The umbrella changed when industry changed.

As manufacturing developed, objects that were once made in smaller quantities could increasingly be produced for a much wider market. New materials, machinery and manufacturing techniques helped make umbrellas more accessible, portable and affordable.

The umbrella moved from something that could be carefully crafted, carried with distinction or admired for its design to something most people could simply buy and replace.

Mass production changed more than the way umbrellas were made. It changed the way we thought about them.

The umbrella became an everyday accessory — practical, familiar and increasingly disposable. Its connection with craftsmanship, ceremony and status could be overshadowed by convenience and cost.

But industrialisation also brought innovation. Materials changed. Designs changed. Manufacturing became more efficient. The humble umbrella became a product of a much larger global system.

The Industrial collection explores this transformation — from craftsmanship to mass production, from scarcity to availability, and from valued object to everyday commodity.

We are researching the manufacturers, materials, inventions, designs and changes in consumer culture that shaped the modern umbrella.

The Industrial collection is currently being developed.