The moth gives back
Moths, for millennia the despised ugly stepsister of the butterfly, are having a moment. If The Moth podcast, dedicated to the art of storytelling, has endowed them with a plain-jane Eyreish respectability among the literary crowd, all those moths that have become unfathomably popular on social media lately, have made them the go-to insect for people who have time to superimpose the moth’s creepy little face on to human bodies and compose captions of varying degrees of wit to go with.
But if there were a Miss World for moths, Amanda Wakeley’s shimmering embroidered appliqués would win, hands down. This is the moth (plus quivery little antennae) after it’s been for a Hollywood makeover. Best of all, they’re practical. The idea is that you use them to conceal all those holes that appear in your favourite clothes courtesy of… moths.
The idea came to Wakeley last winter when she pulled out a favourite cashmere sweater and discovered it had become a five-course meal for what have become one of the world’s least favourite houseguests. Not such a big deal for a woman who designs cashmere, but in a sign that fashion’s culture is, gradually, shifting, it bothered her. “It seemed such a travesty to throw something I loved out,” says Wakeley. And thus Midnight Moth, a brilliant little sideline in her very grand Mayfair store was born. Customers can take any item of clothing into her shop in Albermarle Street and have a moth sewn over the offending patch. The appliqués come in three sizes and three colourways, including blush pink, cherry, black, gold and start from £75, which includes having them stitched on.
“You could be quite discreet,” says Wakeley, and have one perched on your shoulder or on your thigh or go bonkers and have something covered in them.” Wakeley herself was so inspired by her moths she worked them into some of the jackets, knitwear and dresses in her current collection.
The appliqué service isn’t confined to old Wakeley purchases. “Customers can bring in anything they want, from H&M jeans to a Dior jacket,” she says. “I love the idea of democratisation. This is about craft – they really are beautifully made – cutting back on waste and treasuring the pieces you love.”