Did you know that we stock over 20 ethical brands and designers, 10 of which make all of their products completely by hand?
It's something we're especially proud of, which is why this Fashion Revolution week we're offering 10% off all our ethical and handmade products! Click here to view the products, and enter the code FASHREV at the checkout to receive your discount.
In the spirit of transparency, we asked some of our ethical and handmade designers to tell us some more about their processes and why ethical manufacturing is important to them:
Who are you and what do you do?
Hello, I am Rowan the designer and maker of Rowanjoy. I make one-off and limited edition ready-to-wear womenswear.
Do you make your clothing yourself?
I make all of my products myself, whether they are one-off pieces or limited edition runs.
Where are your products made?
All my products are made in my Edinburgh studio.
Is the manufacturing process important to you? Does it influence your designs?
With manufacturing all my products myself, I like that I have complete control of the process. I don't have to worry about outside influences, meaning my products can be made when they need to be, and I like the fact that I know I have been responsible for the product from its inception to when it goes out for sale.
Do you have a favourite ethical/sustainable designer/brand?
I really like nadinoo, who produce all their products in the UK and use really fun bright prints for their collections.
Who are you and what do you do?
I'm Bryony Richardson, the founder of Bryony and Co. I oversee everything we make here. All our prints and designs are produced by myself, this way we never lose our signature look or feel to the brand. I also write and illustrate the storybook which accompanies each and every one of our dresses: women's and children's. The story told in the book is also depicted across our dresses. It's our way of making our products mean something more than just items you wear, it's a piece of art with a story!
Do you make your products yourself? If not, who makes them?
I design all the fabrics and products from our studio in London but our manufacturing is outsourced to some wonderful teams in Turkey, Lithuania and here in the UK. The factories I work with are small and easy to communicate with.
Where are your products made?
Most of our products are made in Europe with some of our limited collections still made in the UK. By keeping this process close to home we have access to our manufacturers to see that everyone working with us is happy, healthy and being treated fairly. I often make trips to both Turkey and Lithuania and work closely with a team in both countries to make sure we know where and by whom all our dresses are made. All of our cotton (nearly all organic these days) is sourced and woven and printed especially for us so we are able to trace the fabric right back to the source.
Is the manufacturing process important to you? Does it influence your designs?
Yes, the manufacturing of our products is incredibly important to me and the brand. From the organic materials we source to the actual making of the garments, we work hard to make sure that everything is produced in an ethical and sustainable way. It's vital for companies to have these intentions as it will go to affect so much in the future. These values can put limitations to what we can make, but working to these restraints only helps to solidify our look and what we are about.
Do you have a favourite ethical/sustainable designer/brand?
People Tree have been carving out a niche for sustainable fashion for a long time and produce some really lovely pieces. I also love Po-Zu shoes as they create some amazing designs and comfortable styles.
It's massively important to me that we do not lose sight of where and how our products are made. As our brand grows I have full intentions of getting better and better at how we make things. It's my intention to make sure people who are worse off than ourselves benefit from our company. And it is my dream to work with small craftsmen and women to help preserve their way of life and create something wonderful. We will get better and better!
I hope together we can make a better and more transparent supply chain so we can all feel good in the clothes we wear.
Who are you and what do you do?
I am the only designer and maker at the textile and illustration brand Queenie Browne.
Do you make your products yourself?
As the sole designer of the company I have full control of the design and making process of each item within the collection, from the initial sketches to the handmade details.
Where are your products made?
Each item is handmade within my own design studio in Glasgow which I have set up within my flat. As much as I would love to be working from a large studio base, this enables me to keep costs down and allows me to price my items at reasonable retail prices so all consumers can make a purchase whatever their budget. I want everyone to be able to enjoy good, handcrafted design at affordable prices.
Is the manufacturing process important to you? Does it influence your designs?
The manufacturing process is a main priority for the company as I would not allow an item to be delivered if it wasn't 100% perfect.
Do you have a favourite ethical/sustainable designer/brand?
Who are you and what do you do?
We're Little Moose - designers and makers of quirky jewellery and playful accessories. We primarily work in acrylic/perspex to create eye catching pieces that can help our customers stand out from the crowd.
Do you make your jewellery yourselves? If not, who makes them?
We make all our products ourselves and we're involved at every stage, from the design through to the production itself.
Where is your jewellery made?
Everything is made by hand in our Sussex studio, and we use UK-made findings and fastenings, and our boxes are printed in the UK as well!
Is the manufacturing process important to you? Does it influence your designs?
We want everything that we do to be perfect (obviously), and that goes for both the design and the manufacturing - we take lots of care to ensure that our finished products are of the highest quality, which means we spend a lot of time refining our manufacturing processes. We'd much rather relearn a technique, or work in a different way to ensure that our design is exactly as we'd want it to be, so in that aspect, our designs often influence our manufacturing process.
Do you have a favourite ethical/sustainable designer/brand?
We don't have any favourites so to speak - we do love to see people at the source bringing their crafts to the wider world though, and being rewarded for their creativity.
Who are you and what do you do?
Claire Hart, designer/maker/owner of small independent fashion label Mollie Brown.
Do you make your products yourself? If not, who makes them?
Yes, I make all my products myself.
Where are your products made?
I have a studio space in Liverpool which is shared with other designers and artists. Here I design and make everything by myself.
Is the manufacturing process important to you? Does it influence your designs?
Yes it is. By making everything myself I am fully aware of just how much time and hard work goes into each design. Manufacturing/garment construction is hard work! It is a skilled job and a lot harder and more time consuming than I think people realise. I try to keep my garment shapes (designs) quite simple so that the manufacture of each design is not too time consuming, enabling me to keep my prices down and relative to those found on the high street. I tend to make my main focus about the fabric, sourcing fabrics in a variety of quirky prints and patterns in order to keep my designs unique.
Do you have a favourite ethical/sustainable designer/brand?
Anyone doing the same thing as me - seeing the whole process through from start to finish!