Buy less, buy smarter. Meet the ladies behind some amazing eco-friendly Scottish-based brands and how they’re making a difference in Fashion.
Asta Petkunaite, Pascal & Co.
The ever-stylish Asta hunts all over Europe to find, and often painstakingly mend and restore the most beautiful vintage clothing for her adorable Leith Walk boutique Pascal & Co.
I asked Asta how she discovered the joys of vintage clothing. “I’ve always loved fashion and being an artist,” she says, “I always searched for an element of unique or slightly eccentric for my wardrobe. Basically, I’ve always wanted to wear something that nobody else had. Vintage allowed me to express my personality in that way. It soon became a lifestyle choice and I worked for friends who owned vintage shops and bought vintage because that choice aligned with my core sustainability values and lifestyle. Mainly I like how it makes me feel, I never feel guilty buying clothes and the element of surprise and joy when I find genuine vintage treasure!”
Buying vintage clothing is, “sustainable, unique and allows you to express yourself in so many different ways without leaving a heavy footstep on our planet” Asta says, “Vintage tells stories and marks the test of time. The quality, the craftsmanship and the materials are unparalleled to the way modern clothing is made today.”
If you haven’t shopped for vintage clothing before, Asta has great advice: “There are so many decades to choose from and for a vintage novice it may feel slightly overwhelming to know where to start, “ says Asta, “It took me many years to learn and to refine my vintage palette and I’m still learning every day. You could start by watching a classic movie to get an authentic vintage experience and for some inspiration. I personally love the beatnik look and watch many classic French New Wave films for style inspiration. I often say to my customers that you don’t need to commit to a certain vintage era or look, but you can introduce a few elements and weave them into your current/ modern wardrobe. Most importantly, have fun, play, experiment, mix it up and you’ll be addicted!”
https://www.instagram.com/_pascalandco_/
Aghogho Ogunlesi, LeyeLesi
For brilliant bold designs look no further than LeyeLesi. Owner and designer
Aghogho Ogunlesi says: “I love fashion. I would call myself a fashionista. I like to look good and I like women to look good and women to feel confident. And I like to have accessories that are bold and have personality. I make things for clients who are ostentatious a bit like me, like to have bold jewellery and accessories. In Scotland, the clients tend to the more monochrome and toned down bags. While my African-American clients in the States or Italian women tend to love the colours and the vibrancy, and that's more me. I design for women who like unique pieces.”
Perhaps unusually for a fashion designer, Aghogho Ogunlesi has a scientific background. As a scientist she is painfully aware of the climate crisis and its impacts. “I've been doing science for two decades now, and you start seeing how the world has just changed. We have so many more issues when it comes to climate change, we see children with higher issues of asthma and allergies and eczema. These things all relate to climate change in the environment being so polluted and the ozone layer depleting. And as much as I love fashion, I want to do something that wouldn't cause as much harm to the planet as possible.”
Aghogho is Nigerian-American and has called Scotland her home for nine years and the UK for 15. “I wanted to make things that preserve the cultural heritage,” she says, “and using the artisanal traditional ways of making things also decreases the carbon footprint for the brand.
“I wanted to make sure that I was using materials that were sustainable as possible,” Aghogho says, which includes raffia made by Nigerian artisans, Adire, a hand-dyed Nigerian fabric, and sustainable leather either from local tanneries or off-cuts from European companies. “Hence why we only make several bags with a certain combination because once we have used that leather, it's gone,” Aghogho says.
“I'm always having design ideas, I'm always sketching, I'm always trying my best to push myself to make art,” Aghogho says, “I call myself an artist that likes to create wearable art. I just design to create beautiful pieces for women to feel empowered. And also it helps me to know when I'm creating, I'm giving back to African artisans and helping them to create their own dreams and family goals because they're making liveable wages. So all these things together help me to create solid relationships with my clients and my artisans.”
“I want to create pieces that will live well after I'm gone from this earth, hopefully the next 80 years or so and be heirlooms that people think that people can pass on to their daughters or to their children. Pieces that speak of what sustainable fashion is and will be in the near future.”
Jill Henry, Meander Apparel
Hard-wearing outdoor clothing doesn’t have to be fluorescent, unflattering and made from plastic: who knew? Co-owner of Meander Apparel, Jill Henry says: “ It was only a few years ago that we had the idea to start Meander after cycling from London to Paris and wanting to create technical clothing that is minimalist in style and versatile for enjoying life both in the outdoors and in the city too!”
As well as looking great and keeping you dry, Meander Apparel prioritises sustainability from the fabrics and suppliers to the packaging. Meander is also a member of 1% For The Planet, donating at least 1% of sales to charity.
“As someone who loves exploring the great outdoors I believe that making sustainable choices is so important for protecting the planet that we love to explore!” Jill says. “You don't have to look far or be as tuned in to the environmental issues as Greta Thunberg to know that there is an environmental crisis going on and we must all do our bit. You don't need to be perfect (no-one is) but I think if we're all more aware and do little things like choosing organic or recycled where possible, getting our clothes repaired or choosing things that will last the test of time then it's a good thing. At Meander we produce our range in Scottish and European factories. Buying from brands that produce closer to home avoids huge carbon emissions involved when items are flown around the world.”
“I'm super proud of our amazing team and our journey which started at the kitchen table just a few years ago to where we are now,” Jill says, “We now have a small but brilliant team, a great collection (for men and women), a store in Stockbridge and one in London that's close to Covent Garden. We recently won the Scottish Edge award and are super excited to have our own TV ad coming out later this year! We also have some awesome new products in the pipeline that we've been working on for the last 18 months which we're excited about.”
Egg members can enjoy 10% off all orders over £30 at Meander Apparel
Clare Campbell, Prickly Thistle
Tartan trousers, but not as you know them. Prickly Thistle are at the cutting-edge of Scottish design, creating iconic 100% wool garments that will last you a lifetime (and you don’t even need to wash them). Making only four types of clothing, in four colourways, four times a year, Prickly Thistle are true fashion disruptors.
Owner and designer Clare says, “The sense of liberation is off the scale when you rebel, break the dress codes, break the ‘seasonal trends and must haves’ and walk out and in that door with your head held high saying I have arrived. When you look at me or comment on my look – know that I am a fearless woman who proudly wears her values every single day – and that might be the same clothes every day. The hidden messages are strong once you crack the code: when you see the values and the disconnect. We never see beauty in something that exploits all things.”
Clare says, “we try our best to empower women to make informed decisions when it comes to clothing consumption and what better style could there be than the one that doesn’t destroy the planet and other people in its making and existence? It’s an interesting thought I think, it changed me 100%!”
I asked Clare why sustainable fashion is worth saving up for. “I think investing in things you love made in a kind ethical way cannot ever be bought for £5 or even £50,” she says, “we’ve lost sight of this over the last 30 years. In the past it was perfectly normal to have a smaller wardrobe and buy much much less each year. I think it's often easier to answer the opposite of this question – why as women do we love to buy lots of cheap, unsustainable clothes? When you cannot answer that, I think this answers the other question.”
To help customers appreciate how much work goes into making clothing when you pay a fair wage, Prickly Thistle has accurate price transparency information on their website.
“I use a don’t know, don’t buy motto,” Clare says, “if I don’t know what it's made of, who made it, where it came from and what will happen to it in the future – I won't buy it. As women we want to champion a new society that will be much kinder in the future to all people and of course to our planet – our clothes are symbolic of our values – we wear clothes often to send a message – if we really think about what that message is then we would change.”
“I am so proud of our courage and tenacity to speak up,” says Clare, “we have learned so much starting a textiles mill in the Highlands that we have no idea was before us. Arousing social discomfort is a lonely, horrible at times, path – but nobody likes talking about things that make them feel uncomfortable. But if we don’t talk about it, then what? We don’t say this because it makes good marketing – it’s a group of women who genuinely care about all, and we feel that if all women were given the knowledge to make an informed decision when it comes to what we wear – we would all be wearing VERY different clothes right now.”
“We have come to realise over time this is one of our key learnings and messages as women and as women in business,” Clare says, “We are not in the business of ‘telling’ women what we think they should have in their wardrobe, we are makers and designers who love to empower women with the knowledge to KNOW what they have in their wardrobe. Because once you know, you know – and rebelling feels AMAZING!”
https://www.pricklythistlescotland.com/
Jolene Crawford, Irregular Sleep Pattern
Pajamas don’t have to be boring, and they definitely don’t have to be mass produced or binned with saggy bottoms after a few months of wear. Jolene Crawford and her husband Mil Stricevic started Irregular Sleep Pattern because they couldn’t find bedding or sleepwear that met their high standards of design, ethics and playful fashion sense. Their pajama sets have been a sartorial hit and are often worn as daywear by the likes of the BBC presenter Gemma Cairney and comedian Joe Lycett.
“Recently we’ve started thinking of ourselves as a ‘responsible’ brand rather than a ’sustainable’ brand,” Jolene says, “Producing new things is simply not sustainable by definition, and the most sustainable fashion you can wear is the clothes you already own. Buying something new that is made in organic fabrics (like our sleepwear) doesn't trump something non-organic that you’ve owned for years!”
“We like to encourage slow and considered purchasing of an item that will be loved and worn for many years to come. We don’t follow trends or seasons and we’ve worked really hard to construct our garments with extreme attention to detail: the twin needle stitching, french seams, reinforced stitching on pockets and side vents are all designed for longevity”
"Finally - and this can make people cross - we all have a responsibility to stop thinking we have a right to cheap clothes, and return to buying much less and buying from responsible brands with transparent supply chains. As well as caring about how our purchasing habits impact the planet, we need to think about the wellbeing of the people who are making these items. We have learned a lot on this subject thanks to the work of Aja Barber whose book Consumed is an excellent and accessible read.”
https://irregularsleeppattern.com/
Cathleen Nicol, C.Nicol
For a beautifully made handbag for life, you need C.Nicol.
Designer Cathleen Nicol started her career in PR but always wanted to move into a more creative job. “I did handbag design and fashion business with London College of Fashion’s short course programme,” Cathleen says, “and after that knew I wanted to set up my own brand and design bags - that was quite a long time ago! The business in many ways is still small and I chose to grow the business around my family life rather than it being everything.”
A good handbag matters, Cathleen says: “When I first started out in the world of work, having a good bag just gave you a little bit of confidence and made you feel a bit more put together and just ready to go to that meeting. I don’t know why, it just helps.”
C.Nicol are designed in Scotland, handmade in either London or Italy and now sold to customers all over the world.
In recent years the company has been really focussing on sustainability and has undertaken a full carbon footprint analysis. “What’s more relevant than the figure is your carbon reduction plan Cathleen says: “and not just with carbon offsetting. I think that any business can, if they really thought about it, reduce their carbon footprint. You could just keep doing what you're doing and go and plant a million trees because you've got the money to do it. I just don't think that's the right thing to do because you're still damaging the environment. Planting trees is great, but it’s better to reduce what you're doing in your business that is harmful. None of it is rocket science. We're not perfect but we're on a journey to improve what we're doing.”
C.Nicol is also working on an exciting circular economy project: “We’re testing out new products on a small scale production here in the Highlands in Grantown on Spey. And that is using development or waste textiles from different mills and creating really cool bags. Some will be mixed with leather, some will not have any leather on them, but they'll all be made in a way that hopefully our customers will love. It’ll mean we can employ a couple of local people and be manufacturing here as well. It’s still at the project stage, we’re doing this over 12 months and I hope we’ll have the first bags to sell before Christmas.”
A C.Nicol bag is a timeless investment so I asked Cathleen about her design approach: “I just really love a clean line, and my bags are quite structured: every bag that I make can stand up by itself. I just love their shapes and I find there’s something quite pleasing looking at something that is structured but with soft curves.”
C.Nicol bags have a very minimal design: “It’s got to be comfortable,” Catheleen says, “It's got to be functional and there's no big logos and no overuse of metalware. Our bags are mostly leather and just perfectly placed stitches. That's it. It is definitely a craft being able to work with leather and stitch it really well. Customers like the simplicity of it, they like the quality.”
Egg members can save 15% off online purchases at C.Nicol