Fantastic sustainable fashion at the Good Clothes Show 2024

Wow! What a whirlwind of a weekend I’ve just had! I went to The Good Clothes Show at the NEC in Birmingham and it’s been a real eye opener (in a good way!). There were so many businesses, charities and people doing inspiring stuff in the world of sustainable fashion, it’s hard to know where to begin. With everything from thrifting and clothes swaps right up to luxury sustainable fashion companies, a fascinating talks programme, runway shows and more, I was truly in second-hand heaven, a preloved bubble, a sustainable state of being by the end of it all!

Here is a list of my top five sustainable fashion businesses that appeared at the Good Clothes show. It was hard to break it down to just five, but these really did catch my eye:

Fanfare – This sustainable fashion brand’s ethics really resonated with me, especially their commitment to a circular economy. Founder Esther’s passion for making positive change in an industry she cut her teeth in (and fell out of love with) is infectious. I loved the denim collection Percy Langley had displayed – the upcycled asymetrical top was my fave- would look so good with one of my skirts! https://fanfarelabel.com/

Saywood – Was another brand that caught my eye, also stocked in Percy Langley. Specialising in timeless wardrobe essentials, this luxury sustainable fashion house has focused on shirts and shirt dresses which are made to be worn time and time again. They also work on a small volume basis using sustainable fabrics such as deadstock and recycled cotton. The frill detail on the pockets is really pretty. https://saywoodstudio.co.uk

Clementine Loves – Clementine’s stand was bursting with amazing preloved pieces. She has cleverly set up Clementine Loves, where she curates the most gorgeous, high quality pristine condition preloved collections from private wardrobes. You can even send your old treasures to her to sell through her consignment service. Check out her roundup of the weekend on her IG: @clementinelovesuk 

 

Stuart Trevor – Yes this is THE Stuart Trevor, founder of high street giant All Saints! It turns out he has founded a sustainable clothing company that is looking to actively REDUCE the amount of new clothing produced. He has created a brand that aims to keep clothes in circulation by reimagining vintage and second-hand clothing or by utilising deadstock and recycled materials to create everyday essentials. I was delighted to see one of the ‘establishment’ bucking the trend. It is what’s needed to be able to convince the masses that fast fashion and over consumption isn’t the way forward. https://stuarttrevor.com

 

I Was A Sari x Oxfam – I Was A Sari ethically employs 800 women in Mumbai to upcycle old saris and reimagine them into beautifully bold, colourful garments and accessories. They have robust fair employment and zero-waste policies in place and like me, the fact that they are working with materials already in existence as other products mean they are striving to make the planet a priority. Great to see them collaborating with Oxfam at The Good Clothes Show. Some truly beautiful unique and one o pieces! (@i_was_a_sari)

Other things I loved:

I fell a little in love with show host Annaliese Dayes (@annaliesedayes)  She’s a former QVC presenter, model and fully qualified personal stylist and she really held the fort during the talks and runway shows. Her energy was o the scale, totally infectious and her grid is full of colour and pattern which is a big thumbs up from me!

 

I got to meet (@secondhandstylinguk) boss Lucy Norris in real life. She’d found out about me and my brand via an SJP dress that was swapped to her by a friend, and she chose to wear one of my Derby dresses to give me a massive shout out on second hand stylings socials – pinch me!

I was totally inspired by the ladies at Smart Works – a charity organisation which helps unemployed women get jobs through free interview clothing and coaching. They work with retail partners who donate brand new workwear which can be passed on to prospective job applicants to get them interview ready – what a great idea! They had some bargain pieces which were getting snapped up- raising money for their brilliant charity! https://smartworks.org.uk

Zoe Sussmayer’s Big Swap event was a massive hit. The line to swap clothes was so so long! It was definitely one of the big draws of the weekend. Swapping is getting seriously popular- I even have a regular swap shop in my village- would you be up for swapping your clothes?

Find out about more Big Swap Events here:  (@thebigswapevents)

I also loved finding new books and podcast recommendations which I’m excited to delve into. I’ll share more on those in later blogs as I work through my wish list.

Finally, I can’t write about the awesome time I had at the good clothes show without giving a special mention to Percy Langley who have been amazingly supportive and enthusiastic of Made by SJP. My autumn edit sat so beautifully alongside their pieces over the weekend and will by now be winging its way over to their Spittlefields shop- now is your chance to try them on IRL! Go go go! (@percy.langley)

Thanks for reading XOXO,

SJP ✌