Meet The Pioneering Designer Behind This Sustainable Brand
All products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however we may make commission on some products.
During my early career, I worked at some incredible labels. At Emilia Wickstead, Issa and Roksanda, I learnt so much about design and the industry in general. Pretty quickly, though, I wanted to start my own label and find a design-based solution to the fashion world’s problem with over consumption.
E. STOTT’s mission is to create clothes that last and will be cherished and altered over time. The inspiration behind the brand really comes from a quote by Orsola de Castro: “The alterations we must make aren’t about enjoying things less, they are about enjoying thing differently.” An E. STOTT garment is designed to evolve over time through the collection’s additions. I think the E. STOTT customer has a busy life. She loves to wear colour; she enjoys clothes and dressing up – but she’s discerning about how her clothes are made and where they come from.
The stylist Hanna Kelifa has had a huge influence on me. She was an assistant to British Vogue Editor Edward Enninful, and I knew her vision would elevate and modernise the collection. She has such great energy. I also love working with the model Bibi Abdulkadir. She’s as intelligent as she is beautiful – a bright and friendly face that I’ve been really proud to feature in my first collection.
E. STOTT is all about giving woman an alternative way to build a sustainable wardrobe. Every piece in the collection is intended to be kept and evolve – and everything is feminine in its aesthetic and made with such integrity. Part of my design process is about adding elements to existing silhouettes, so that it’s easy to adapt existing pieces in your wardrobe. It’s important to remember we have control of our own environmental impact. To that end, I want to give people the ability to take control directly by updating something they already own or give them multiple way to wear the same piece time and again.
A sustainable wardrobe is as much about how you wear it as how you own it. I’ve designed add-on separates like sleeves and belts that can be used to transform other garments you already have – they don’t even have to be E. STOTT pieces to work. This way, you can extend the life of your entire wardrobe. It’s really as easy as transforming a dress with the fluid fabric of a dramatic belt.
At E. STOTT, we use fabric that is otherwise going to waste. This minimises our environmental footprint by reducing demand for raw materials – all without impacting the quality of our pieces. Oftentimes, luxury brands leave behind thousands of metres of un-used and under-appreciated fabric and they struggle to know what to do with it. But the way I look at it, it’s constraints like this that make design more interesting.
My aesthetic combines timeless elegance with fresh modernity. My clothes are versatile and adaptable enough to meet the different needs and complexities of the modern woman’s lifestyle. For example, I also build in healthy seam allowances so that garments can be adapted to fit, no matter how people’s body shapes change over time. There’s no need to get rid of something just because it no longer fits like it once did.
It was nerve-wracking to see my first collection go live on MATCHESFASHION – I knew I was putting my own perspective and style out into the world, but it was also exciting to see my designs featured on that kind of platform. It’s definitely been the most memorable moment for the brand so far.
People might be surprised to hear the E. STOTT atelier is above a motorcycle workshop. It used to be my living room, but now we’re in west London! love welcoming people to the space. It’s full of character as it was originally built as an industrial laundrette in 1890 and one of the last church organ builders is still next door. I love that sense of history and things lasting – it mirrors the brand’s philosophy perfectly.
Collaborating with female creatives is very important to me. For the SS23 campaign I worked with female photographer Sarah Blais, as well as Hanna. I want my clothes to be seen through a woman’s eye. The clothes are meant for fun (I love a party – it’s the best excuse to get dressed up) and we had such a good day shooting the campaign. There was so much wonderful creative and female energy in the room.
The fashion industry is always tough on new emerging brands. But I believe E. STOTT offers something unique. At the end of the day, all I hope is that it inspires people’s visions of what their clothes mean to them and how they want their wardrobes to function. We have to reuse and re-wear our pieces are much as possible – and I’m happy to making that a little bit easier.
Follow @E.STOTT_ on Instagram.
Available at MATCHESFASHION.COM.
SHOP THE PRODUCT EDIT
DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at info@sheerluxe.com.