Sheffield-based The Workshop has been instructed to review all aspects of the brand and, for the first time in its 224-year history, John Smedley is looking to create a separate brand for its women's knits.
Dawne Stubbs, creative director for John Smedley, said: "John Smedley is obviously quite a masculine sounding brand, so it will be interesting to see how The Workshop interprets the look and feel of the branding in terms of womenswear."
Colin Scott, director of The Workshop, was also responsible for John Smedley's last major rebranding 18 years ago.
The Workshop also recently completed the design of the brand's 2009 spring/summer brochure.