Sustainability

I have always worked in a sustainable way…

Toiles and the fitting stage

I use various weights of cotton calico for the majority of my toiles (the mock-up stage of dress design), these are reused wherever possible, either in further design iterations for the same bride or for a different client. A good example are wedding dresses with large skirts, I’ll take apart the skirt toile and use it to make bodice toiles for a different design.

Each design is quoted individually and once the design is finalised I only order the amount of fabric required for each dress.

Eco fabrics

I also use a variety of silks, cottons and linens that are lovely to wear and will biodegrade in time and won’t remain in the environment. I am happy to use linens and cottons which are plant based, as well as the more traditional silks.

I can cater for vegan clients by only using modern synthetic fibres – there are lots of good quality recycled polyester fabrics such as satins and georgettes that work fantastically- there are also many eco laces, made from recycled fibres, and I’m happy to advise if this is what you would like to choose.

Extending the life of the dress

Rather than leave your dress in a box for years, after the event, your dress or garment can be altered or repurposed to make a more wearable garment. Often I will shorten the length or add sleeves. It can even be taken apart afterwards and made up into a completely different garment for you or someone else.

Your garment can be made using silk or cotton threads, which when combined with silk or cotton fabrics, allows it to be dyed a different shade afterwards. Some buttons and zips would need to be removed prior to dyeing, but that’s a simple process.