WARNING: YOU WILL WANT EVERY PIECE IN THEIR COLLECTION.
BEING BASED LOCALLY TO ME, AND HAVING SUCH AN INTRIGUING CONCEPT FOR THE BRAND, I COULDN'T WAIT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE LOVELY LETTIE WHO TOLD ME MORE ABOUT WHAT THE GIRLS DO.
> WHERE DID THE IDEA OF HANDMADE, ONE-OF-A-KIND FAUX FUR BOMBER JACKETS COME FROM? IT'S A PRETTY UNIQUE CONCEPT! AND BEING A TEAM, HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT A MUTUAL DECISION ON THE STYLE OF THE JACKETS AND THE MATERIALS YOU WOULD USE?
'MY MUM LECTURED IN FASHION AND TEXTILES FOR OVER 20 YEARS, SO SHE KNOWS A LOT ABOUT FABRICS AND TEXTILES. I USED TO GO FABRIC SHOPPING WITH HER, IT WAS SOMETHING WE LOVED DOING TOGETHER. SHE ALWAYS USED TO MAKE MY CLOTHES FOR ME WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.
ONE DAY WE WERE FABRIC SHOPPING AND I SPOTTED A REALLY UNIQUE ROLL OF MATERIAL, SO I ASKED IF SHE COULD MAKE ME A CARDIGAN OUT OF IT. I WORE IT TO UNI AND ONCE THE WORD SPREAD THAT IT WAS HANDMADE, EVERYONE AT UNI WANTED TO BUY ONE. SO MY MUM MADE A SMALL BATCH OF THEM AND I SOLD THEM AT UNI.
THE IDEA FOR FAUX FUR CAME IN 2014, WHEN I MADE AN INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT SELLING THE CARDIGANS. IT REALLY TOOK OFF AND GIRLS ALL OVER THE WORLD WERE BUYING THESE CARDIGANS. WE WANTED TO CREATE A SIMILAR PIECE TO THE CARDIGANS, BUT USING FAUX FUR. IT'S A POPULAR MATERIAL AND IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE HUGE.'
> TELL ME ABOUT THE DESIGNING AND MAKING PROCESS. DO YOU HAVE SET ROLES OR DO YOU WORK ON ALL ELEMENTS TOGETHER TO CREATE THE FINISHED PRODUCT?
'MY MUM CREATES THE JACKETS FROM HER HOME STUDIO. I CAN'T SEW, DUE TO MY EYESIGHT, SO I REALLY AM GUIDED BY MY TALENTED MUM. SHE DOES BOTH THE DESIGNING AND MAKING, BUT I LOVE DESIGNING TOO. WE WORK TOGETHER WHEN SKETCHING AND CREATING THE JACKETS. WE LOVE SHARING IDEAS WITH EACH OTHER.'
> YOUR PIECES HAVE ATTRACTED A LOT OF ATTENTION LATELY, FROM THE LIKES OF VOGUE MAGAZINE, MODELS SUKI WATERHOUSE AND THE HALPIN SISTERS, AND EVEN KANYE WEST. GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, WOULD THERE BE ANYONE YOU'D LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH? CELEBRITIES, DESIGNERS.. ANYONE!
'SOCIAL MEDIA IS AN AMAZING THING, ESPECIALLY FOR BUILDING UP AWARENESS OF YOUR BRAND. SUKI ACTUALLY HAD OUR FIRST EVER FAUX FUR BOMBER JACKET; SHE'D FOLLOWED US FOR A WHILE WHEN WE WERE STILL DOING THE CARDIGANS. WE COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER CUSTOMER FOR THE FIRST FAUX FUR JACKET - WE LOVE SUKI! WE'VE BEEN LUCKY TO HAVE SOME REALLY TALENTED PHOTOGRAPHERS SHOOT OUR PIECES. ONE OF THEM, WHO WAS A FRIEND OF JOANNA HALPIN HAD HER MODEL THE JACKETS FOR THE SHOOT. SHE LOVES THEM, WHICH IS GREAT!
IN TERMS OF A COLLABORATION...IT'S HARD...THEY'D HAVE TO BE COOL! AND PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT WE DO.'
> ON A SIMILAR NOTE, WOULD YOU EVER CONSIDER EXPANDING TDS TO INCLUDE A RANGE OF DIFFERENT PIECES, OR EVEN ACCESSORIES?
'MAYBE. IN THE PAST WE HAVE MADE SNOODS, BUT AT THE MOMENT THE JACKETS SEEM TO BE WHAT THE CUSTOMERS WANT.'
> THE JACKETS ARE VERY MUCH STATEMENT PIECES. DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR PERSON OR STYLE IN MIND THAT YOU DESIGN FOR, OR WOULD YOU SAY THEY ARE VERSATILE AND ACCESSIBLE TO A RANGE OF STYLES?
'WE DON'T DESIGN FOR ANYONE IN PARTICULAR. OUR CUSTOMERS ARE A RANGE OF AGES, AND COME FROM PLACES ALL OVER THE WORLD. I'D SAY OUR PIECES ARE VERY VERSATILE. WE PRODUCE JACKETS IN MOSTLY NEUTRAL COLOURS; IT'S WHAT WE PERSONALLY PREFER, BUT WE LOVE EXPERIMENTING WITH NEW COLOURS AND FABRICS TOO. EVERY JACKET IS COMPLETELY UNIQUE, WHICH MAKES IT SPECIAL TO HAVE A PIECE THAT'S REALLY YOUR OWN.'
I CAN'T WAIT TO GET MY HANDS ON ONE FOR THIS A/W.
JUST A HEADS UP; THESE BABIES SELL OUT IN SECONDS AS THEY ARE ALL ONE-OFFS. SO MAKE SURE YOU'RE UP TO DATE WITH TDS ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO FIND OUT WHEN THE NEXT COLLECTION HAS BEEN CREATED.
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Nice designs.
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