes, it wasn’t viable to have the fabric especially woven for his coat so had to purchase what was available, the design of the coat was based on a 19th-c military riding coat belonging to a friend whose father was a member of the Scots Guards.
Andrea worked closely with Bruce Robinson to bring his passion & vision of the characters to life, whilst weaving her own sense of elegance, history and humanity into each garment.
Andrea’s historical knowledge of clothing & textiles, coupled with her sense of purpose to provide ethical trade by supporting crafts people & their skills has transformed the coat to have a life of its own.