John Smedley unveils collaboration with Bill Nighy

British luxury knitwear brand John Smedley has unveiled an exclusive capsule collection designed in collaboration with actor Bill Nighy, who has been a wearer of the brand since he was 17 years old.

In a statement, Nighy explains that he has turned to John Smedley knitwear “as a foundational part of his wardrobe,” for more than five decades, and his creative collaboration with the brand reinterprets signature silhouettes with “a tailored nuance”.

The Bill Nighy for John Smedley unisex collection has been designed “not by-passing trends, but by shared values - of longevity, craftsmanship, and understated style,” explains the knitwear brand, and features “subtle yet transformative tailoring cues,” with larger collars and more prominent ribs.

Highlights including a sharply angled waistcoat and cardigan, conceived as a distinctive twin set in a nod to traditional suiting with a relaxed attitude, as well as a cashmere and merino set of Long Johns, a historically significant set of garments for the brand, and one that Nighy insisted were part of the collection as he wears a pair on every set during his film projects.

Other personal touches include deep navy taking centre stage, as it's Nighy’s favourite colour, and a bird motif, originally illustrated by Nighy on every script throughout his career, has been re-imagined as embroidery details in various complementary hues across the range.

Bill Nighy is looking to make British knitwear cool with an exclusive John Smedley collaboration

Commenting on the collaboration, Nighy said: “If you’d told me when I was 17 that I’d be working with John Smedley to design a collection, I’d have arranged to be more cheerful in my early life.

“I wore John Smedley polos in the 60s and 70s in frontline defiance of the silk shirt open to the third button or the tie-dye t-shirts doused in patchouli oil. We were pioneers. As I got older, and Mod became Modernism they remained an essential item. If I do nothing else with my life, there will always be this. Don’t forget to Disco.”

Each piece in the collection has been crafted in England from John Smedley’s renowned fine gauge merino wool, cashmere and John Smedley’s Sea Island Cotton.

Jess Mcguire-Dudley, managing director of John Smedley, added: “Working with Bill was a true lesson in considered design - every decision was intentional, from fabric to fit. His genuine connection to the brand came through at every stage, from exploring the archive to the final fittings.

“It’s been an honour to collaborate on such special pieces - ones that will now become part of the John Smedley legacy, and we hope, the wardrobes of many for countless years to come.”

The first drop from Bill Nighy's unisex collection launches on October 17 at Johnsmedley.com and in the brand’s London stores. Prices start from 200 pounds. This will be followed by a second drop in February 2026.

Established in 1784, John Smedley, holder of HM King Charles III Royal Warrant of Appointment, has built its name in crafting the finest merino knitwear in England for centuries, and it remains the oldest, still operational factory in the world. In 2024, it invested more than 3 million pounds in machinery to bolster its production line to reintroduce third-party manufacturing, to encourage brands to bring knitwear manufacturing back to UK shores.

Other recent investments include the introduction of a diffusion line, JS by John Smedley, available at John Lewis, featuring men’s and women’s lifestyle staples to complement the core knit offering to bring British-made knitwear to a wider audience.