The Graduate Collection
Colour me [something] — working title
June 2017
This collection aims to challenge people's understanding and perception of colour and its relationship with Bespoke Tailoring, whilst simultaneously celebrating tradition through use of traditional Savile Row construction methods combined with modern artisanal details.
Through design development in 2D and 3D, garments were reformed in order to enhance and calibrate the body in an unusual way.
The inside of a bespoke garment is made so beautifully, and is decorative in and of itself. By moving aspects of the interior components to the outside, these usually hidden decorative interior elements are celebrated openly, In particular: the canvases, hand stitching, and pockets. Another aspect of movement within the looks are the transformable overcoats and shirts, styled with external pocketbags.
This body of work has also advanced in encouraging consumers to question the lifecycle of their purchases by using more environmentally sound and ethically considerate sourcing, making us closer to the goal of being renowned for our own set standards when it comes to ethics, sustainability, and style, while taking responsibility for everyone and everything that is affected by our supply chain, with ever-increasing considerations of all elements and their impact.
10% of all profits donated to charity.
Components and Materials:
This collection substitutes traditional materials with more environmentally sound and ethically considerate plant based/synthetic alternatives that still provide the same shape and support while behaving in the same way as the traditional tailoring components do.
Organic Cotton Flannel used as Domette.
Linen Body canvas manufactured in the U.K. and Linen Chest canvas used in replacement of the miscellaneous wool/ animal hair mix Tailoring canvases.
Linen Collar Canvas.
Undercollar Melton made in a U.K mill.
Cloth for the Jackets, Overcoats, and Trousers made from wool woven in the UK with yarns sourced and spun in the UK also, with each roll/yarn being traceable back to the individual flock and farm of origin. Also made from cloth woven in Italy, using 70% post consumer waste wool recycled and woven into new suiting cloth, with a 100% transparent supply chain.
Organic Cotton machine threads made from long staple cotton which gives a silky strong thread. They come on heavy wooden spools as opposed to the commonly used plastic ones.
Garment labels manufactured within the U.K, by a lovely family run team that kindly helped sponsor the collection!
Pocketing and Shirting cloth will be fair trade, organic cotton.
Sleeve and Body Lining is a polyester silk imitation woven in the U.K.
Buttons are Fairtrade ones made from Wood instead of the usual animal horn.
Swing tags are made from remnants from pattern drafting card saved from initial drafting stage.
Wooden hangers are a mixture of vintage and second hand ones.
Branded stamp to label patterns are made from wood pulp and recycled rubber instead of plastic and new rubber.
Portfolio is printed on FSC Certified card, double sided and with a local print agency in London that is a part of the Working Well Trust, a mental health charity established in 1991 to help support and train people who have experienced mental health problems get back into employment. Alongside the training they run a commercial business that specialises in print, copy and design. All commercial income is re-invested into the charity to help continue their work.
Fabric Sourcing File Pages are printed onto 100% recycled card.
Garment bags are printed on in the U.K.
Yarns used to embroider garments with are produced near Cape Town by a small team who strive to conserve as much energy and waste during their production process. They make use of borehole water that is heated by solar power for their dye baths. After dyeing, the PH levels in the dye baths are neutralized and the water is used to irrigate an olive grove near the dye studio. The whole production process, from receiving the spun yarn, is done by hand. The dyes are Oeko-Teko approved as they do not contain any restricted substances listed on the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 list.
