Part of our fabric
Stephanie Smith continues her series highlighting the creative talents and coping strategies of the region’s independent fashion designers and retailers.
AS the coronavirus crisis continues, the future of the fashion industry is increasingly in danger with a significant number of retailers large and small under serious threat. Some argue that this is not necessarily a bad thing, that fashion needed to change, move away from its reliance on the mass production of cheap clothing, clean up its act regarding planet pollution, worker exploitation and landfill waste.
The fashion revolution had already begun, with sustainability the watchword of recent seasons, and customers of all ages and pockets showing a new awareness of the ethics and provenance of the clothes they wear. Designers, producers and retailers were listening, looking for ways to recycle, cut waste and make the world a cleaner, better place. This, surely, hopefully, can only grow once the crisis is over.
Now the fashion industry really has a chance to prove itself by stepping up to the coronavirus challenge, reminding us that clothing and its manufacture are vital, part of the fabric of human daily life. High-end designer fashion has long been accused of engendering triviality and narcissism while having little idea of, or care for, what happens in the “real world”, yet some are switching production to make essential protective clothing. Burberry is repurposing its Castleford factory to make non-surgical gowns and masks for patients, and using its global supply chain to fasttrack the delivery of more than 100,000 surgical masks for use by NHS workers. There are similar initiatives from designers and retailers across the world.
Meanwhile, our local independent fashion companies are facing an uncertain future with shops closed and concerns about how long their supply and delivery chains can stay open. But they too are rising to the challenge of survival. They have the advantage of knowing their customers well and being small enough to be agile. Some are taking the opportunity to rethink their strategies, learn new skills and explore new creative avenues as they adapt to the life we have now and plan for the future. Here is how some Yorkshire brands are meeting the challenges.
Specialising in countrywear, with a shop on High Street, Northallerton, and an online website.
Dorothy said: “Montana’s thriving business came to a full stop after returning from the bustling and busy Cheltenham National Hunt Meeting where we met up with our lovely customers old and new.
“With our outdoor events calendar now cancelled, among them the prestigious Badminton and Bramham Horse Trials, the Royal Highland and the Great Yorkshire Show where customers buy their sporting fashion for the coming season, we are facing challenging times, but feel grateful to be fit and well.
“With the enforced closedown of Montana in Northallerton, we are updating our website and creating new styles of jackets for ladies and gentlemen in fabulous new tweeds. Our extensive range of gents caps which has repeat customers nationwide consists of four styles in 15 different tweeds. For National Tweed Day, we launched a new ladies cap, Jackie, in two lovely tweeds.
“We are sure when the lockdown is lifted, Northallerton with its wide range of shops large and small will be ready to offer a great welcome to all.”
www.montananorthallerton. com, enquiries@ montananorthallerton.com
Clare said: “On the day that we had to stop trading at the Shambles Market, we felt that our whole world had been stripped away from us. All of those years of hard work and plans for the future were put on hold in an instant. Some of the events that we normally exhibit at have also been put on hold – Living North, Ascot Fashion Week. We were also heavily involved in York Fashion Week, which has now been postponed, but we are all determined to make sure our events go ahead at a later date.
“We always have to forward order our stock as we like to offer customers an exclusive collection. In February, we took delivery of our Spanish collection, Compania Fantastica, and in March, of Bamboo Wardrobe made in Vietnam. We’re now ready to launch our spring/ summer collection, but we have nowhere to launch it other than my online store.
“We’re able to look at a situation, have a slight wobble, then formulate a plan. This time it is a little harder to formulate a plan as we really don’t know what the next few months will bring. However, we’ve always wanted to develop the online side of the business, so we see this as an opportunity to do that. We now have a leisurewear section on our website, which offers a range of stylish and comfortable clothes which are great for wearing around the house. It’s good for morale and mindset, to get dressed and feel good.
“We have some more items to add to our online store, so we’re rapidly learning photography skills and, hopefully, we’ll be able to use our time in isolation to use family members to model for us. We even have plans to dust down the sewing machine and start making items again.
“Social media is a huge help as it ensures that people know that we are still operating. It’s also a great form of escapism for customers. It’s also a vital resource for all small businesses as we tend to stick together so share each other’s posts or comment on them.
“We’re working from home. Living in the countryside gives us a perfect opportunity to cycle or walk for an hour and we’re using this crisis as an opportunity to become healthier and stronger. With an elderly relative to look after, we have to minimise contact.
“We can’t wait to see our customers again and hope that all of York pulls together after this. All businesses are really going to need the support of our locals.”
www.copperandwhite.co.uk
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