For nearly 200 years, Miller Rayner has been one of Britain’s leading suppliers of crew clothing for marine, aviation and land-based companies.
Our Heritage
Picture of the First Lady Waiters at the Lloyds Insurance company London, taken in 1980. These uniforms were designed by Miller Rayner.
John Antony D’el Boux Miller
John Antony D’el Boux Miller joined the business in 1953 as it continued to adapt to global transportation trends. By now, Miller Rayner’s offering encompassed the design and production of uniforms for merchant navies and airlines around the world.
Miller, Rayner, Haysom Ltd
In 1912, nearly a century after it was founded, the company became ‘Miller, Rayner, Haysom Ltd: Naval, Military, Shipping & Colonial Outfitters’. By this time, it had added branches in Paris and Rotterdam and a manufacturing operation in Liverpool to its growing global footprint. In the same year, the company notably manufactured crew uniforms for White Star Line’s Titanic and Olympic Class.
White Star Line was just one of a number of impressive clients for the booming British business. Its client history reads like a ‘who’s who’ of global transport giants, including BOAC, The Cunard Steam Ship Company, BP Tanker Company, P&O, Orient Line, Union Castle, Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, British India, Bibby Line, British Rail and Blue Funnel Line.
Supplying White Star Line
Miller and Son in Southampton were the tailors who often supplied many of the White Star Line uniforms for ship’s based out of Southampton including the Titanic and Olympic Class. White Star Line did not supply officers with uniforms so officers had to purchase their own uniforms from approved uniform supply shops.
Where it began
It all began in 1818 when George Miller established the company, called simply ‘George Miller’. The birth of George’s son, Alfred led to it evolving into ‘Miller & Sons’ and the family empire grew. Alfred had two sons: Alfred, who managed the Southampton branch in Oxford Street, and Charles who ran new offices in London and Tilbury.