Joy Bates from Seven Gauge Studios

Joy Bates is founder of Seven Gauge Studios a predominately knit wear designer.

After working for a knit wear design agency and manufacture and designing and collaborating with designer labels like Paul Smith, Donna Karen and Ralph Lauren Joy Bates decided to go it alone.

She launched her business in 2010 and called it 7gg which is a technical term for using 7 needles to the inch on a knitting machine. She started making her products at home and still does some of the initial designs on home style knitting machines in her loft, but now sources it out to a family run factory in the Midlands. She gets her inspiration from visiting exhibitions and loves buying unusual magazines.