Helena Thulin

Founder Helena

Helena Thulin is a brand that I have only recently discovered, and I am obsessed. Taking inspiration from flowers and their fragility, Helena’s jewels are delicate, modern and pieces of art in their own right.

How did you become a jewellery designer?

I studied fashion in Studio Berçot in Paris where I specialised in Knitwear. Having to properly work with a material in an organic way, may it be knit or jewellery now, has always been something that came naturally to me and would really drive my creativity. I wasn’t drawn to jewellery starting into fashion but on another hand that is actually the first form of creation that I experienced as a child as my mum used to teach me and my siblings to shape hearts and animals with beading techniques so now it feels quite funny to come full circle with my first practices. I would say that I’m more of a flower obsessive and it happened that jewellery was the most unusual and accurate way for me to translate that passion. It really started with this need to turn something into flowers that would be a very personal and innovative way to approach it but the proper idea of being a jewellery designer never really crossed my mind and wasn’t something I decided on a first hand.

You have worked with some amazing designers; can you tell me a little bit more about your time with them and what you learnt.

Working in the big industry and especially in such prestigious houses really shaped my tastes first and also confronted me to the reality of the fashion industry. When I left school I was not really aware of fashion as a workplace. I approached it in a more creative and artistic way and I had taste that were more linked to a freedom of expression than linked to what kind of consumer I am and aiming for, so I had to adapt to a very demanding and rushy environment. All my experiences were very nourishing each on different aspects. In Paris I was working in two installed houses that were there from the last century so the dynamic and the problematics are much more different than working for Simone Rocha in London who was a rising designer back then, having to face issues that new brands are facing. Those two major differences would be reverberated within the Houses structure and the way I would interact with all the departments that a House is composed of. In Chloé and Sonia Rykiel I would exclusively work on the knitwear, whereas in Simone Rocha I would have a hint and hand on all the department as we would assist them all. Also I discovered that working with an emergent designer leaves more freedom to explore organically the material when it is more of a reinterpretation of the DNA in older Houses that would makes the handwork less needed as the archives are so rich. So it is really my working in London that got me back on the organic aspects and craftsmanship of the creation and the wish to develop my own designs by keeping the handwork very present. 

How do you get inspired?

My inspirations for all the collections always start with two things: a need for specific colours and an idea of the kind of photoshoot I would like to deliver. I can’t really explain where it comes from at first, it can be from browsing through editorials, last shows, paintings, movies and sometimes even the colour of a garment that gets me obsessed. For instance, for the SS20 collection it started with a yellow windbreaker that Björk wore in 1994 (see moodboard). It has to be colours and harmonies that are globals and that can be kind of a reference point to everyone. My two main references though are impressionist and post- impressionist works to even sometimes Pop-Art paintings (everything in Art that I can use as a colour palette actually) and vintage Couture like Dior or Balenciaga that have always impacted me in the brilliant use of colours and the clean and minimalistic aesthetic of the garments that is also something I’m trying to deliver in my collections.

Once I choose the colours I’m always referring to Botanical books and flowers references, that would help me define the kind of flowers I’m about to create and that would also help me mix and match the selected colours. I’m always trying to find the balance between my imagination and the reality when I make the pieces. The flowers have to look the more believable as possible.

Could you tell me a little bit more about your design process and where the pieces are manufactured?

I do start the process by drawing all the ideas I have down and roughly the shapes I have in mind but I never end up keeping those ideas as nothing is more fluid for me in the creative process than properly building spontaneously the pieces with the crystals when I get the colour palette. The beading process and the final aspects of what has to do with the crystals work is made A to Z in the studio. What is manufactured and logo engraved in Italy or in the UK are some parts of the pieces that I am then assembling in Paris. 

I didn’t really think of the production when I launched the brand but It felt normal for me to produce where I am as I really want to get a hand on the production as much as on the design process. For the moment the brand is really small and I’m covering myself most of the jobs, from sales to PR but I am working with a back-up freelance when coming into production times if I have short deadlines. But even when the brand will get bigger with more people coming along I really want to keep switching from creation to production as much as I can within the studio.

What is your favourite piece from the latest collection?

I just launched an exclusive collection, THE MINIMUS that gathers all of the best-selling flowers into more wearable and practical stems, so from that collection I would say that it is the ERICA VESTITA. It’s the more sentimental for me as Erica was the name my mother wanted to name me when I was born and it is the flower that first got the Press interested in the brand.  

From the AW20 collection I would say all the styles in crystal clear are my favourites. I was a bit afraid to launch them because the use of no-colour flowers scared me a little at first as the brand really focuses on colours, but It actually lifted the styles into very Couture look-alike pieces. 

What are you looking forward to in the future?

I am happy to have launched the brand in the midst of this global question regarding the way we consume and the value we put in the objects we buy as handwork is one of my main concern. I really want to lift the craftsmanship and the beading techniques into something that matters as much as the materials used when we are buying. My ideal achievement would be to keep working as a « Couture » label in a way that everything is handmade in the studios but at affordable prices (regarding the respect of human hands value), to pursue this global wish for a better way of consuming. 

On a more personal level, I want to be able to grow as a brand and team and be collaborating with other brands and multiplying projects with artists and designers.

helenathulin.com

Renli Su

Renli Su is a London based brand which has a sentimentality for the past - which is expressed through her designs. Creating conceptual yet practical garments each piece will transform you to a certain time and/or memory allowing you to enter a dream world of beauty.

How did you become a fashion designer?

I am a very visual person, I always knew I wanted to do something creative so I tried photography and animation. However, after trying this I realised I wanted to do something more tactile. For me, I prefer the term clothing rather than fashion, as I think that the term fashion can be misleading. 

When I started to make clothes it was unlike the other creative subjects I had tried, I enjoyed working with my hands and the craft of making clothing. Working in this industry allows me to be able to make something physical as well as visualise a direction and a story for each season.

I absolutely love the stories behind your collections, how do you get inspired?

I’m always searching for new stories and themes for my work, whether it be in a book, an old photograph, through costume, a poem that I can abstractly interpret or through a friend telling me an old mythical tale of a town they have visited. For details, I often find them through pieces of clothing themselves, whether it be sourcing them in an antique market or viewing them in a museum. For me, the Victorian-style clothing conveys the romantic aesthetic that I want for my customer.

Spring Summer 2020 unfolds a journey of a dream in search of the Blue Bird of Happiness. This collection is based on the Play ’The Blue Bird’ by Belgian playwrighter and poet Maurice Maeterlick in 1908. The story is about the two children of a carpenter, Mytyl and Tyltyl, and their journey to find the blue bird of happiness to help their neighbour’s daughter. They were accompanied by Berylune and spirits of the household elements; fire, water, light, brad, sugar and milk, as well as their pet cat and dog. In their dreams they search through the Palace of Night, The Land of Memories, Palace of Happiness and the Kingdom of Future and eventually awoke and found the blue bird is right inside the cage next to where they sleep.

Lace trims, delicate prints, layering and bows – your latest collection is beautiful. How would you describe it, and would you say your clothes are similar to your own personal style?

My personal style is slightly more neutral, but for the collections, we like to tell the stories through the clothes, so they can be more dramatic, and have more character…we also want to present them to girls who have different styles, maybe more feminine or romantic. We do have some neutral styles, we call it 'Little  Prince' style. I wear them more in my daily life.

My collections are usually characterised by their dreamy sense of nostalgia, intellectual details and contemporary edge. Within each collection I usually have a balance of different styles so that there is something for everyone. My personal style is more towards the natural slightly more mature section of the collection. Experimentation with new textiles techniques is important to me. I think my favourite style for this season is our blue and yellow quilted jackets which are created by dying the jackets and then cooking the dye at very hot temperatures. This creates a saturated bleed of colour, enhancing the embroidery and different textures and surfaces with in the jackets. To me these pieces are created using very artisanal techniques and are very special. Something to be kept for a life-time of wear.

Could you tell me a little bit more about your design process and where the pieces are manufactured?

We have a small team of 3 in our London studio, each of us works on the design and other creative aspects of the brand. We all research possible story themes and share ideas, thinking about what has worked well for us in the past and what direction we feel will be suitable and aspirational for the season ahead. Once we have fallen in love with a particular story we will think about the different aspects of the story we can design from and the different types of customer that we can cater to with this story.

We produce all of our garments in Shenzhen China, we travel there each season to help with production and oversee the toiles, fittings and final designs. All of our prints are designed in our London studio as well as the jacquards and embroideries. Each season we work to expand our textiles selection to bring our customers something unique and special that you won’t be able to find anywhere else.

What is your biggest achievement?

For me, our biggest achievements is our stockists because we started very small and have quite a niche style. However, now we have many stockists all over the world including  including some of the most famous like Dover Street Markets, Selfridges, Beams…We are continually growing our stockists each season, I am amazed that I can now see Renli Su in so many city’s all over the world. It is a dream come true to see people from different cultures and backgrounds understand and appreciate our work.

Another one of our other biggest achievements was seeing our dresses on Margret Atwood shot by Tim Walker for the Sunday Times style. It was a complete surprise and an incredible combination. 

What are you looking forward to in the future and what does it look like for Renli Su?

At the moment I think that we are just grateful for what we have and want to be able to continue creating and pushing our design style, sourcing exciting new fabrications and textiles for our clients and building our image as Renli Su.

We currently have our own online ecommerce and studio shop, however the dream would be to have our own beautifully curated Renli Su stand-alone stores in London and China. Let’s see what the future brings!

renlisu.com

Sarah Brown London

Sarah Brown London is a sustainable UK-based lingerie brand which focusses on the romance of mid-century design. Taking inspiration from past eras Sarah uses the finest techniques such as scalloping, pleating and rouleaux bows combining these with an opulence of silks, tulle and grosgrain creating beautiful designs that would be hard not to love.

How was Sarah Brown London started?

I started off in the industry as one of Katie Grand’s assistants at POP magazine. It was such an incredibly inspiring place to be, it was my first job in fashion and I was constantly in awe of the people in the office and the work being done - such an exciting time. I realised that I wanted to create something, I was always inspired by couture lingerie on shoots and my love of vintage, I felt like there wasn’t any lingerie brands that applied the same techniques. 

I always loved the idea of made to order clothing and didn’t really know anyone to do this on an affordable scale. I am self-taught, I’ve always learnt by dismantling clothes and putting them back together. I love the old-fashioned techniques, I have a collection of sewing books from the 1930-50’s and I always use a French seam. I always had such a strong idea of what I wanted my brand to be, I was desperate to get going, so I took the plunge and quit my job, but still had to temp as a PA on the side.

The sleepwear came second; from my earlier designs it’s easy to see that pyjamas were a natural next step and as I am such a huge fan of the peter pan collar I really wanted to incorporate these.

What inspires you? (what are your go-to inspirations that you draw on and return to, what has inspired you for a specific collection/piece, and what drives you. Can you provide a visual – mood board or a single inspiration).

I grew up watching British new wave films such as ‘A kind of loving’, ‘Saturday night Sunday morning’, ‘Poor cow’, ‘Up the junction’ and will forever be inspired by them.  

From my moodboard shapes from architecture, nature and fabric manipulation is a strong visual for me, which has influenced many pieces from the pleat collection, stripe collection (using silk rouleaux for the stripes) and especially the grosgrain scallop set which was one of my earliest designs and is still one of the most popular.

What was the scariest part of setting up your own brand?

I wanted my business to grow slowly and organically, I wanted to be able to control every aspect at every stage so that there was less financial risk.  The main issue for me (and still is) there not being enough hours in the day - being responsible for every aspect, social media, press, manufacturing, design. Literally everything. I always hope that the customer is happy to wait for the pieces to be made. Luckily all my customers are so lovely and really treasure the fact that each piece is handmade especially for them.

I got myself known by reaching out to my favourite stylist and old fashion contacts. My first ever editorial request was for American Vogue and I have no idea how they found me which was a huge surprise.

Could you tell me a little bit more about your design process and where the pieces are manufactured?

I sketch but I like to get to work with fabric straight away, the initial design usually evolves pretty quickly as soon as I start putting fabric together using fabric manipulation and other details. I feel that the process is just as important as the pieces themselves and I can’t imagine my business functioning any other way. All fabric and components are responsibly sourced from fellow UK based, family run businesses.

Offering made to order products in the current climate is pretty rare and it’s something that I embrace wholeheartedly and will never take production and manufacturing outside of the UK. Which is something I’m very proud and passionate about. 

Your personal style is so strong, and this comes through in your beautiful designs, which piece in your wardrobe could you not live without?

I have these 3 vintage wiggle dresses from the 60’s, all have amazing collars which definitely influence my style with the peter pan collars and the intricate detailing. I used to wear these constantly but as they are so old I might only wear them once a year if at all. The red one is from Saks, the peach stripe is a waitresses dress from 1963! It actually has the date inside!

What are you looking forward to in the future and what does it hold for Sarah Brown London?

My dream would be to own manufacturing premises in the UK. I would love for small brands to start using this business model and to eventually bring manufacturing back to the UK.

But for my short-term goals, this year I would like to introduce a full cup style to my lingerie collection and also some dressing gowns.

sarahbrownlondon.com

Yolke

(YOLKE’s founder and designer Ella Ringner)

YOLKE is a brand close to my heart, starting with stylish silk pyjamas they quickly saw the rise in sleepwear for daywear due to their eye-catching stripes and fantasy florals. The brand has since launched LiTTLE YOLKE (a matching children’s collection), a sustainable ready-to-wear collection in keeping with the brands signature style as well as their first homeware collection. 

How did YOLKE get started?

We launched Yolke back in 2013 with the desire to build a lifestyle brand together. Anna, in interior design and PR and me with a fashion background and interior degree from CSM it was a project discussed over Summer dinners that we finally launched in the Spring of 2013, the same month I found out I was pregnant with my first, Scarlet. Lifestyle soon turned to pyjamas when stores popped up asking us for stock, from Fortnums one season to Selfridges the next we followed the trend and embraced the ability to make lifestyle garments alongside our homewares. 

Ready-to-wear was something I have always been keen on since having children and no longer feeling comfortable wearing silk pyjamas out, I needed a waist and something to nip, tuk in places and accentuate in others.. Sometimes a print is so beautiful you don't just want to wear it inside but not everyone is ready to wear pyjamas outside hence the arrival of the dress!

(Yolke Girl’s showing their support, creating content while in lockdown)

Starting your own company can be a little daunting at first, have there been any challenges that you have had to overcome?

We’ve had some challenges, one being that we are completely independent and so everything we do is based on how much we sell. We are a small team of 3 and all wear many hats. I am the designer, producer and accountant not to mention head of sales and recently during lockdown customer services. But we love it, we thrive on a challenge and it’s so exciting to see the response to day wear. In 2018 Anna decided she wanted to move on to new projects and handed the Yolke baton solely to me. I had 2 children under 4 and a husband working full time too but we embraced it and I actually found my feet and confidence. The late nights and early starts became a lifeline and I still call on Anna often to discuss new ideas and projects.

We began ‘Yolke Girls’ a year after we launched, it felt so right to be seeing our clothes on girls like us and not like us rather than models all the time. Being a small independent brand it’s so important to have a strong girl gang we can call on and them on us when we have launches on our favourite Golborne Road in the Summer not to mention the response on social we have from women seeing someone inspiring rather than paid.

How do you get inspired?

Books, dreams, flowers, poems - my mother was incredibly creative, from fabrics and dressing us up like Boudicca to paint all afternoon in the garden, it was a creative atmosphere growing up. She had such a history of design she would share with my sister Thebe and I and I think we were just like little sponges. I tend to dream up the new collections and sleep with a notebook on my bedside table so I haven’t forgotten the print in the morning when Blue runs in to jump on me!

Could you tell me a little bit more about your design process and where the pieces are manufactured?

I spoke too soon above.. notebooks by the bed are very important to me! Having children and all of life’s busy things doesn’t help with time to think and create so I tend to find when I have a shower or meditate in the garden a lot of ideas pop in my head again. A clear mind and a few deep breaths.

We manufacture in 3 countries at the moment, our company motto has been to follow the fabric so we make linen in Lithuania, Viscose in Bulgaria and our signature stretch silk in China. I have a wonderful team of creatives who are also my friends. Jenny I met at Temperley oversees our production and Lela who’s been with us a year oversees our press and social but together we discuss all the designs and new ideas; who would wear it, when, how, how would it travel, what price point should it be and it’s so inspiring to have these meetings. Currently on Zoom! Sometimes we just bring in friends for another opinion it’s heaven!

What is your favourite piece from the latest collection?

I LOVE the foxglove Valentina dress in linen - I dreamt of it a year or so ago, my friend Fiona introduced me to a wonderful factory in Paris and I went out to meet Philippe and the team and fell in love with them all. It’s the beginning of an exciting new venture with them and I am so excited. Next stop Madagascar.. when we are allowed!

(Ella’s husband shooting at home for @yolkegirl)

Luxury loungewear has become the look of 2020, do you have a special spot where you go to relax and watch the world go by?

Currently in lockdown we are in my husband’s sister’s house in the countryside. We moved here before lockdown, back in March, so it is sitting out the back of the house watching the kids teach themselves how to do handstands. I long to see my Dad in Bristol and go for a bike ride with him ending in a neck oil beer. Simple things, both he and my sister ‘s husband are restauranteurs so we can do a whole cycle along with river and stop in a few for divine food and wine.

What are you looking forward to in the future and what does it look like for YOLKE?

Working on more exciting projects such as the one we have just done with Cressida Jamieson, & expanding both the homeware and day wear collections direct to consumer which allows us so much freedom and of course lower prices for the customers!  

We are also calling on friends near and far to shoot for us whilst travel is restricted and also to reduce our travel so a new freelance international team is developing which is exciting! I have just sent my cousin in Ibiza all our new homewares to try and shoot on her iPhone.. watch this space!

Focusing on our responsibility to the wider community is something we are working hard on in light of everything going on around us - we recently did an instagram charity sale selling off our archive of pyjamas that we have collated since 2013. Being independent we are always cash poor/ clothes rich so we sold what we had and with thanks to our amazing customers raised £8000 for 2 charities in about 4 hours which blew us away.

But most importantly a renewed appreciation for the amazing women we can work with in the future and a commitment and respect for our responsibility in creating a space where women of all colours can see themselves in our imagery. 

yolke.co.uk

Les vacances d’Irina

(Les vacances d’Irina’s founder and designer Irina Morosanu)

Les vacances d’Irina is a brand that makes your holiday dreams come true. Looking to the Mediterranean for inspiration and drawing on style in the fifties and sixties, Les vancances D’Irina is all about simplicity and the dream world using only the best natural fabrics.

You have said it all started with a basket found in a flea market but when did you decide to start your own brand?

True.  It all started with a beautiful vintage straw basket.

Almost 3 years ago I decided to start the Les vacances d'Irina brand. Before creating my own brand, I worked with a Romanian designer for almost 5 years and this helped me to understand the business but the idea of ​​Les vacances came from a person very close and dear to me. They introduced me to the Mediterranean and made me fall in love with natural materials, the noisy taverns on the beach and everything that means good taste but in a very simple and sophisticated way. 

The hardest thing when I started was the fact that I had to do everything myself and I was working very, very hard. Everything I earned, I had to reinvest right back in to the business. I didn't have initial investment capital I could count on. That made growing the business difficult and slow, but it also gave me the opportunity to fully experience and learn from every step of the way.

How do you get inspired?

I must admit that I find much of my inspiration in my vacations but also in everyday life. I like to walk a lot and observe people. I happen to find details in simple people, that inspire me enormously. I also love museums and I always take little notes when I visit them.

What is your biggest achievement?

Les vacances d'Irina à Tokyo is my biggest achievement, there is no doubt.

For me, getting my own branded store window in Tokyo, at the International Gallery Beams, was what seemed an impossible dream come true. The entire collaboration with the Japanese taught me so much - it really upped my game and is something I will always be grateful for. It brought with it big improvement in the products, the quality of the materials and the attention to production details.

What is your favourite piece from the latest collection?

My favourite piece is The too short island dress. When you wear it it's like wearing little more than a cloud! There is no need to iron the cotton because it is perfect in its natural state. It's very sexy and also practical which is not a usual combo...

As your brand is dedicated to the art of holidaying and relaxation where is your favourite holiday destination?

I love Italy. The south, especially. Panarea, for example, it is Paradiso for me. But I don't want to be unfair to Greece because some of its islands are just divine. Hydra, for example - I could see myself living there forever.

This July, I will be by the sea in Greece and Italy. And also, with a bit of luck, in August...

What are you looking forward to in the future and what does it look like for Les vacances d’Irina?

I want to continue to create. I would do it all day if I could..!

I see a wonderful future for Les vacances d'Irina and I am so motivated to do everything it takes, to make this brand meaningful day-by-day. I want to expand the brand with a line for kids "Les vacances des enfants" and I'm also thinking of a new, related brand with a very sexy touch. 

lesvacancesdirina.com

As a Fashion Stylist I have found a signature style for my wardrobe that is both quirky and feminine. I have always enjoyed finding new, independent brands that inspire me and make me dream about wearing their designs. It got me thinking about how they got started and what their inspiration and design processes were. Stitched is a series of short, intimate interviews between myself and the designers behind my favourite brands. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did.

Naya Rea

Naya Rea is a brand that let’s you enter a whimsical and romantic realm. Naya who is originally from Siberia has created beautiful designs inspired from her home using delicate prints, ruffles and delicate colours. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

How did you become a fashion designer?

I have always loved fashion, ever since I can remember. I was born and grew up in the Soviet Union where I never actually knew about “fashion” as it is. I loved to dress others, it was always my thing in the family, nobody was allowed to go out without checking with me first! 

I never thought of being a fashion designer until my friend, who I studied interior design with in my home town Novosibirsk, Siberia, pointed that out to me. All I was doing during my free time was thinking about clothes. I thought “Bingo! That’s what it is”. It might sound strange, but it was really a Eureka moment for me.

After that I spent a few years fulfilling my dream to become a fashion designer. It took a lot of effort and sacrifices to move to study to London. I founded my brand in 2017 (officially 2018 as a company) from home with my small savings by making all my samples by myself all while looking after my little kids. This is the way I still work, and I quite like it this way (although it became increasingly overwhelming with the amount of work last year).  

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How do you get inspired?

I think a lot about inspiration, I ask this question myself constantly. I have never been inspired by anything in particular which I can just simply point out. A lot of designers say they are inspired by architectural forms, or nature, or the culture they grew up in but I don’t really like direct references. I think (it’s probably obvious) that the main influence lays in my upbringing, In the Soviet Union. Most of my time as a kid was spent wearing my black and brown school uniform, a combination of colours which were physically painful to me. The burst of colours in every collection I make is probably me compensating for the lack of it, longing for pretty, that’s what it is!

Also, I come from a very multicultural family (I am a mixture of Uighur/Korean/Japanese) so I am used to that fusion of everything (food, languages, religions) which I think somehow is reflected in my collections.

I love the dreamy aspect of your clothes; how would you describe your latest collection, and would you say it is similar to your personal style?

I love that you used the word “dreamy” - dreaming is what I do the best! It always starts as a dream to me - something which is still blurry and is slowly shaped right in front of me piece by piece. When I was creating (and making) my SS20 collection, I thought of the happiest times of my childhood, summer holidays at my grandmas. I was trying to recreate that feeling of happiness and lightness when you put your summer dress on and run around outside for the whole day. I don’t know if it translates in the garments, but I definitely enjoyed making them! 

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My favourite piece is probably the Ludmila dress - it’s very simple, very easy to wear and carries that dreamy element in it and it’s pink!

Could you tell me a little bit more about your design process?

Now that my collection is being sold all around the world, the first thing I think of when designing is - will my customer feel comfortable wearing it? Honestly it was the last thing I thought of when I just started. I create for women to wear the clothes, not for them to hang in the cupboard.

I don’t like drawing my ideas on paper and because I make my garments myself I actually don’t have to. The best part for me is to transform the idea (which I call a dream) straight into the garment and that is the magical moment. You asked previously what drives me - curiosity, always!

What is your biggest achievement?

My biggest achievement is the connections I have made with the amazing people who I work with now and who became a main force of the brand. Because of their help and belief in me as a designer we now have a number of reputable stockists around the world, very strong press coverage and my clothes are worn by so many wonderful women! 

What does the future hold for Naya Rea?

The future holds a LOT of work ahead, these times are uncertain but I have a feeling that we will be fine :) 

nayarea.com