About

Emma Willis trained at The Slade School of Art before starting her business in 1989, designing and making men's luxury shirts, ties, boxer shorts and nightwear all made in England.

In 1999 she opened her elegant and intimate shop in Jermyn Street, on the corner of St James's and in 2010 her English shirt making factory opened in the centre of Historic Gloucester.  Her philosophy is to adhere to traditional English shirt making techniques, using luxurious Swiss and West Indian Sea Island Cottons, and employ local, skilled craftspeople.

In 2008, in response to the numerous young, severely injured service men and women returning from Afghanistan Emma founded Style for Soldiers, a registered charity supporting those injured with morale lifting fine clothing and reunion parties. She visited the military rehabilitation hospital for 10 years, measuring the patients for bespoke shirts and walking sticks. The charity now also supports the partners and children of those injured with family reunion days out. His Majesty, King Charles III, is a supporter of the charity and has attended their reunions.

In 2014, Emma was awarded an MBE in Queen Elizabeth II’s New Years Honours list for entrepreneurship; she is a Deputy Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, an honorary fellow of Gloucester University for her active role in supporting their Fashion Degree students and received a Points of Light Award that year from the Prime Minister for ‘outstanding volunteers who are making a real difference in their communities.’