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I've been asked by Living Ethically to contribute artices on ethical fashion for their New Time ezine. I thought I would start out by introducing myself and giving you a bit of backround about my clothing label Enamore, which is inspired by hemp, organic cotton and reclaimed fabrics. Enamore was launched in 2004 from a small, small studio in Brighton.
I have been in Britain - mainly in Brighton - for the better part of the last 8
years, after growing up in Saskatchewan, Canada. For as long as I can remember
I’ve always been fascinated by clothing, fabrics and colour. My mother used to
make many of my clothes at home and I would turn up at school in a head to toe
colour way including some quite elaborate dresses, pull up socks and matching
ribbons in my hair. Mum always encouraged my interest in sewing and I recall
making trips to fabric shops, from about the age of five, to pick out material
and patterns. It was always something I loved to do, whether for a costume or
for my everyday clothes. I caught the recycling bug from my father who in turn
had caught it from his father – both have always made many different types of
objects from reclaimed materials such as wood, glass and mirrors.
I started sewing from about 12 years old but when I reached high school for
some reason I stopped. It was when I was 21 and had just moved back to Canada,
after my first couple of years in the UK, I started to sew again and began
recycling fabrics. I did this by either re-making old clothes from my wardrobe
or from second hand shops, or buying vintage curtains and patterns to make
something new. I moved back to Britain in 2001 and started to develop my ideas
and skills by taking courses in pattern cutting, design, and art. Shortly after
college I approached the Prince’s Trust and began developing my business plan.
I had started using hemp whilst on my college course and felt it was important to me to keep using it. I knew if I worked for a company I would not be able to choose the materials that I wanted to use so I decided to start my own business. I received funding from two charities to get started, The Prince’s Trust and the Fredericks Foundation, who have been a great source of support over the last couple of years.
You can find out more about Enamore by visiting www.enamore.co.uk
