Spreading Sustainable Designer Menswear from Walthemstow to the World

A Walthamstow design duo who opened the UK’s first sustainable and ethical menswear boutique off Brick Lane this year have been nominated for a prestigious award and invited to a reception at the House of Lords on Tuesday 3rd December.

The SOURCE Awards celebrate leaders in the field of sustainability. The event will be hosted by Baroness Lola Young and attended by other leading lights in the industry.

Cock and Bull Menswear was set up just 18 months ago by AA Lindsay and PD Scott on a mission to produce high quality designer menswear that were 100% Made in the UK by British clothing manufacturers from sustainable fabrics and yarns.

This time last year they were selling their clothing from various pop up events around London including Marylebone Market and the Sunday Up Market, Brick Lane but they soon realised the huge demand for their classic designs, which range from Organic Cotton underwear, Scottish hand-woven tweed flat hats and waistcoats as well as their Organic Cotton and Silk shirts and knitwear.

Their designer boutique, Cock & Bull & Co. in the heart of Shoreditch allows them to showcase their own styles as well as those of other sustainable and ethical menswear designers including brands such as Pachacuti, Minga Berlin, Proof Eyewear, Brave Gentleman, Reborn London and Conscious Skincare.

Founder Phil Scott said: “We are extremely honoured to be nominated for this SOURCE Award. Who’d have thought that we would progress so quickly from selling at pop-up events to being the go-to brand to provide ethical, British-made, affordable premium clothing for free-thinking and imaginative gentlemen?

“From the sourcing of fabrics, linings and trimmings to the sewing of buttons and finishing touches we are determined to offer the best quality product to our customers. With the production heritage that the United Kingdom possesses, we made a conscious decision to produce all our garments in the UK thus tapping into that great heritage of British clothing manufacturing and assisting in retaining the skills of British manufacturing on which that heritage was built. “The popularity of our brand shows that more people are thinking of the sustainability of the planet and this canonly be a good thing.

“We want to thank the skilled and dedicated team of people from the Isle of Lewis to Cornwall who have assisted in ensuring our endeavour of producing a line made entirely in the UK became reality."

For more information, interviews or high res images, please contact Kimi Gill on+44 (0)7946 590614.

Wise Creative Pop-up Boutique West End Debut

Congratulations are in order for The Wise Creative Collective who organised an outstanding Pop Up Boutique in the heart of the West End over the weekend.

Nesstled on the top floor of Kettners Restaurant and far from the madding crowds of Picaddilly Circus and Regent Street, we thoroughly enjoyed being amongst some outstanding British Designer-Producers as we sipped champagne and nibbled on canapes but even more satisfying than tantalising our palattes was meeting people who came out of their way to seek out goods that have been made in Wales, Ireland, Scotland and England to very high standards.  We can rest assured that there are are select group of people whose gifts will be gratefully received this festive season. 

Some of our favourite designer-producers included:

Horny Things

It is rare that I come across an item that absolutly blows me away, but coming across Rachel Whittingham's Horny Things stopped me in my tracks to admire the fine juxtapositioning of a bleached animal skull and shiny Swarovski crystals!  Rachel's pieces drew me back to them time and time again and its obvious that a purchase is imminent from her extrordinary collection.

AETHER 

It was a pleasure to meet Neliana and  Paula, the forward-thinking design duo behind the stunning ÆTHER womenswear label. Based between London and Stockholm the brand is providing beautiful limited edition pieces and are operating as a transparent company shariing  information on all aspects of their production process which makes them a brand after our own hearts!

Magpie

Katherine established Magpie in 2008 after being awarded an Arts Council grant and Princes Trust Loan and it was fascinating to hear her story of trials and triumphs building her brand and the production process in Sheffield.  It was clear that Kathering is very passionate about sharing transparency in the way her company is run, how she has built up her team of artisans and proving long-term opportunities for apprentices.

Parris Wakefield Additions

A real visual treat for the home in this exciting range of contemporary interiors products by U.K. design-duo Howard Wakefield and Sarah Parris which is no surprise as the couple specialise in colourful, painterly, graphic patterns which are crafted by digitally layering, mixing and merging colours sampled from a variety of inspirations.  The tones and palettes are very much in keeping with our own tastes at Cock & Bull Menswear (not a patch of black or beige in sight!)

Siskin London

Again, gorgeous bold patterns colours and prints on deliciously soft fabrics and all made in England. An easy win-win on the Xmas shopping list! 

Pop-up shops and boutiques are an amazing place to find unique and unusual items but more importantly they are a very easy way to support growth in the local economy and the work of local designer makers and producers. 

Andii