OUR STORY
Rebecca is the founder of a small, quiet, highly product orientated British based brand. Working in the technical performance apparel industry for many years led to her deep understanding of what was needed to create a “new” type of waterproof – a waterproof she herself needed but simply couldn’t find. Outerwear which didn’t jar with a woman’s everyday wardrobe, but enhanced it, which delivered ultimate comfort and extreme protection, and blended perfectly with every outdoor backdrop be it countryside, coast line or city.
“It was an important work meeting in London where I finally realised this product type was seriously needed. I looked as though I had just swum the Thames as my mode of commute, and in that moment realised that we, as women, are really under served in the performance outerwear market. The cuts, designs and features of other performance jackets weren’t aligned to my needs – a countryside and city lover with a need for my weatherproof to translate across all settings and sit comfortably with what I wanted to wear. See More
Strangely, the same week a friend entered the scene: “why can’t I get a proper waterproof which makes me feel good when I’m wearing it? A career woman, Anne had just given birth to her first child, buggy in tow, feeling tired and run down. She wanted something that made her look and feel good, a jacket that was comfortable, refined, protective and had the hands-free option of a good hood, one which really worked. Two women, different stages of their lives, both wanting the same wardrobe staple to simplify the day to day.
“I had worked with many factories over the years but none like Carries. She owned a boutique style manufacturing base which had all the latest technical machinery but with only around 20-30 machinists, who were essentially expertly trained friends and family and lived in the local area. In short, this made things very different. It created the ability to produce high cost outerwear in small batches, in extremely high quality from a factory with shared values. As a woman herself, Carrie’s understanding, and her subsequent input to the collections was something I had not experienced before now”.
It was personal and there’s a feeling this difference was tangible when the first development samples came in. Today Carrie and Rebecca pour over details working together on limited styles which they are both clearly proud of. The mill which supplies the fabric is Oeketek and blue sign certified which means they don’t add hazardous substances to the environment, and in addition they track and report on their carbon emissions. See More
“There are ups and downs but working in unison as a part of a team in our separate small businesses is really rewarding. We need and rely on each other and I’ve realised the journey could only have begun as a partnership. It’s a way of working which delivers results but, importantly, means we enjoy what we do with a mutual respect for each other”
“Through my work, I understood some of the political and commercial reasons why the product I wanted didn’t exist. But, I also understood, having developed many technical fabrics and products for other global brands, latterly working with some of the top Tour players in the world of Golf, that the technology and product vision was entirely viable”.
However, creating fully seam-sealed, technical outerwear is not for the weak hearted and big outdoor brands have strength to weather this particular commercial storm. Every seam (and seam sealing tape) placement, pocket position, accessory used needs to be highly considered to ensure usage and waterproofing, and that’s before you get to expensive fabric qualities and, potentially, high volumes from limited factories and mills who have the expertise to craft this type of technical product. The enormity of this would normally be in- surmountable but then Rebecca met Carrie.
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