Last weekend I was lucky enough to be featured in the Telegraph magazine as a 'Name to Know'. I've had such a great response from this article, (hello to all my new lovely subscribers!), and it made me take a breath and contemplate how far I've come. My brand is just one year old, in it's third season. In the whirlwind which is running your own brand I forgot to celebrate my it's birthday back in August, so I thought that now would be a good time to celebrate with customers new and old! A huge thank you to all, I wouldn't have made it this far without your continued support! 

 

This time last year I was fortunate enough to be named one of the 'great British Brands to know'.

by Sophie Warburton

10/9/2016

Shortly after I launched my first season with my 'Pearly Pop Up' in a beautiful historic Huguenot house in Spitalfields, the perfect place to introduce the collection that took inspiration from the kings and queens of the east end with their finery of pearl buttons. My grandfather had been an East End tailor, a Russian immigrant who had settled here to start afresh and two generations later, my children had been born in Whitechapel when we lived as a family in this very house, a former Huguenot silk weavers merchants house. 

Daisy, my daughter modelled my very first dress, the Pearly Queen dress. The print was created by hand sewing on buttons into a pattern inspired by the the Pearly Kings and Queens of the East End, before digitally printing onto gorgeously smooth satin silk.  She was an East End Pearly Queen for the day!

I also shot my first collection within this house in Princelet Street, which has been used as a location for shoots and filming for years. The vintage charm and character provided the perfect background for my clothes, giving authentic atmosphere with a touch of Edwardiana. Here are a few of my favourite shots from the shoot:

Following the spirit of slow timeless fashion, I've repeated some of these pieces available in various sizes to buy online and in store at 99 Essex Road, Islington. To find these pieces online please click on the image below to link to my A/W Archive section:

 I wouldn't be able to do this without all of your support! Here is the team at Wallace Sewell who kindly let me into their shop to pop up in my first season. 

Justine xxx