An Extra Special Announcement...

Our very own Kate Dawson has been awarded and OBE for Services to Business!

It all began back in 2008 when Kate launched The All-in-One Company after Kate's daughter, Lilly, struggled to stay warm at night.

A little fidget, 3 year old Lilly would kick off the covers leaving her feeling cold, and Kate struggled to find a Onesie that would fit.

Research lead Kate to making some prototypes and then on to designing a website where you can create your own all-in-one for babies, children and adults and on 19th October 2008 The All-in-One Company was born, bringing with it the birth of the Original All-in-One Onesie!

The company was launched in Ashington, located in the lovely county of Northumberland, just 3 miles from the white sandy beaches.

With some support but amid much scepticism, very soon, adults began buying onesies for themselves and not just for their children.

Kate made it her mission to share warmth, fun and happiness with people all over the world.

Over the past 12 years, The All-in-One Company have handmade over 70,000 onesies right here in the UK, delivering to over 200 different countries Worldwide.

“It was all about creating a garment that’s unique to you,” said Kate. “The success was down to a combination of new technology in the shape of our website - which allowed each customer to design and create their very own bespoke onesie - and the quality of the product.”

"I want to share our story. That an idea that was initially laughed at has become a global success.

I want everyone to see that no matter how silly other people think your idea is, to go with your gut feeling and believe in yourself."

Each Onesie is individually cut, sewn and embroidered with pride by our team of Master Craftsmen, made up from expert cutters and machinists using traditional skills that have been passed down through generations.

Everyone is unique, so rather than offering you a collection of off-the-shelf products, we offer you the chance to Create your very own Onesie on our Personalised Online All-in-One Onesie builder in sizes 0-3 months - 8XL and Maternity Onesies.

Over the years, customers multiplied, awards followed and TV shows – including Celebrity Big Brother, The X Factor, Dancing on Ice and Hollyoaks – dressed their stars in onesies made by The All-in-One Company.

Away from the spotlight Kate was able to support causes and people close to her heart. No material was wasted. All offcuts from your Onesies have been given to schools, care homes and hobbyists.

One of her proudest achievements was creating a Sensory Onesie for children on the autism spectrum who are particularly sensitive to the touch of materials and in particular the seams of garments.

Kate and her team worked alongside The National Autistic Society to design and manufacture a suitable onesie.

A percentage of each Sensory Onesie sale is donated to The National Autistic Society.

The All-in-One Company has also provided blankets for Newcastle’s rough sleepers, sent onesies to Baby Banks around the UK and supported Comic Relief, Macmillan Cancer Support and Oxfam.

Kate has inspired young people of all ages, visiting numerous schools to talk about and encourage enterprise. She has provided work experience opportunities for Year 10 students and, through the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Kate has become an enterprise adviser at the James Calvert Spence College in Amble.

She has worked closely with Northumberland College to create an apprenticeship scheme and has set projects for Fashion students at Northumbria University working towards their Masters degrees.

In the summer, when her business – like many others – felt the impact of the pandemic, Kate turned her attention to forming a Scrub Hub. Working with other local businesses and Age UK Northumberland she created a group of more than 120 professional and amateur machinists to make desperately needed protective clothing for health workers.

“I’m so proud, but still can’t believe it said Kate of her honour. “So much has happened in the last 12 years and I’ve had the support of so many wonderful people. I started The All-in-One Company to solve a simple problem and I never imagined it would open the door to all of these fantastic experiences and opportunities. Hopefully my story will encourage young people to pursue their dreams as well and to follow their hearts.”

Lilly – Kate’s daughter, whose cold nights were the reason the business was created – now works for The All-in-One Company. She has completed her Level 3 apprenticeship in digital marketing and is currently studying towards her Level 4.

"I am honoured and totally overwhelmed by this award. I have always just done what feels right. By creating The All-in-One Company where you design your own onesie that is then hand made to order in the UK and delivered worldwide, this new way of buying clothes online creates an emotional attachment to the garment which in turn reduces landfill. The off cuts are donated to schools, charities and fundraisers and we make onesies for baby banks and women’s refuge centres from the remnants.

Being a Nursery Nurse I have always loved working with children and the enterprise work that I do with the North East LEP is really fulfilling, I love to see the ideas coming from the students when I set projects, it is just so rewarding and plants the seed in their minds that it can be done if you really want it.

This can also be said for the connection that we have with The National Autistic Society, by creating the sensory seams our onesies and hoodies can be worn by those who struggle with feeling the seams and labels on the inside of their clothes, it is a pleasure to be able to make a difference and help people.

It was also our pleasure to create scrubs by setting up the Ashington Scrub Hub for the local care workers when we went into the first lockdown in March, it was the least we could do and a privilege to help others that needed our skills in a time of shortage.

Hopefully, by seeing my journey, others will also create their own journeys that are ethical and sustainable by following their hearts and doing what feels right."

-Kate Dawson, OBE