RICHMOND, England — Charles Porter and his staff of eight work from his office in a converted riding school on the grounds of Aske Hall, an old manor house set in the gentle, rolling hills of North Yorkshire. His Australian Labradoodles, Bertie and Cybil, spend their days lounging on a leather sofa by a roaring fire.
It is an unassuming setting for an unassuming company. Porter does not advertise or seek to publicize his work; he had never previously granted an interview. His website is modern and sleek but studiously enigmatic. “There are no pictures of people we work with,” he said.