Sophia Couture

Where is it?
www.sophia-couture.co.uk

History
Travelling is known to impart vigour, allow us to see and think outside the box and take away life experiences. However, for some people it can completely change their life.

That can be said for entrepeneur Adriana Galimberti-Rennie. Having spent over 25-years working as a psychologist, it was a charity trip to India which, unbeknown to her, would provide the catalyst for Sophia Couture.

She said: “We did a charity walk in the desert in Rajasthan for Age Concern. I came back into central India and I noticed the weaving being done as part of people’s everyday lives. I realised that it doesn’t take a lot to make a difference in a place like this, but I walked away not knowing what that really meant. Three months later I randomly got a set of details on my desk about ethical trading. The two just came together.”

Adriana formed an idea to start an ethical clothing company which would fuse the east with the west using the creations of the nomadic groups she’d met in the desert. She then went about seeking out the talent to help bring the idea and clothing range to life.

Florence Tewson was a textile design student in Manchester when Adriana viewed her work at a student exhibition, and liked what she saw.

Flo said: “I specialised in knit and then for my degree work I used a lot of metal and I’ve always been interested in using materials that aren’t just stereotypical for knitting. Wire is such a good thing. Knit is so soft and delicate, but once you add wire you can really structure it.”

They then set about experimenting with materials, but it wasn't until they participated in London Fashion Week 2009, that they decided their brand needed a piece of attire which would make them stand out.

Flo said: “We had a few girls wearing different things and we wanted to tie our brand together. Adriana had the idea of a headpiece. Then I decided to try and make something using the wire and material. We made our initial ones which were more like a cap. They’ve moved on since then from head pieces to hats. There’s no one making ethical hats. And ethical hats are something which should be considered because they’re high end pieces.”

Who shops there?
Whilst the pair are still establishing their customer base, the niche of hats has drawn interest from ladies who attend the races and weddings. Adriana said: “We’ve had interest from people who want something different for the races. We weren’t at this stage last summer. We’ve been focussing our energy on that and moved into wedding hats too.”

Why go there?
Much more than just clothing, Sophia Couture pieces are original works of art. The design process involves much thought, time and dedicated. Adriana took me to their storage to show me materials sourced from faraway lands. She opened up the cupboard and my eyes to an ethical, hand-produced, environmentally friendly, chemical-free, Narnia. It was not only inspiring but also gave a story to what could otherwise just look like a simple scarf or hat.

Flo said: “I create all the scarves on a hand powered knitting machine. Each item takes time and dedication and is made with exquisite yarns such as alpaca and silk, cashmere and mohair. I use detailing from my textile background and design what I think will work. That’s the great thing about working with only natural fibres- you’re limited so it means you have to be more creative.”

Sophia Couture also personalise each item to carry their ethos way beyond the purchase.

Adriana said: “We’ve taken lots of random quotes from different people to do with being connected. Each item gets sold with a quote tag on them.”

What does it sell?
Hats (starting at £390), scarves, shrugs and pashminas (starting at £165), and jewellery (starting at £180) - using unusual, sometimes rare materials that are most importantly, ethical. Examples of materials used are bamboo, banana yarn and milk yarn. They make use of fabric run leftovers from the UK as well as fallen leather and peace silk.

Adriana said: “People are trying to use a wider variety of materials but it is costly. You can get cotton on a wide scale, it washes well, everybody knows it. With these when I say to somebody that’s made out of camel they’re shocked. It’s something different. It allows us to be more creative and it’s ethical.”

“Fallen leather is the skin from an animal that has died naturally in the dessert. Peace silk is when the silk worm is allowed to eat its way out of the cocoon without being gassed or flooded out by humans. It’s raw silk. It tends to be more expensive but it is incredibly beautiful.”

Future
There is nothing like Sophia Couture. It’s as appealing to the high street as it is to haute couture. It’s for the individual yet would appeal to the masses. But most importantly, it’s fashion with thought, and Adriana intends to skeep it that way.

She said: “We could make a higher volume of items, but we wouldn’t want to. That’s the whole point- we’re not into mass production. We want it to be exclusive. Yes, they might cost a bit more but not everybody has one.”

Now that they’ve established their niche with hats, the pair have plans to expand the brand and the range of countries they source materials from, starting with Tunisia for tailoring.

Verdict
Adriana made reference to the film Coco before Chanel as a source of motivation and inspiration.

She said: I went to see that film and thought oh my goodness, that’s how she started- with hats. There’s that synergy between starting with what you can develop and then possibly moving on or just being known for something that is really specific.”

It’s safe to say that Sophia Couture is capable of both, and much, much more.