Started in 1957 in the East End of London, Carmel is a fashion designer and manufacturer supplying more than one million garments each month to retailers round the world. It has international offices in Vietnam, Sri Lanka, China and Romania, generating exports of £6.1 million in 2019 under chief executive Simon Blayne, 50. In September 2019 it launched its own clothing brand, Palones, and used 3D technology to virtually showcase items to customers during lockdowns.