SSEAMS Magazine issue 002

NORTH T I M E

F O R

C H A N G E

N O V E M B E R

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I S SU E

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IN THIS ISSUE 08

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the November issue.

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REJEAN DENIM Meet the Founder behind slow, sustainable denim with zero waste.

IN CONVERSATION WITH..

Robin Clementson catches up with Universal Works Co-Founder, David Keyte.

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A CHANGE OF DIRECTION Experienced sportswear designer, Dan Craven introduces his new baby, Anpassa Sports Apparel

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS SSEAMS Magazine is part of SSACHS Limited www.sseams.co PRESS AND SALES press@sseams.co www.issuu.com/sseams Instagram: @sseams.co Art & Layout Direction: Jack Dadds Published by SSACHS Limited Trading as SSEAMS | SSEAMS Magazine C/O Hardie Caldwell LLP 25 Tyndrum St, Glasgow G4 0JY Front cover - Special thanks to Rejean Denim and Aga Urbanska (image credits)

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MEET THE TEAM Diane Richardson A passionate brand strategist with over two decades in the industry. “Our aim is to inform, collaborate and innovate, whilst keeping you up to date on all of the latest news from around the industry. We thrive on creating connections and embrace celebrating both its talent and unsung heroes.” Diane carries with her a powerful network of influencers and works tirelessly to support necessary change in this industry.

Robin Clementson A career journalist and editor now running the Start-me-Up brand Consultancy specialising in story-telling for fashion/lifestyle brands. His work has involved writing and editing for national and international publications across fashion, music and sport and he also represents/coaches both start-up and emerging brands to help build awareness within the media sector.

Ruth Kelly Passionate about performance materials, Ruth is a creative fabric expert, thought leader and educator. Ruth has successfully led raw materials teams on a global scale across the supply chain, from performance brands to manufacturers. “I’m excited to help create the collaboration and connection that we need to help our industry transform, as we face the many challenges of sustainability”.

Matthew Abbott A design visionary with an impeccable track record of discovering the essence of the brand and creating beautifully crafted narrative to set the foundation for any collection design. A creative story teller with experience of building product directions from the four pillars; True inspiration, Archive research, Market awareness, and Technology.

Julian Ritchie A Design and Innovation leader with a career spanning more than 30 years, designing and manufacturing technical and lifestyle outerwear, sportswear and denim for a number of global brands. Julian supports the Design and Innovation of SSEAMS, with his in-depth knowledge across the spectrum of fabrication, technical and manufacturing developments along building collections with design teams at all levels of the market.

Laura Nesbitt With 10 years of working in sport on a grass roots, national and international level Laura has a good eye for brands creating waves of sustainable change in the swimming and outdoor apparel industry. From inception to publication Laura writes in-depth features on how to get into the industry, insights into working for brands, athlete opinions, and brands who are transparent and committed about their mission to be sustainable.

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IN THIS ISSUE 25

OUR TIME IS NOW

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Jonn Langan takes us through the brand id process of Outdoor living Retailer Nordic Outdoor

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SSEAMS OUT & ABOUT SHOP LOCAL features top picks of the leading independent retailers

GREEN WASHING IN THE INDUSTY

By By Joanna BuczkowskaMcCumber

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LET US REDEFINE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CLOTHES

A CREATIVE RETREAT

By Otago Street Collective

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CHAMPIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY Laura Nesbitt interviews Debbie Luffman of Finisterre

By Rav Kiran

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FASHIONS GREEN FUTURE TOOLS

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PLANET POSITIVE TEXTILES

By Saltyco®

LAW DESIGN STUDIO

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CHANGE IS AS GOOD AS..

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NEWCOMER SERIES

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ON LOCATION

Chris Clewes shares his news

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MARKING 50 YEARS OF OSTI MASTERY

By Hugh Clarke

The SSEAMS team select their showcase brand newcomer for this issue

With Photographer, Patrick Alexander

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REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Hugh Clarke Lead designer innovation, advanced concepts, and trend researcher.

Hugh is a creative, collaborative, and resourceful creator with 15 years of experience successfully designing and developing commercially balanced sportswear including products for several Football FIFA World Cups and the Olympics. He is a technical thinker driven by solving functional problems with a creative out-of-the-box mindset.

Amelia Peng Amelia Peng is a textile artist, designer and material research & developer. While attempting to find a medium to portray her visual interpretations of materials and ideas, textiles proved to be the ideal process by which she could convey these images with permission of the Art Master of Textiles Woven, Royal College of Art in London. She has also worked for lululemon as Fabric Developer of Global supply chain management.

Jack Dadds Jack is a graphic designer specialising in apparel graphics and brand identity. His passion for clear communication through design has led him to work with, and for a spectrum of brands - from global players to high street supply. Jack has showcased a varied handwriting and ability to adapt & develop whether creating fresh ideas for a brand with an existing identity or designing a new line of graphics & prints from scratch.

Tsveti Enslow Tsveti is a trend and cultural insight expert who partners with brands, trend, and creative agencies to deliver bespoke solutions. By exploring the intersection of consumer behavior, culture, lifestyle, and design shifts, Tsveti identifies and translates emerging trends into new opportunities to help clients anticipate and plan for the future.

Jonn Langan Jonn is a technical apparel designer with a thirst for building brands, Jonn uses his technical design knowledge and detailed understanding of the industry to educate, create and lead the development process. Jonn also gathers informed opinions around sustainability and the environmental impact our industry is having on the planet.

Rav Kiran Rav has been providing years of successful creative solutions in Fashion Design & Creative Direction in Sports, Lifestyle & Streetwear all over the world – spanning various organisations, groups, & brands. His expertise in all areas of fashion design & current involvement with the sports brand Umbro has created some of the brands most profiled & influential collaborations and collections to date.

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NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the first SSEAMS NORTH edition!

All heads together, we have spent over 100

Being back in Scotland, I am more excited

combined years in the industry! Together, we

than ever before to share the work going on

know the supply network & process inside out.

here, and from our industry friends further afield.

We know the lengths it takes to make one simple garment. Let me tell you, it's never

During the lockdown, like everyone else, it bought me some time to think, plan, and reset. Added to that, the impact of Brexit, I

simple! The industry supply network faces big challenges and we will be sharing topical issues and opinions from leading industry players.

started to look out locally and discover what was going on. And, let me tell you, this small country packs a punch!

Creativity comes as a given. From an apparel industry perspective, we can see dynamic shifts emerging. Our intention at SSEAMS is to take you behind the scenes of the brands, makers and mills, with a firm eye on sustainable textile innovation.

Local is the new global and with that in mind we will be discovering what's on the ground here and sharing those insights with you, as well as inviting our industry friends around the world to share a few insights with us so we can all learn together.

“CAN WE TAKE A MOMENT TO CHAMPION THE HARD GRAFT GOING ON IN THE INDUSTRY?” Our team at SSEAMS came together during

Also, as we see the connectivity between

a global pandemic. We can tell that story in

industry and consumer closing in we intend

years to come, but for now, we made a

to facilitate that coming together.

decision that more heads around our table was better than one.

day. Surely now, we should open up our world

And, in spending quality time to discover

and share what really goes into the clothes we

what it is we do together, for the 'greater

make?

good' of our industry, innovation and sustainability became top of our agenda.

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Fanciful brand marketing may just of had its

Part education, part exploration, for this new,

To our readers, joining our community of

conscious consumer. That would mean

creatives - thank you for taking the time to

showcasing our manufacturing partners in new

come on this journey with us. Hopefully you

and meaningful ways. Technology & innovation

gain an insight along the way and join us to be

addressing real global issues and turning the

better at how we do things, the right way!

cameras on that focal point. That work has started and long may it come to front of stage!

Hope you like the front cover! Laid bare, time for change is so apt as we launch this issue

SUSTAINABILITY - The 'S' word 'ain't so sassy in

during COP26. Big thanks to Siobhan Mckenna,

our sector'(!), but as the world comes together

founder of Rejean Denim.

and prepares its legacy plan from COP26, Glasgow, we want to share opinion from

And, of course, at the same time, we hope you

industry voices to help inform you, and most

enjoy wearing the clothes that were designed

importantly, support you through the green fog!

and developed by the very talented folks we celebrate who do this for a living because,

INNOVATION - And, wait until you see what

simply, it's in their dna.

some of our industry friends have been doing brilliant innovative solutions that again, should be celebrated as, like all other industries, they are facing the challenges head on.

We will be putting names to the faces behind the products you buy and finding an emotional connection as we get to know what makes

Enjoy reading!

Diane

them tick!

A moment of gratitude for this issue. Firstly, Robin Clementson, Associate Editor, humouring our push to document our journey, he raises our standards of journalism massively. An experienced PR leader too, we are grateful for his patience as we take SSEAMS into its next chapter.

To all our contributors, industry friends and colleagues. Thank you for your conversation over the last year, and thank you for your contribution to SSEAMS and beyond!

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REJEAN DENIM

By Diane Richardson Having moved countries several times over, my

Moving on from there to work at Rokit, the vintage

move back to Scotland has led me to meet truly

clothing business, Siobhan worked in the design

inspiring people. A google search for ‘denim,

department, re-designing and re-making pre-

made in Scotland’ led me to Siobhan McKenna,

worn denim into new garments. The idea of

founder and Creative Director of ReJean Denim.

repurposing garments stuck with her. By 2018, now

Denim is a little ‘square peg in a round hole’ for

back in Glasgow, she bought a kilo of denim and

Scotland which is why ReJean Denim is such a

got to work.

refreshing addition to the Scottish textile mix.

Glasgow born Siobhan studied Fashion at

"For me there is no such thing as

Manchester Metropolitan and headed to London

unwanted jeans. I take unloved

working for Levi’s as a Tailor. It was there she met

denim apart and make it loved once

the ‘Denim heads’. The folks who valued their clothes, nurtured their care and did everything possible to repair their garment before thinking

more by re-fashioning it into new and highly covetable jackets."

about replacing it.

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Reclaimed Revived Remade.

ReJean Denim was born out of a desire to repurpose much loved denim and help the fight against unwanted garments ending up in landfill. From custom made jackets to a repair service and mending club, the brand's aim is to help keep existing products alive and reinvented to be loved once more.

"The mainstream denim industry is toxic, wasteful and exploitative, but there is another way. ReJean Denim is an ethical fashion brand crafting gender-neutral jackets and accessories from 100% reclaimed materials."

What better way to continue the indigo revolution but by strategically collaborating with like-minded partners - ReJean has teamed up with a local female-run skateboarding brand Doyenne. To bring a new purpose to some of their dead stock sizes, samples, and photoshoots extras to create artisanal new design pieces.

Head over to rejeandenim.com to shop the line.

Model: Jay Republo @kollab_unmastered Photographer & photo credit: Aga Urbanska @agaurbanska

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BUY FOR A LONGER TERM AND BUY BETTER QUALITY AND ETHICALLY MADE. IN CONVERSATION WITH DAVID KEYTE

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IN CONVERSATION..

WITH CO-FOUNDER OF UNIVERSAL WORKS, DAVID KEYTE

With a passion for conversation and gathering a

Hi David, thanks for speaking with us. Can you

broader insight from industry insiders, we

explain a little about Universal Works approach

endeavour to speak with individuals and

to clothing and what drives the business?

organisations that can give us an independent view and ‘human-side’ to the business of fashion.

Here we catch up with one of the nicest, approachable people in the business Nottingham based Universal Works co-founder David Keyte - for a quick snapshot into what makes him and the business tick. Universal Works has many fans north of the border with distribution throughout leading independent

Hi, no problem at all, pleasure to be speaking with you. From day one, which is 12 years ago now, my motto was "buy less shit, but please buy my shit!”. We all need to have less stuff if we are going to make a difference to the damage we are doing to the planet, but we do need things.

However, when we buy things, we should think about why and what we are buying, buy for a longer term and buy better made and ethically made.

stores.

You are synonymous with workwear and that effortless style which has roots in Japan. What do you love about this aesthetic?

I like things that have a purpose, a reason to exist.

Workwear was all made for a real job and to last.

It is designed to be worn and to be washed over and over again, which is my kind of clothing.

How do you feel about the ongoing chat surrounding sustainability and ethics within the fashion industry?

I'm not interested in the marketing spin, but there are also lots of cool new companies and older companies trying to do good things. Let’s be honest, ALL new things have some effect on the planet, but the big corporate brands are the ones with real power to change things, and they are driven mostly by profit only and profit in monetary terms only, not in terms of harm done.

We all need to be aware of what we do and what we buy - effectively voting with our cash for brands that care whenever we can. But I do get a bit bored with everyone jumping on the “green” bandwagon. Sustainability, like many big issues, is a complex issue and too often people want an easy one-line answer and there just isn’t one - it's bloody complex.

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MEETING DAVID KEYTE Are you therefore tired of the ‘buy better but buy less’ conversation that goes around every few months. What’s your stance?

No, I'm not tired of it, I believe in it. Do buy less, and do buy better, it really can help, but like I say there is SOOOO much more to it also.

What is important to you when designing a collection, what are the main considerations?

Do I like it, would I wear it, can I make it?

Simple really.

“DO I LIKE IT, WOULD I WEAR IT, CAN I MAKE IT? SIMPLE REALLY”.

Who does this job well, who do you look at and think ‘yep, they’re getting things right’?

I like all and any small independent brand just for being there. For being honest and real and trying to survive and grow and be positive in the middle of a pandemic, in a time of global dominance by huge corporate brands, and doing this while we try to lessen the damage we all do to the planet. Big up to small independents everywhere.

As for individual brands I admire..

I admire Patagonia for their commitment to trying to harm less and to make things better and for letting their staff go surfing.

I admire Comme Des Garcons for following their own path for so many years and always pushing boundaries, being creative and commercial.

I admire Yuketan for making great shoes and for not compromising and for giving me great whisky.

I admire Nicholas Daley for doing new cool stuff. I admire F/CE for doing great great things while having a family, playing in an international recognised band and still being a nice guy.

I admire Margaret Howell for never changing for trend. I admire Veja for making a small dent into the big shoe brands with a good idea and good methods.

I admire Novesta shoes for being independent affordable and not having any glue in their sneakers.

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IMAGE CREDIT: UNIVERSAL WORKS

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IMAGE CREDIT: UNIVERSAL WORKS

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IMAGE CREDIT: UNIVERSAL WORKS

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" I

WANT

GRE AT T HAT T O

US

T O

MAKE

CL OT HI NG

HE L P S

F E E L

P E OP L E

GOOD

AB OUT

T HE MS E L VE S ,

F E E L

GOOD

T HE

WAY

AB OUT

T HE Y

L OOK. "

You’re a non traditionalist in the sense that you follow your own path, is there a strategy behind collaborations, partnerships or films you create?

Not really, but I guess we want to do things that are honest and genuine. I want to work with other companies we like and make great product and also work on new things that excite us - sharing our ethics and our sense of humour!

There is a telling sense of togetherness, made all the more prominent given the recent pandemic.

How do you want people to perceive Universal Works? Does it matter to you?

Yes, very much so, I want us to make great clothing that helps them to feel good about themselves, feel good about the way they look.

There is also a very easy-going nature attached to the brand. Is this your own personality shining through?

I am not sure I can claim a shining personality, but I think all businesses are a reflection of the people at the top. We try hard to enjoy what we do and pass that on throughout the brand, but we also make mistakes everyday and try to learn form them too. We are deadly serious about what we do, it’s a business and we employ a bunch of people directly and many more indirectly and have a responsibility to them and their families to do a serious job, while trying not to take ourselves too seriously.

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INTERVIEW BY ROBIN CLEMENTSON IMAGE CREDITS: UNIVERSAL WORKS

A CHANGE OF DIRECTION

ANPASSA SPORTS APPAREL

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Introducing Anpassa Sports Apparel AIM FOR BETTER

By Founder, Dan Craven

THE IDEA

Designed to transition from one environment to

In recent years we have seen the women’s

office or climbing a mountain.

the next; whether you’re training, running, in the

activewear market explode. The likes of Sweaty Betty and Lululemon leading the way with

Despite the sportswear market as a whole

high-quality, technical apparel that marries

becoming very saturated, I still felt there was a

function with style - A far cry from the dark days

niche for premium men’s activewear – particularly

of ‘shrink it and pink it’.

within the UK.

Seeing this growth, it became apparent that

I think it’s important to distinguish between

men’s sportswear had become stuck in its ways

‘Activewear’ and ‘Athleisure’, as the two are often

– the same big brands, launching similar-

confused. The term, ‘Athleisure’ refers to casual

looking ranges every season, mostly positioned

wear with a sporting aesthetic. The term,

in the mid to low price point.

‘activewear’ refers to technical sportswear with a

Having studied Sports Technology at university, plus spending the last 9 years working in sportswear design and development, I have the idea to create a new style of technical sportswear for men – versatile apparel that blends performance, comfort and style without compromise.

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casual aesthetic. Anpassa fits into the latter. First and foremost, the products must be built on a platform of technical performance. However; I strongly believe style can be incorporated, without any compromise in function.

We take a minimalistic, Scandinavian approach

not only at product level. Coming from a

to design, using performance fabrics with a

sportswear industry background, I’m

natural colour palette. A nod to this being in

conscious of the increase in ‘greenwashing’.

the name, Anpassa - a Swedish word meaning

Without sounding too preachy, the clothing

‘to adapt’.

industry as a whole must continue to make

THE 'S' WORD I don’t see sustainability as a USP, but as something to incorporate into every aspect of the business -

fundamental changes and as a new brand, it’s important Anpassa keeps its environmental impact to a minimum.

There’s a slow shift in buying habits from buying cheaper throwaway garments to investing in higher quality. Durability plays an important part in our design ethos and we strongly encourage the change towards lower consumption.

We use eco-friendly fabrics and materials where possible. Everything is manufactured and sourced within Europe, keeping our carbon footprint to a minimum. All aspects of our packaging are ecofriendly - even down to the water-based adhesive labels used on our compostable mail bags.

These are just a few examples of our current sustainability strategy. We see this as something that will continue to evolve.

DEVELOPMENT In 2019, we had our first trip to Anpassa’s manufacturing partners in Portugal. With 2020 being a difficult year for many businesses, we also found ourselves facing a number of delays within the supply chain. After various rounds of sampling and plenty of persistence, we finally launched in early July, with a minimally branded, 3-piece collection comprising of a zip top made with SEAQUAL® YARN’s Upcycled Marine Plastic, a drirelease®/cotton-blend t-shirt and a highly durable woven short.

FUTURE PLANS We’re predominantly a direct-to-consumer brand, selling exclusively through our website, although

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ANPASSA SPORTS APPAREL / PHOTOGRAPHED BY PATRICK ALEXANDER / LOCATION: GLEN COE

we are keen to partner with key retailers in the

PATRICK ALEXANDER

near future. Although it’s early days for the brand,

Patrick works across the UK and is based in

we’ve seen a steady growth in sales and received

Edinburgh.

excellent feedback from customers.

Moving forward, we have plans to collaborate with various industry experts and like-minded brands. Heading into A/W 2021 and beyond, we’re thoroughly excited to grow Anpassa into the goto activewear brand for men.

View the collection at www.anpassa.co

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Follow Patrick on instagram @with.Patrick

NORDIC OUTDOOR OUR TIME IS NOW

By Jonn Langan Identity is everything to us as humans, not just

For context, Nordic Outdoor has a long history of

in our personal lives, but also in our business

importing and retailing Scandinavian outdoor

endeavours. So when someone comes to you

garments and equipment. Created back in 2005,

and asks you to “rebrand” their entire business,

the concept was to bring the style, traditions and

you definitely feel the gravitas of such a

culture of Scandinavia, to an audience thirsty for a

decision.

taste of a culture where the outdoor lifestyle is part of everyday living.

This is what Nordic Outdoor did when they came to SSEAMS, back in the lockdown of

Focusing on Importing quality, but lesser known

2020. We knew that this was not a project to be

brands, alongside their more well known cousins,

taken lightly, as the world was analysing

Nordic Outdoor quickly found their niche building

everything, in the wake of a global pandemic.

a tribe of loyal followers.

From traditional bushcraft enthusiasts, to style

To enter into this new retail complex, came

led outdoor aficionados Nordic Outdoor could

with its restrictions and opportunities. External

see the demand for quality outdoor gear was

uniformity and planning regulations meant a

only going to get stronger.

lot of the visuals were controlled. But this also

Growing this community has always been at the heart of the brand, so as the number of stores grew, the importance of staying true to their scandi roots became evermore a focal point of their evolution. So when, during the global pandemic, the opportunity to open a new store in the newly constructed St James Quarter, Glasgow, came around they took the

meant that where possible Nordic Outdoor wanted to put their stamp on what they believe in.

So in conjunction with their interior design partner Four by Two, they set out to create and style a space which could transport their customers instantly into their world.

opportunity in their stride. Knowing that the strong stand tall, when times are tough.

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Building a new space from scratch means you analyse everything. From the material choices to the fixtures and fittings, to the way they brand it, it was no surprise that they also looked critically at their own brand ID and logo.

Nordic Outdoors’s last logo iteration was understandable and looked a little dated. But it had served it’s time well. Now it was felt that with this new retail venture, a new approach was needed. This is when Nordic outdoor founder and owner Casper Odqvist approached our team at SSEAMS to see how they could

Breaking it down, to build it up At SSEAMS, we approach each project in a bespoke way. This leads to an opportunity to really break down a project into its defining elements, enabling a deep and critical analysis of why and what are the goals for the project.

When you meet Caspar you are instantly aware of 3 major personality traits. His obvious passion for outdoor design, his desire to bring a scandi cultural approach to everything he is involved with and his “No Bullshit” attitude.

bring their brand ID up to their modern

With this in mind we knew that we would have

expectations.

to find a way to present a passionate & authentic set of documents, with a clearly defined branding outcome. In cases such as these, we at SSEAMS, prefer to find the essence of what drives a brand forward. Looking into the history, motivations and personal drives as a way to connect with the client. So before we got out our sketch pads, we set out to interview Caspar and his marketing manager Andrew Ainslie.

Not to just find out what made them tick on a business level, but to get to know them, gauge their sense of taste and find those nuggets of personality that define us as humans.

With the permission of Nordic Outdoor we recorded these sessions, so we could go back afterwards and really delve into the wording they had used and see how they reacted to our questioning. Now, although we had some important questions we wanted to get to, we wanted to keep the interview easy and flowing to enable an open and honest conversation.

If you ever meet Caspar you will know that he likes to talk. He has strong opinions, with a defined belief set and is well aware of this, so also has a wonderfully acerbic sense of humour.

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Andrew on the other hand is quieter,

Our objective was to both re-iterate and

completive, but equally has a great sense of

illustrate our conversations visually, so we

style and a clear image for what the future can

could agree on a mood and tone, but also it

hold for the Nordic Outdoor brand.

gave us the chance to build out some brand values.

Now let me tell you a story After a few long and in-depth conversations, which blended Nordic Outdoor’s insights into the state of the outdoor industry, as well as how they can found their niche, it became apparent that these guys are storytellers. Focusing on quality products, with traditional technologies, but with modern aesthetics and sensibilities.

Bringing lesser known (and some known) brands over from Scandinavia is not just tough, it relies on being able to connect those

With Nordic Outdoor’s strong direction and belief system, this process was a joy to bring to life, but this does not detract from presenting these boards back to them can be a nerve-jangling affair.

As we watched them closely to gauge their reactions, our nerves melted away as we saw them visibly relax. Of course, there are tweaks to make, but this first presentation would set the tone for our working relationship, so it’s so important to get it right.

products to the desired customer base. So the implementation of any new branding would have to enable this kind of storytelling principle in a simple and coherent way.

With all that we had learnt from them, we decided to tell them a story. Breaking down what we felt were their values, best attributes and defined focal points. This way of presenting back what we had spoken with Nordic Outdoor on, does 2 specific things.

Firstly, it shows we listened and we are able to understand the world they are painting. But secondly, it gave us a chance to dive further into the brand’s ideologies, giving us the cornerstones for the next step. . .

A picture paints a thousand words Our conversations with Nordic Outdoor had been interesting, intriguing and explorative, but as good as these conversations were, it was now time to put those words into images.

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Over the course of the next few weeks, we met

So through the next few weeks, we worked on

regularly to build out these boards, feeding in

and came up with various graphic concepts that

new pieces of work which delved deeper and

we felt could represent the future of the NO

deeper into the core of Nordic Outdoor and it’s

brand. These included, but was not restricted to:

brand values.

1.Horizons – A concept born out of the connection

Finally we all felt we had agreed on a common

to their original mountain range logo. Using font

understanding , we were ready to bring our

and text as a basis to create abstract mountain

ideas to the table for what their new brand

peaks.

identity could be. .

2. Signal – A play on the iconic flag “cross” of

It had been clear from both our conversations

Scandinavian flags, where these strong shapes are

and the subsequent visual work that NO were

used in a more subtle and abstract usage.

building a business based around 2 main principles. The love, passion and classic design of Scandinavia and the cool edge of contemporary fashion. Therefore our approach had blended these principles to offer a brand identity that could speak on both these levels.

After working through all the ideas, we all settled on these 2 branding principles, with the latter winning out to become the future of Nordic Outdoor’s Brand ID. See the store and new branding up close at St James Quarter, Edinburgh.

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SHOP LOCAL SSEAMS OUT & ABOUT

A few of our favourite store visits since the world opened up again.

IMAGE CREDIT: JIM DIVINE

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Image credit: Treen

TREEN, 2-4 ST STEPHEN PLACE, STOCKBRIDGE, EDINBURGH

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Image credit: Meander Apparel

MEANDER APPAREL, 33 GEORGE STREET

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Image credit: W2 Store

W2 STORE, RUTHVEN LANE, GLASGOW

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Image credit: Bawn Textiles

BAWN TEXTILES, 613 POLLOKSHAWS RD, GLASGOW

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Image credit: Finnieston Clothing

FCL CONCEPT STORE, 305 BYRES ROAD, GLASGOW

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Image credit: SSEAMS

GOOD STORY, 175 HYNDLAND ROAD, GLASGOW

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Image credit: FAT BUDDHA STORE

FAT BUDDHA STORE, 81 QUEEN STREET, GLASGOW

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Image credit: KAFKA Mercantile & Supply Co.

KAFKA MERCANTILE & SUPPLY CO., 5 ALFORD PLACE, ABERDEEN

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GREENWASHING IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY

By Rav Kiran While sharing her cover for Vogue Scandinavia

Eco-conscious, environmentally friendly,

on Twitter – environmental activists Greta

sustainable — these are just some of the

Thunberg commented:

buzzwords being used to sell the green

"The fashion industry is a huge contributor to the climate – and ecological emergency, not to mention

credentials of brands & corporations.

Consumers look towards retailers & brands for these environmentally friendly choices to be available at the same level of pricing and

it’s impact on countless workers and

availability as their current use to- something

communities who are being exploited

many brands are finding a challenge.

around the world in order for some to enjoy fast fashion that many treat as disposable.”

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As a part of the fashion industry, I have noticed that while the growing number of companies responding to the climate crisis is hugely positive, it can be difficult to know whether you’re being a responsible consumer or buying into greenwashing.

The biggest perpetrator of these tactics is the fast fashion industry where the demand is the highest but thanks to greenwashing the topic of sustainability is seen as a way out of the Covid 19 crisis - in order to stay afloat & generate sales in the aftermath of the pandemic.

SO, WHAT IS GREENWASHING? Greta Thunberg continued to state, "Many make it

Chances are high you will purchase the first

look as if the fashion industry is starting to take

option. It adds reassurance & morality to your

responsibilities, spending fantasy amounts on

purchase if priced the same or even marked-up

campaigns portraying themselves as "sustainable”,

due to its ‘sustainable’ message. Fast fashion

“ethical”, “climate neutral” or “fair”. But, let’s be

brands are extremely aware of this consumer

clear - This is nothing but pure greenwash.”

psychology.

So how can we spot when we, as consumers, are

Retailers want to add these claims to their

being Greenwashed? How can we recognise it?

product but cannot risk raising their prices too

And most importantly - what can we do to prevent

much as the main draw to their business is the

it?

pricing and affordability of their products. They

Greenwashing is the underhanded strategy of providing false or misleading information on how a company's products are more environmentally sound. Greenwashing is considered an unsubstantiated claim, created to deceive consumers into believing that a company's

cannot openly lie about their product so they look for loopholes & creative phrasing into deceiving consumers. That deception implies that they are acting environmentally responsible when they are not - that is the textbook example of Greenwashing.

products are environmentally friendly.

HOW CAN WE RECOGNISE IT?

These tactics tend to be deployed by fashion-

Look at how information is presented to you –

based entities who are neither ethical or

Photoshoots in sunny fields, ocean sides,

environmentally conscious - And unfortunately,

aspirational natural hues, green tones, imperfect

they are becoming extremely clever at this. So

textures, smiling faces of locals and key words

how do you spot the not so eco-friendly wool

that evoke a sense of nature, care and purity in

being pulled over our eyes?

choosing their products. Along with this many of these retailers release smartly versed mission

For example, you find two identical pants at a

statements and descriptions to entice

fast fashion retailer. One with a tag stating

consumers. And with the money & resources at

‘sustainable’ with all the visual cues etc. The

their disposal the tactics will continue to get

other does not provide any information on how

more and more devious in the process.

it is made.

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Phrases such as ‘Every piece in the collection is

A popular phrase currently is ‘Vegan Leather’.

made from sustainably sourced material such as

Another term used which has very loose legal

100% organic cotton.’ Statements like this can

definitions and standards. Vegan leather implies

be misleading. What does sustainably sourced

on face value that no animal was harmed in the

mean? How has it grown? How is it farmed or

construction of this material – which we associate

manufactured?

with positive aspects of our consumerism being less harmful to our planet etc.

A clear definition is not provided allowing our own minds to fill in the blanks to create a more

The specifics are ignored. Is it pineapple /

positive experience due to word association. It

mushroom leather for example which is great for

could also potentially imply on face value that

the environment but when usually not explained it

every garment is exclusively constructed with

tends to imply materials such as PVC or PU [as its

100% organic cotton when there could be only a

plastic not animal based therefore vegan by legal

share of cotton in that garment.

argument] can release micro plastics into water

It is 100% organic cotton but it does not mean 100% of the garment is made of that sustainable material. Some garments may be made of multiple fibre contents so it’s harder to identify the sustainable one, as well as one which

when washed as well as the other chemical processes which were used to make it can be harmful to planet and people. Recycled leathers do exist which are more planet friendly so again be on the lookout for those distinctions.

matches the percentages promised.

Even phrases such as ‘100% Sustainable’ are used so often to simplify the connection to the

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP PREVENT IT?

consumers when in fact it has no clear definition

You can see it is important we look beyond the

or standard from a legal point of view. Is it

label. When transparency is not offered what

environmental? Better conditions for factory

can we do? Have a look at what they’re telling

workers? Better farming practices? It is pretty

you as well as what they’re not telling you. If you

deceiving and too vague.

are on a product description page to see what

‘Reducing carbon emissions’ is a popular statement but if you make less product one year or from that one factory and even split your production across multiple factories you have already reduced emissions from a legal sense – the company has made no changes to their practices. ‘Reducing our carbon footprint by x% this year’ - unit produced is conveniently not

your garments are made of.

When a certain product is made responsibly company’s want to mention it but pay attention to that information. Don’t be afraid to ask questions as a consumer, they value your business. A company with transparency will have no problem disclosing that information.

mentioned. If you make more units the percentages shift.

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When in store simply check the care label

Organic can be checked and verified on products

usually found on the inside side seam of all

as there are certain standards that the materials

garments. It has to be there by law. Learn to

must face to be classified as organic such as

spot words that are too vague with no clear

GOTS (global organic textile standard) for

explanation – Words like ‘Green’, ‘Pure’,

example. There are many more certifications out

‘Sustainable’, ‘Eco Friendly’, ‘Conscious’ etc have

there but areas of responsibly sourced materials

no legal definition. If they do not explain what

will meet industry standards.

that means then it’s not enough.

Look for alternative ways of updating your

Apart from high water consumption & carbon

wardrobe. One of my favourite ways –buy

footprint, it makes wide spread use of

vintage or second- hand. Buying second-hand

chemicals that are not only hazardous to the

items means that you’ve obtained an item

environment, and all living creatures. Working

that might have ended up in a landfill. By

conditions & practices of farmers,

limiting our new purchases and opting for

manufacturers and everyone throughout the

recycled or used items instead, we’ll be

entire process are now under the microscope as

helping the environment a great deal by

consumers want transparency. Key consumers

reducing the toxic waste and harmful

no longer carry the don’t ask - don’t tell

materials that are typically disposed of in

mentality – our choices must carry a conscious

oceans or landfills.

as well as consequence.

A lot of second-hand items are far from

The COVID-19 crisis and its consequential

nearing the end of their lifespan and they

economic shutdowns has created

usually come at a much lower price; buying

unparalleled challenges for the fashion

these items ensures that they are used to their

industry. Declining consumer spending &

full capacity.

disrupted supply chains. It has upended the lives of billions. It has been disastrous for the

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Without question, the fashion industry has a

vulnerable, exposing the inequalities of the

vast impact on the environment. It is one of

world, and the precarious system that the

the most polluting industries in the world.

fashion industry operates in.

The ugly truth is on display for all to see and

BY RAV KIRAN

much more is needed to be done.

Special thanks to Rav Kiran has contributed to So, can the industry steer change? And, how can

SSEAMS magazine since its inception.

we steer change as consumers? These are big questions for anyone to wrap their heads around.

Rav has been providing years of successful

There is no perfect answer. No instant fix. But

creative solutions in Fashion Design & Creative

every step we take aids in setting the agenda and

Direction in Sports, Lifestyle & Streetwear all

the demand for reform in the fashion industry.

over the world – spanning various

There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to this topic. It’s a growing discussion. Many in the industry want to be on the right path to sustainability and will slowly transition into improving parts of their business. It’s a game of two halves but it will ultimately come down to

organisations, groups, & brands. His expertise in all areas of fashion design & current involvement with the sports brand Umbro has created some of the brands most profiled & influential collaborations and collections to date.

cost vs consumer demand.

The pandemic directed some businesses to prioritise survival, it also thrust sustainable principles and working practices into the spotlight – particularly for consumers. And as consumers, creatives & other individuals involved in this industry it will come down to all of us – our attitudes, awareness & reflection of our choices to ensure the chaos of 2020 serves as the catalyst for a brighter 2021 and beyond.

For more information check out https://www.fashionrevolution.org for more information and how to get involved or to learn more.

Image credit: Francois Le Nguyen

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"LET US REDEFINE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CLOTHES." GILLIAN MCNEILL, LAW DESIGN STUDIO

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WHEN CHANGE IS GOOD Introducing LAW DESIGN STUDIO

‘Let us redefine our relationship with clothes.”

LAW Design Studio is a size inclusive made to

Gillian spent the first decade of her career

order conscious fashion label designed and

working for the fast fashion industry as a designer

manufactured by Gillian McNeill in Glasgow,

for the U.S and U.K Market. The constant fast

Scotland.

trend chasing and throw-away wasteful approach to the industry made her fall increasingly out of

The brand mission is to change our relationship

love with the industry she always dreamt of

with clothes and adapt to a more thoughtful

working in. After bringing her 2 daughters into the

approach curating our wardrobes.

world she wanted to help create and change the fashion model to a much more environmentally and ethically conscious way of working to help build a positive future for her two girls.

The LAW Design Studio business model works on a made to order basis which avoids impulse buying and the ability for customers to specify leg lengths and hems to bespoke sizes thus creating an emotional attachment to the garment when it arrives on your doorstep.

Once a customer has purchased from LAW Design Studio, the LAW Circular project invites customers to sell back their old LAW Styles which are then re-processed and sold on as pre-loved goods. This creates a closed loop cycle within the selling process.

All waste from the production is saved and converted into baby clothes or used as quilting and padding so nothing goes to waste. With ensuring a zero waste approach to design as well as timeless, classic styles using low impact materials, the brand is on a mission to change our approach to buying clothes.

LAWDESIGNSTUDIO.COM Image credit: Otago Street Collective

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IMAGE CREDIT: OTAGO STREET COLLECTIVE

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IMAGE CREDIT: OTAGO STREET COLLECTIVE

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IMAGE CREDIT: OTAGO STREET COLLECTIVE

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IMAGE CREDIT: OTAGO STREET COLLECTIVE

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IMAGE CREDIT: OTAGO STREET COLLECTIVE

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IMAGE CREDIT: OTAGO STREET COLLECTIVE

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MARKING 50 YEARS OF OSTI MASTERY

BY HUGH CLARKE

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MEMOIRS OF A FAN

By Hugh Clarke

“Only by thinking about clothing in terms of years rather than seasons one can guarantee a quality which will win over the

To mark flagship brand C.P Company's book release; An informal history of Italian sportswear.

Cemented in the roots of modern-day casual culture, C.P. Company is a widely recognised Italian sportswear clothing brand, now

crisis of overdose which

celebrating its 50th anniversary. Created back in

provoked the refusal of the

became part of the family of several other

consumer.” - Massimo Osti, 1993

1971 by visionary designer Massimo Osti, C.P. menswear brands from the Osti stable, Stone Island being the most notable.

This year three other Osti brands; Boneville (1981), Left Hand (1993) and S.T. Ninetyfive (1995), are being re-launched into the marketplace. Having not only cemented its place in menswear history, C.P. remains extremely influential today, evolving with the times, yet sticking to its original philosophy created by Osti. I myself have remained a fan since I was introduced to the brand in the 90’s.

Combining a strong balance between heritage and innovation, C.P. Company combines quality with both functional and comfortable products which are made to last, not just for seasons but generations - a marked style that has created a new model army of followers, which has transcended the ages.

MY GENERATION CP company 1996 – 2021 When the C.P. Company 50-year retrospective book popped up on my radar. I instantly ordered Image credit: Massimo Osti Archive

one. I was excited. I was expecting to look at some well-photographed products from the archives and learn more about C.P. Company. Yes, the book is full of beautiful well-executed product shots, but it’s so much more..

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The book also proved to be a window into the worlds of several characters from different backgrounds around the world and their journey with the brand. I instantly had a sense of connection with them.

MY STORY The character reference in the book started to make me reflect on my own journey with the brand, which started in the mid-90s. Although it's a similar journey from those characters, it’s from another place in time, my childhood town, Brighton.

I grew up in Brighton and Hove which is a small seaside town situated 50 miles directly below London.

Brighton is and always has been a very diverse place.

It’s a liberal and creative with a lot of different subcultures mixing together, no one cared what you were into. It’s a cool place for people who like the Hugh Clarke

alternative and independent. You can be yourself.

Curious in nature I was sucking up the different cultures. I caught the end of the Acid House movement in the 90’s which evolved into the rave scene with a particular spotlight on Sterns Nightclub in Worthing. Then transitioning into House music and another top UK club The Escape Club in Brighton, which became a regular haunt of mine. Not forgetting the whole Indie scene going on with Oasis, Manic Street Preachers and The Charlatans to name a few.

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The Goldstone ground, the home of Brighton and Hove Albion FC then was only 10 minutes from my house, and I had to walk past it daily to school. Football and the football community became a big part of my life.

Today the club is healthy and doing well in topflight football with a next level stadium. In the mid-90s it was a different picture, as the club was dropping down the leagues to a point where in 1997 it was fighting to stay alive, with very low home support. The club was under bad management and the Goldstone ground was sold to make a retail park. The club was homeless until 2011.

I rarely missed a game…

STYLE C.P. COMPANY In the early 90s I became more aware of the styles of different subcultures. Living close to the Goldstone ground and having friends close by, I noticed some of their older brothers and their mates dressing cleaner and smarter and became aware of the C.P. Company. At the time I was wearing a baggy long sleeve T-shirt.

C.P. Company worked well for me as it had little or no branding, you could mix between the different subculture's without standing out and it wasn't too smart to be wearing during the day time, yet smart enough to get into clubs.

With my interest in clothing I found myself working in a designer sportswear store in Brighton called Profile, which was back then stockist of the usual suspects such as Armani Jeans, Valentino, Stone Island, Hugo Boss and of course C.P. Company. Working with these clothes on a daily basis attracted me even more to the latter.

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From there I went to study clothing design and technology at Manchester Metropolitan University where I delved deeper into researching C.P. and the designer behind the brand Massimo Osti.

OSTI Massimo Osti was an Italian graphic designer from Bologna, Italy. He brought the lens of graphic design and communication to the creation of menswear and transformed it forever.

Image credits: Hugh Clarke's archive

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Image credits: Hugh Clarke's archive

"Massimo Osti researched and

Expanding the product line further, Osti start

heavily explored the garment

exploring different garment pieces such as

dyeing process, which C.P.

outerwear.

Company is now widely known

Gaining inspiration from studying the form and

for, and the brand is continuously

functionality of military uniforms and workwear,

evolving this technology today."

Osti did not follow the fashion circus, the catwalks

Osti started the brand in 1971, a time when men

He was a massive collector of military uniforms

were wearing tailored suits and stiff shirts. The

and workwear, where he found his inspiration and

original name of the brand was Chester Perry,

deconstructed the garments to get a better

which was then rebranded to C.P. Company in

understanding. He recreated the products into

1975.

new forms and new functionality to suit the

or even visit trade shows.

modern urban man.

Starting out by making T-shirts, which at that time were seen as undergarments, Osti would

Osti wanted to create perfectly functioning

use paper printing techniques to print artworks

timeless garments. Instead of creating new pieces

onto the tees - combining the two technologies

every season, he focused on a few select garments

together was a very innovative approach for

which he would evolve and fine-tune over time.

that time.

These pieces became iconic products. One standout piece is the famous Goggle jacket.

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Image credits: Hugh Clarke's archive

The Goggle jacket has been in existence since

Massimo Osti researched and heavily explored

1988 and had many iterations over the years.

the garment dyeing process, which C.P.

Osti had discovered a Japanese civil defence

Company is now widely known for, and the

hood that had lenses sewn into the fabric, he

brand is continuously evolving this technology

evolved these lenses and combined them to a

today.

cotton field jacket to create the explorer jacket.

This was released in the Spring-Summer of

Garment dyeing is in the art of taking all the

1998.

parts of a garment which are usually white or un-coloured and constructing them together

Osti continued his research and development

into a product then dipped into a dye bath, this

with the lenses, creating several prototypes and

creating a unique (different shades), beautiful,

the idea of moving the lenses from the collar

natural, tonal relaxed appearance and an

into the hood came to mind.

aesthetic of a used, second-hand garment.

He was also inspired by the Swiss field jacket

The garment-dyeing process also brings

and multi-purpose pockets. He combined the

sustainability and flexibility to the

two technologies to create what we know now

manufacturing process. C.P. Company buys

to be the Goggle jacket.

extremely large quantities of plain materials which then can be used year-after-year but look different every time after the dying process. It also keeps the cost of the product down.

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Family Culture Everything back then was made in house and Osti used both his friends and family to model. His wife was the photographer.

Products of C.P. company are very well made and still carry that quality today. Back in the early days their lines were produced by some 40 outside manufacturers scattered around Italy known as Faconisti, who were sub-contractors renting machinery and space from the Ravarino company.

The contractors were highly skilled and paid

Image credits: Massimo Osti Archive

accordingly. They were partners who were expected to share in the company’s desire for innovation and high quality.

Conclusion Massimo Osti’s legacy lives on. His innovative

For the 50th anniversary, C.P. released the explorer jacket, choosing the more sustainable Ventile cotton-based waterproof fabric. It will be interesting to see if they lean more towards this in the future?

visionary design philosophies can still be seen everywhere today. So many of us have

Although the younger generation is wearing

graphic T-shirts and down jackets in our

C.P. They have created their own styling,

wardrobes.

which is a relaxed blend mixing the subcultures of music, football, sneaker

Massimo Osti’s philosophy will be even more

culture, and skate.

relevant in the future as the world is looking for a more sustainable path. The need for

There is a huge resale market of the

more sustainable and better quality,

products which are selling for good money

functional timeless products sits at ease

on eBay, and a whole industry of resellers

with C.P. Company’s philosophy.

has popped up like Rag Parade in Sheffield and Too Hot Limited online store out of London to name a few. Japanese collectors have also now picked-up on C.P. Company, especially the vintage Goggle jackets, which will raise the prices even more.

With the release of 3 of his previous brands, the core design philosophy of Osti will be there to be seen. The balance between heritage and innovation, crafting quality, functional and comfortable garments.

By Hugh Clarke

Image credits: Massimo Osti Archive

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61

CHANGE IS AS GOOD AS..

By Chris Clewes, Founder of Closed Sundays and Cambrian Coffee Co.

If you’d said to me 18 months ago, we’d be

A 1964 Citroen H Van. A former mobile gin bar.

designing a coffee van, I’d have probably said:

And before that it was probably in some remote

What? But that’s exactly what’s happened.

part of France hauled up - retired off in a field

High Street Retail is making a slow recovery, which

having had a hard life.

is understandable; because behind the scenes

Using our expertise and knowledge garnered

brands are facing on-going struggles to meet

from running Closed Sundays, we designed,

seasonal stock drops because of backlogs at ports;

developed, and manufactured the conversion

meaning they’re having to use air freight instead;

from gin to coffee including all end- to-end

which is placing strain on their P+L; impacting their

project management. We partnered with

budgets to spend on retail activations and so the

industry professionals to ensure the van was

story goes…As an agency we’re ever hopeful for

built to meet the high standards of the FSA and

2022 !

EHO. We also installed a new serving hatch

During the downturn, some unusual projects

and replaced all the electrics to 32amps

have popped up which has been good - keep us

ensuring it offered options should we want to

on our toes. We’ve been involved with Dr.

upgrade any equipment in the future. We

Martens on a tech led initiative and their new

finished up the overall look with external

SIS at Citadium, Paris, a window project for

branding traditionally written by talented sign

Microsoft via a New York agency and various

writer, Adrian Geach of Fresh Graphics, Cardiff;

other projects for Brands like Kickers, Ariat and

keeping it truly authentic and aligned with its

Pentland.

1964 aesthetic.

However, we also took on a personal project too during lockdowns. Something to build locally and to become less reliant on the day job and better connected to the local community of Wales, where we now live.

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The van is now in residency at Oriel Davies Gallery, Newton, for the month of November.

Cambrian Coffee Co is now real.

Fashions’ Green Future Is Inevitable Tools to get you on the journey

By Joanna Buczkowska-McCumber

The tides are turning and sustainability in

Although it may seem that everyone is jumping

fashion has become the topic of the year -

on the green train with recycling programs,

and rightfully so- as we know fashion has

earth day campaigns, and smarter textile

some dirty secrets that have been exposed

choices when we lift the veil progress is still very

from operations, supply chains, and its

slow because progress is complex. The solution

opaque relationship with consumers.

requires end to end sustainable brands across

Consumers and the world are demanding

the industry regardless of size or category, not

better.

just one stop programs or green washed campaigns with no action.

But the stark reality is that despite consumer demands fashion is still producing close to 10% of global emissions, adding chemical waste, plastic pollution, water waste and pollution, and clothing waste, and one can only grasp the complexity and depth of the challenge we face.

"Fashion’s sustainability promises and its growth ambitions are on a collision course’.

Business of Fashion

Fashion has and is a massive problem for our planet and it requires a sustainable mindset shift to face the challenge.

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So how do we all get there if the problem is so insurmountable for one brand to tackle? Simply, we all have a role to play in shifting the mindset. And everything we do matters. It is not just about the garment, the textile, the models or even the workers - of course all pivotal components of your business - it is about a comprehensive approach that embraces a sustainability lens to every aspect of your business.

One of the best tools out there to understand your approach to sustainability and social purpose as an apparel brand is the B Corp Assessment, taking a expansive approach to analysing your business across social and environmental performance, supply chain transparency, legal accountability, governance, and consumers - while evaluating internally and externally at business operations.

Leading apparel companies that have made the commitment to B Corp Certification such as Patagonia, Eileen Fisher, Atheleta, Allbirds, Outland Denim and Tentree continue to pave the way in showcasing that sustainability can be a measure for growth - in an intentional way.

While B Corp is seeing huge growth with over 2,200 certified B Corps worldwide there are just over 24 apparel brands in the mix in North America.

B Corp Certification is an option for any company seeking to commit to doing better.

The B Corp Assessment grades your performance score on a scale from 0 to 200, with 80 being the threshold for B Corp Certification.

The numbers may be intimidating but to give you perspective when Eileen Fisher first certified in 2015 the brand received a score of 81.5 while Allbirds received a 81.9, both companies have since reached scores above 90 with major improvements over the years. Because the certification is not just a one time event, it incentivises companies to build sustainable strategies

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Image credit: Athleta, Allbirds, Finisterre

that are action driven and impactful, enabling

a mindset shift in how you approach various and

companies to make critical changes over time

all aspects of your apparel or design business. This

in more complex aspects of their operations

in turn can be a helpful guide in how you develop

such as sourcing, supply chains, procurement,

your goals, and how you prioritise sustainability

and consumer relationships.

and social purpose, knowing you can not tackle

The beauty of the assessment is that it is a free tool that can be utilised in analysing where you are in your business at any given point in time in respect to sustainability and social purpose.

You may be surprised at the many aspects that B Corp accounts for in their assessment and the

every aspect at the same time.

Whether you are in couture, outdoor technical gear, active wear or high end streetwear each brand, each business, each team needs to make a commitment to doing better, a lot better, if the industry is to course correct.

areas that you have not even considered in your

From sizing, to waste, to textiles, to workers, to

business. The assessment provides any

production, to buying patterns, there are many

company a 360 structure for how to approach

challenges you can sink your teeth into but you

sustainability and self accountability, allowing

need to decide which purpose(s) are closest to your business mission

Image credit: Tentree, Athleta, Allbirds, Finisterre

you to review, explore, gain a score, and as a

and infuse them into your values, into your

result an understanding of the many pieces of

brand. As a small apparel brand your best

the sustainability puzzle that make up your

options are to understand the components of

business and the gaps within it. As an

the larger supply chain you can impact, and the

additional layer, B Corp has developed a UN

sustainability and social purpose position you

Sustainable Development Goals Action

want to take through your business in the

Manager mapping out your operations against

industry.

the 17 UN SDGs, enabling you to create goals

While the challenges towards end to end

and track progress towards a social and

sustainability and purpose facing the industry

sustainable purpose that is relevant and

and designers may seem daunting, the

meaningful to your brand.

opportunities are in fact endless. Don’t wait, start asking your brand the hard questions and

Self accountability, identifying weaknesses, and

putting together your sustainability puzzle.

prioritisation can be difficult when you don’t

What is the legacy of your brand you want to

have a framework to work with. Incorporating a

impress on the industry, the world, and your

tool such as the B Corp Assessment can lead to

customers?

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A CREATIVE RETREAT All creatives need a moment of calm. We invited Victoria and Ross from Otago Street Collective to share their 'great escape'.

IMAGE CREDIT: OTAGO STREET COLLECTIVE

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Image credit: Otago Street Collective

Words by Victoria Mackenzie-Forsyth and Ross Forsyth

Inver Restaurant, Strathlachlan, Strachur, Argyll & Bute Our favourite place to escape is the wonderful Inver Restaurant in Strathlachlan. It’s rare that a restaurant can create such effortless calm while serving the most incredible food and wine. They bring together so much of what we love: beautiful scenery, design, architecture, great food and wine. It is always reassuring to know that such a world class place is within striking distance when we need to get away from it all. We always come away feeling expanded, inspired and ready for our next trip back.

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IMAGE CREDIT: OTAGO STREET COLLECTIVE

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IMAGE CREDIT: OTAGO STREET COLLECTIVE

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IMAGE CREDIT: OTAGO STREET COLLECTIVE

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IMAGE CREDIT: AMELIA CLAUDIA

About Otago Street Collective Otago Street Collective formed in the summer of 2019, following years of photographic collaborations between husband and wife duo Victoria Mackenzie-Forsyth and Ross Forsyth. What started as a short term project, to document a few initiatives close to the pair’s hearts, Otago Street Collective quickly grew into a successful wedding and lifestyle photography company with photographs featured in a number of high end publications.

www.otagostreetcollective.com

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CHAMPIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY Interview with Debbie Luffman

economists. Rapidly, the concept turned into a

By Laura Nesbitt

catch-all term used to describe current issues.

Our friends in the south have been on a mission over the course of the last decade to push their sustainable measures to the max. Our Features Editor, Laura Nesbitt gets some time with

many different things. Therefore, some people even say that the term is overused, misleading, or confusing.

Finisterre Product Director, should we say,

Debbie Luffman has over 16 years broad industry

Sustainability Activist, Debbie Luffman.

experience in fashion and textiles, spanning

Words by Laura - Are you a student, designer or

design, buying, sourcing and range building, to current role as Product Director at pioneering,

employee of a brand who finds 'sustainability'

sustainable outdoor clothing brand, Finisterre.

confusing? Individuals in their daily roles as

Since 2008 Debbie has shaped the product and

consumers, citizens, educators, aspiring

customer experience at Finisterre.

entrepreneurs, community members, decisionmakers, or activists find themselves eager to get started with developing more sustainable lifestyles and societies. At the same time, they are a little bit confused. For many decades, sustainability has been the focus in numerous sector-specific researches and movements by scientists, environmentalists, lawyers and

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Consequently, for different people, it means so

She has led ambitious initiatives to reduce the brand’s environmental impact and re-imagine a new and positive future for retail. Drawing on her experiences at Finisterre, Debbie has founded ThinkCircular, to work within business, education & policy as a change agent and circular activist, to inspire the transition towards circularity.

Debbie, over to you tell us a bit about sustainability?

You quickly realise there is so much rubbish in the world of sustainability. Whatever those words mean.

A lot of the information around ‘sustainability’ is misinformation. It’s insane. People call it green washing. But I don’t think it is greenwashing, I know that it is well intentioned. “For me it’s about cutting to the core of what is actually going on and working to evolve and improve on business as usual, working across teams, industry and consumers to enrich understanding, engaging and raising the bar.”

What does sustainability look like for brands in the next two decades?

It’s the same for all brands to a certain degree. It’s way easier for start-ups. If I was to start a business today I would know exactly what my toolkit would need to be to start a sustainable brand. It’s actually much harder if you have a supply chain and a product in place because you

Nature doesn’t need us to make stuff. In order to

are constantly back tracking. These

be sustainable its about maintaining and

key components are measuring.

managing impacts. Consultants are having the

Gone are the days where in order to be a sustainable brand you need to make everything out of organic cotton. Now it’s really about measuring impact and balancing impact. All textiles and

time of their lives right now, everybody is carbon footprinting, everybody is doing their life cycle analysis, everybody is doing a materiality assessment, including Finisterre, because that’s what you’ve got to do. You can’t improve unless you know where you are at.

shipping is bad. Everything has an impact.

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IMAGE CREDIT: FINISTERRE

How do you measure sustainability?

I would question if numbers are the right approach to measuring sustainability in business.

In order to report to the business people like to love data. Data is king at the moment. If you can show that x is twice as bad as z then people know

They spend their time reporting data when actually they need to change their product, for example linking back to the burger brand, they may decide that selling vegan burgers is the best thing for the business. Don’t get so stuck on the data.

what to do with that. So in order to do that there

Does Finisterre feed education about

are lots of ways to do it. You need to decide what

sustainability into their products?

are the things that matter to the business in terms of sustainability.

I definitely don’t like the word education. I think it’s about engagement. Preaching to people

Clothing is quite complex. For the sake of

doesn’t work. In order for somebody to be

understanding the problem from a simpler point

interested in knowing you need to engage with

of view, if you are in the burger business, you

them by telling a story through pictures, film, or a

produce beef burgers so your footprint will be

chat in a retail store. Our retail stores are fantastic

agriculture and transport. You will know what

at doing this. That human approach instead of

those impact factors are so you are looking at

the digital is what’s needed. Education is the

transportation networks so you’ll get CO2 data

wrong word. Whereas engagement is interactive,

and you’ll get agricultural methane data. Most

it’s a two-way street and you get feedback. We’ve

businesses get data but the most important part

just done a campaign called ‘Ko hope’ which is

is what can you do as a result of the data. That

about really saying it’s not all doom and gloom,

burger brand will have collated the facts from the

climate change is such an oppressive and

data but they don’t say ‘this is what we’re going

depressing prospect, whereas let’s instead talk

to do about it’, which is where suitability comes

about some signs of life. So for me the education

in. It sounds obvious but so many people do it.

process is there but you are doing it through chat, through stories and content.

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How do you take language that surrounds the technology of sustainability and soften it for the consumer?

We have just released a Yulex wetsuit. Yulex is a natural rubber and it is better than neoprene. Now that requires some level of understanding. So, this is all about good and bad in peoples heads. But actually, there is no such thing as bad, it is only ever better or worse. Going back to the point of nature doesn’t need us, nature would be much happier without us. Let’s be honest. So in terms of engagement it’s not enough to say ‘here’s a Yulex wetsuit’, you have to do the piece of ‘and this is interesting because Yulex is....’ I think where greenwashing falls down is where people try desperately to make things digestible. Brands try to say ‘we have made an effort to make something better...’ but then shoot themselves in the foot because they confuse everybody. We don’t actually know anymore because we keep being told that something is ethical or sustainable or green or eco.

None of those things mean anything, they don’t help engagement about anything. It’s just a bland word. How does Finisterre do this?

Recently we have collaborated with the Natural History Museum. We try to bring nature into people's lives at a time when a lot of people have been stuck indoors. Engage with nature through content and through stories and bring to life the natural world. You are much more likely to be inspired and to protect it. If you have a relationship with the natural world you won’t throw a crisp packet in the sea, very simplistically. Creating a connection between the environment and people instead of throwing statistics and sustainability chatter always works.

What does Finisterre do with dead stock or stock that doesn’t sell?

We have a cycle. If stock doesn’t sell, we have a clearance event and a mark down sale. Then we take it off the shop floor and send it to outlets.

We have an outlet in Hawksfield and Exeter.

This is where our previous season stock goes.

Image credits: Finisterre

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Image credit: Finisterre

The great thing at Finisterre is because we are

That will be a platform where Finisterre

not a fashion brand and we are not ‘trends’ it’s

customers can trade in their own Finisterre

not that it’s going to look crazily out of date. It's

products and buy others. We’ll also sell our

just that the colour might not be to everyone’s

dead stock on here as well. If it’s truly dead, let's

cup of tea, or the print wasn’t as easy to wear as

say the zip is broken and it’s not worth

another one. We don’t follow trends. So usually,

repairing, we’ve got an up-cycling part, where

we find it sells in our outlets with a price

we might be able to make a bag out of a jacket,

reduction. We don’t have a huge dead stock

or a wallet out of a pair of jeans so that’s part of

issue. However, we have more of an issue if we

the same programme. Eventually, recycling is

have faulty stock or returned stock from a

the final port of call, which is also linked to our

customer and it’s got makeup on it.

London based partner who do all of our end of

The dead stock pot also known as the end of life

life solutions.

pot traditionally we have always given to charity.

The conversation can go on and on but for now

We have a couple of different places we give it

we will leave it here and thank you for this

to. We give a lot of our base layers and insulation

engaging conversation from behind the scenes

to Waves for Change in South Africa, it's a lot

of Finisterre.

colder in the Winter than you think.

For our readers in the north, take to the My husband is the warehouse manager and he is

Finisterre store, 58 George Street

Peruvian, he has connections and he obviously cares about his homeland. However we have a new plan, because we are growing and so is our dead and faulty stock, so we’re launching a recommerce sight this year, which is really exciting. It’s a separate website and it’s run by a secondary third party.

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Laura Nesbitt interviewing Debbie Luffman, Product Director, Finisterre.

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PLANET POSITIVE TEXTILES Our vision is to build a planethealing supply chain and that begins with our approach to regenerative agriculture.

MATERIALS SCIENCE

Saltyco sees themselves as a textile manufacturer

Saltyco® is a materials science company that

technology to process certain fibrous plants into

makes planet-positive textiles. They do this by

textiles for the fashion industry has led the team

actively healing damaged ecosystems through

to produce the world's first BioPuff, an alternative

the innovative processes and plants we use to

to the traditional goose or synthetic filling you

make our materials.

find in high street down jackets.

"We focus on cultivation of

Whilst they sit within material science and textile

crops and conservation of

production they also have a large impact on the

space. We try to find ways to

and a materials science company. Developing the

agriculture side of the industry including the creation of supply chains.

create bespoke solutions for different types of environments at the same time as cultivating a biomass which we use for textile production.”

Julian Ellis-Brown | CEO

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By connecting an environment in need of regeneration and the steward of that land to capital, saltyco incentivises both the fashion industry - which is in desperate need of sustainable materials to conservation groups who have the expertise - to introduce practises that heal the environment and encourage biodiversity.

At the moment saltyco have got a few projects happening in parallel with each other, the most local to SSEAMS is in East Lothian, Scotland.

How did your academic path lead you to set up saltyco?

I did mechanical engineering as my

What's in the pipeline for saltyco?

Our first capsule collection is due to be launched on the 2nd December with YOOX-Net-a-Porter, it will be the first showcase of the BioPuff in the public domain and available for purchase.

undergraduate, which provided me with a really good foundation for being curious, asking lots

What has been the most eye

of questions about how things work and why

opening part of starting saltyco?

they are the way they are. I wasn’t in love with the theoretical form of engineering, I craved the

None of us had any experience of the textile

more creative direction which is why I looked at

industry, which was a disadvantage in certain

the two year Innovation Design Engineering

ways. We had to learn everything on our feet. We

course at the Royal College of Art and Imperial

are still problem solving now on a daily basis. We

College London. It’s an interdisciplinary course

rely on the experts which surround us and advise

with a cohort of engineers, scientists and

us. In other ways having no prior knowledge

designers. In the second year, we did a group

meant that there were no assumptions about

project and I met Nelly, Antonia and Finlay who

continuing processes the way they always had.

are the three other co-founders of saltyco.

A certain level of naivety helps start-ups continue their mission from a point where lots of other people might give up.

What's the most important thing as you scale?

Our company is quite small at the moment, which enables transparency for our supply chain to be quite easy. One of the most important hurdles for us to overcome as we grow and scale is how to do ensure that transparency and traceability can continue.

Follow their progress.. saltyco.uk

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NEWCOMER SERIES Devana

Devana is a lifestyle project based in Aberdeen, Scotland. The brand draws inspiration from the natural environment of Northern Scotland; from windy coastlines to the hills, glens and lochs of the Cairngorms National Park. Devana aims to create functional products capable of withstanding the varying and unpredictable conditions found in Scotland, whilst utilising local manufacturing and textiles whenever possible.

Image credit: Abby Quick and Scott Duncan

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IMAGE CREDIT: ABBY QUICK AND SCOTT DUNCAN

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IMAGE CREDIT: ABBY QUICK AND SCOTT DUNCAN

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IMAGE CREDIT: ABBY QUICK AND SCOTT DUNCAN

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IMAGE CREDIT: ABBY QUICK AND SCOTT DUNCAN

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IMAGE CREDIT: ABBY QUICK AND SCOTT DUNCAN

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ON LOCATION: SCOTLAND WITH PATRICK ALEXANDER

IMAGE CREDIT: PATRICK ALEXANDER

|

DRUMBEG

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Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe, Argyll & Bute

Image credit: Patrick Alexander

Patrick is an outdoor and lifestyle photographer based in Edinburgh, UK. Bringing brands ideas to life while adding his own storytelling approach and touch, Patrick found his love for photography. With the ability to organise very specific itineraries and key location planning. The Scottish landscape can test you to the limits, and being in the right place at the right time can help create that magic moment.

SSEAMS invited Patrick to select a few of his favourite locations for brand campaign shoots. www.patrickalexander.co.uk

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Plodda Falls, Tomich, Highlands

Image credit: Patrick Alexander

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Assynt, Sutherland, Highlands

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Image credit: Patrick Alexander

Quiraing, Isle of Skye

Image credit: Patrick Alexander

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Loch Glass, Easter Ross, Highlands

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Image credit: Patrick Alexander

Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire

Image credit: Patrick Alexander

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THANK YOU Huge thanks from the SSEAMS magazine team to everyone who made this issue possible. An enormous amount of gratitude to our contributors who join us on a journey to celebrate all the fine things going on in the industry.

Rejean Denim

Kafka Mercantile & Supply co.

SSEAMS+LAB

Bawn Textiles

David Keyte

Good Story

Universal Works

Halley Stevensons

Devana

Anpassa Sports Apparel

Saltyco

Jonn Langan

Finisterre

nordic outdoor

Debbie Luffman

Otago Street Collective

Joanna Buczkowska-McCumber

W2 Store

Hugh Clarke

FCL Concept store

Rav Kiran

Meander Apparel

Chris Clewes

Treen

Jack Dadds

Fat Buddha Store

Patrick Alexander

Law Design Studio

N O V E M B E R

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MADE IN SCOTLAND coming soon..