Meet PHOEBE GRACE, the latest brand to join our HURR Family. Inspired by nature, every Phoebe Grace piece is designed, printed, and made in the UK. We spoke to Janet Newman, owner and Creative Director of the brand, to learn a bit more about PHOEBE GRACE. Keep reading to find out...
"My eldest daughter started the brand and I took over firstly to rake back her investment but it has turned into a new career for me after a long period of illness.
I am now experiencing the joy of creating a print, creating a shape and it's addictive - the best part though is when you sell it and a customer is happy. It’s what gets me up every day and gives my life meaning."
"We believe in supporting our local talent whenever we can. We pay our workers a fair living wage, we have great relationships with them. This enables us to adapt quickly within the creative process.
That does not mean we do not use overseas manufacturers, as some countries are much better at recycling fabric than we are in the UK. All parts of the world have different talents."
"Sustainability at PHOEBE GRACE is conscious clothing, conscious design and conscious working. We are a very small team and everyday we are taking small steps to be a better brand and to play our part in a fashion world where big players have access to all sorts of innovative products, where we have to strive harder. Our most recent collection was made from recycled plastic bottles which would otherwise end up in our oceans and landfills.
Our new labels are made from recycled fabrics and our clothing tags are plantable! They grow into wild flowers. We make sure to never throw away any leftover stock or fabric, and always think of creative ways to up cycle or refashion, such as our accessories which are made from recycled stock. The rest is distributed among family and friends and Charities."
"All of our prints are inspired by Mother Nature and designed in-house by Janet. Before Covid-19 hit, beautiful travels would inspire the prints you see on our current season dresses, such as the Protea flower, discovered on a trip to South Africa. The trees in our daily walks and just the nature surrounding us really.
Once a print has been decided and drawn, it is printed digitally to reduce waste water as the fabric does not require as many wash and rinse cycles, with no screens or colourant baths requiring cleaning afterwards either. Then styles are trialled as many times as needed."
"Someone walking down the street towards me just going about their day."
"To see less brands greenwashing, and more brands participating in slow fashion. We need to look after our planet and that is both the brands and the customers."
RENT THE PHOEBE GRACE COLLECTION
Big knits have been big news for as long as we can remember, with billowing sleeves, fluffy threads and a bolder-the-better colour palette defining transeasonal wardrobes everywhere. But what better sense of lockdown achievement could there be than knitting your own? I’ve rounded up our favourite do-it-yourself knit-kits to help you create a sustainable staple that’ll see you through the seasons.
Words by Kate Haines