For far too long the fashion industry has been ruled by a ‘fast fashion’ ethos. Retailers restocking their shop floors with the latest trends every 4-6 weeks, pressuring us to buy more and at the same time think less. Think less about the impact our latest shopping hauls have on the environment. In fact, the clothing industry is the second largest polluter in the world, after the oil industry.
These past few months there have been major strides forward in divulging fast fashions dirty secrets and I hope this will result in more people starting to consider their purchases with thought and intention. Choosing to buy garments that will last the test of time, items of quality. Clothing like that made by Sammi, the woman behind the consciously handmade apparel brand – Ragtrade Clothing. Ethical clothing has long been my preferred method of fashion. Garments made on a small scale, slowly and sustainably. Last year I stumbled upon Ragtrade Clothing on instagram and ever since I have been following along with Sammi’s work, enthralled with the process behind making her beautiful garments. Read on to find out the story behind every item she creates.
Hi Sammi! I’ve been following you on Instagram for quite some time now and absolutely love your work. For those who don’t know you yet, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started with Ragtrade Clothing Co? – Ah thank you so much, I really appreciate such kind words (absolutely love your work too!!). So, just a short summary- Ragtrade is a small dress making business I set up just over a year ago in Dubai, where I was living at the time. I’ve always loved exploring different textiles and making my own clothes and I was inspired to set it up as a business because I had been learning a lot about ’slow fashion’ and felt that I wanted to get back that way of dressmaking – using natural fibres, with simple and timeless styles and knowing exactly who has created your clothes and where. I’d been learning about the effects the fashion industry is having on our world and on people and kind of felt like I wanted to be part of something different! And so after a few months of planning and designing, and encouragement from good friends, Ragtrade was born! I’ve since moved from Dubai to England and am now based in Brighton with my husband and two little girls!
What is the ethos behind your brand? – I want to go back to that old way of buying clothes- knowing the person who has made your clothes, where they are in the world and that they are in healthy conditions and earning a fair wage. To be transparent and ‘human’- apart from my sewing machine and overlocker, there are no machines making these clothes. Just me! I want to keep things as sustainable as I can- using natural fibres and attempting to reduce my wastage as much as possible- and above all else to work ethically.
There has been a real shift towards slow, sustainable and ethical fashion in recent years. Can you tell us your thoughts on this and what it means to you? – Yes! It’s fabulous isn’t it!? I love that we are becoming more mindful with our purchases. People are building capsule wardrobes now rather than spending money on cheap clothes they might wear once and chuck away, we are getting into the habit of noticing what is made well and the quality that we want to spend our money on rather than just accepting what the fashion industry feeds to us and that’s a really powerful thing, I think. We’re all thinking more about the people producing our clothes and asking questions about how those people are treated? Are they given a fair wage? What are the conditions they are working in? Did they have a choice to start with? We’re all becoming better attuned to those questions now but the big fashion houses and corporations need to do more, which is why it’s really good that there are so many independent designers and makers who are offering ethically and sustainably made clothes- we have more choice now without having to resort to buying from the big high street names.
At the moment you work predominantly with linen. How do you source and pick the materials that you work with and what is it you enjoy about making linen garments? – I work with linen because I absolutely adore the aesthetic- the texture, the crumpliness. It’s also one of the most sustainable fibres for the environment because it doesn’t require much water to produce. The linen I use is from Lithuania – a place which has a long history of producing linen and they still have lots of working flax (the plant used to make linen) mills around My linen is organic, 100% linen which is also Oeko-Tex 100 certified. This means it adheres to certain human- ecological standards and means harmful chemicals haven’t been used in the making of the linen, so it’s good to wear on our skin.
Do you have any plans to add any other materials into your line? – Well I’m always on the look out for beautiful fabrics and have been hearing a lot about a fabric called Tencel. Have you heard of it? It’s made from wood pulp which comes from tree farms which have been sustainably managed. Apparently it’s more sustainable than cotton because the water used to make it has been and is recycled. I’m really excited about Tencel- it’s really soft and silky and I’m currently looking through some samples and trying to choose between them all! I have a specific design I’d really like to use the tencel with. I’ll also be adding a linen/wool mix as an option really soon!
I find the whole idea of making clothes from scratch fascinating and I love knowing the story behind what I wear. Could you talk us through the process of making one of your dresses from conception to end result? – This is a great question! I actually have a small sketchbook that I have with me for jotting down ideas, sketches and inspiration when I need to. Once I’ve considered a design I’ll sketch it properly, thinking about specific details. Then I make paper pattern pieces using my standard measurements and I’ll make up a toile (a sort of ‘mock up’) in cheap calico fabric and try it, make adjustments, try it again and continue this process until it fits and looks how I imagined. Once Im happy that it is just right, then I’ll make it up with the linen. I find the whole process really exciting, watching an idea from my head develop into something which can be worn. I’ll always love the making side best because first and foremost I am a maker- but the more I do, the more I am falling in love with the designing side and the thought that anything is a possibility.
Finally, what are your long term plans for your brand? Do you have any Autumn/Winter sneak peaks? – I have exciting ideas and plans for Ragtrade! That’s all I’ll say about that for now- definitely follow along to see what we have in store! In terms of new designs, Im hoping to bring out a few things in the next couple of weeks and then another dress in a month or so- probably after Christmas- and I have a few new linens to choose from, including a wool/linen mix and hopeful some Tencel!
Love, Sammi x
Is there really a choice to make between mass produced and lovingly handmade garments individually made for you? For me at least, it is a very obvious one! To view the Ragtrade store front and see all of Sammi’s gorgeous designs, click here!
Thank you to Sammi of Ragtrade Clothing for gifting the dress in these photos in collaboration with this post.
Like It? Pin It!
Disclosure: This website contains affiliate links. That means I may earn a small commission to help with the running of this website, at no extra cost to you. Please read my Disclaimer Page for more information. Thank you for your support!
Great post. Thanks. I love Tencel. I have used natural Hemp fabric as well.
Wow! Absolutely stunning photos Stacy! And the dress is beautiful..a great read xx
Fabulous article! I love the idea of slow fashion and really appreciate something that is homemade with love and care, using beautiful fabrics.
So glad you enjoyed it Sally! I am loving that there is such a move towards slow fashion now and that people want to go back to the old way on buying less but buying quality that would last for years to come rather than the trend for fast disposable fashion. The garments made Sammi at Ragtrade are absolutely beautiful and are well worth investing in.