It all started with the fan
Direct Colour began in 1983, not in a factory or an office, but in a family home.
At the time, our founder, Vicki Braithwait, was hoping to attend her brother’s wedding in the USA with her two young children. Like many families, finding the money for such a special trip seemed impossible. When she shared her concerns with her mother, Barbara Jacques, an opportunity presented itself that would change the course of her life.
Barbara was already making her mark in the emerging world of colour analysis, running one of the first Colour Analysis Training Academies in the UK. Demand for her colour fans was growing rapidly, and she suggested that Vicki could help assemble them from home, earning a small amount for every fan completed.
What started as a way to fund a family trip quickly became something much bigger.
Evenings, weekends and every spare moment were spent carefully assembling colour fans and preparing orders for customers. Within just a few months, Vicki had earned enough to take her family to the wedding and enjoy a memorable trip to Disney World too. More importantly, she had discovered a business she genuinely loved.
Throughout the 1980s, Vicki worked closely with her mother, helping to develop colour analysis products and support a rapidly expanding customer base. Meanwhile, Barbara went on to become an influential figure in the colour industry, publishing three popular books on colour, image and style, and creating a television programme on the subject.
Vicki’s passion, however, lay in perfecting the colour swatches themselves
Growing Beyond the Family Home
Originally, fabric was imported from the USA, but inconsistent colour matching from one batch to another created ongoing challenges. Determined to achieve higher standards, Vicki took matters into her own hands. In 1991, Direct Colour began producing its own fabric swatches using a precision dyeing process designed to guarantee colour consistency every time. That commitment to accuracy and quality remains at the heart of everything we do today.
As Direct Colour’s manufacturing operation expanded, so did the need for space. The family home soon became the heart of the business. Rolls of coloured fabric appeared in every available space, and family life often revolved around customer orders. Vicki’s father even built an extension onto the house so that the growing machinery and stock could be accommodated. Christmas dinners became something of a family joke, with everyone gathered around the dining table surrounded by rolls of coloured fabrics.
Eventually, Direct Colour outgrew its home surroundings. In 1997, the company moved into its offices and manufacturing facility at Old Buttermere Works in Sheffield, where colour products continue to be produced to the exacting standards that customers have come to expect.
Over the years, Direct Colour has supplied colour swatches, fans, drapes and specialist colour analysis products to some of the most respected names in the colour analysis industry around the world.
The Next Chapter
Although Vicki always encouraged her children to pursue their own careers, both forged successful paths of their own. Her son built a career in the financial markets industry, while her daughter, Rebecca, qualified as a solicitor. Having grown up around the business, Rebecca later chose to join Direct Colour, bringing with her valuable professional experience gained outside the industry. In 2025, she became a Director and now works alongside Vicki in leading the next chapter of the company.
While Direct Colour remains a family business, it has never been a one-person operation. We are fortunate to have team members who have been with us for more than 17 years, whose experience, skill and commitment have contributed enormously to the business and the standards we maintain today.
More than four decades after those first colour fans were assembled at home, Direct Colour remains a family business driven by the same principles that inspired its beginnings: craftsmanship, consistency and a genuine passion for colour
