As a child, Maddy was surrounded by creativity, hard work and ambition. Bitten by the entrepreneurial bug from an early age, having been taken into work with her dad to sell snacks from a van and learning how to hand knit at just six years old, thanks to her Grandma Edith. Maddy relished those early knitting experiences: making special creations with her grandmother. Little did she know that her own brand, Edith, would one day be born.

Maddy thrived at Sidcot and really appreciated how she was encouraged to discover her own path, be who she wanted to be and find her own niche. She comments:

“Sidcot has a great sense of community, it’s like being part of a family and there is a mutual respect and kindness among staff and students that you don’t see elsewhere.”  

Textiles, Ceramics, Art and Fine Art lessons definitely took the top spot in terms of her favourite lessons at Sidcot. She was inspired to follow her passion by her textile’s teachers Miss Ralph and Miss Pink. It was in these lessons that Maddy was able to take her knitting skills forward and to develop her own style and design concepts that would take her to her next steps. 

Maddy graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a BA Honors in Fashion Knitwear and Knitted Textiles in 2021. After finishing her studies, she knew the city life wasn’t for her and that her hometown in Somerset was the perfect place to start pursuing her career in handcrafted knitwear.

Maddy launched her first collection Edith in 2021. It captures the comfort of being at home and the beauty of making something by hand. Her work includes timeless neutrals, cosy textures and comforting pieces that are designed to be treasured with every wear. Maddy’s final degree piece was featured at Graduate Fashion Week in December 2021 and her collection featured in the February edition of Vouge in January 2022, In Tatler in July 2023 and House of Interiors in August this year. 

Maddy cites one of her greatest achievements as securing two A’s and a B at A level in Art, Fine Art and Textiles, and the joy of her grandma being there, to see her achieve those results.

Her pieces are knitted using sustainable yarns and all of the garments in her collection are carefully made using a hand-operated Dubied knitting machine by Maddy in her home studio. For more details on her collections see www.edithknitwear.co.uk

Sidcot has a dedicated Alumni website www.sidcotiansconnect.org.uk. All parents and friends of the school are welcome to join our online community. Log onto the website and create your own online profile to connect with fellow Sidcotians.