Riley Studio is on a mission to promote positive impacts within the fashion industry. While celebrating the launch of its new collection, Riley Studio is welcoming the public to its uniquely designed concept store to educate and inspire on the topics of sustainable fashion and lifestyle. Keep up to date with our diary of all the goings on at the events and panels.
To coincide with the launch of its latest collection, 03, Riley Studio has opened a concept store in Notting Hill that will run from 22.10.19 – 02.11.19. Not only will you get an insight into the world of Riley Studio, the oportunity to browse its collections and study its impact, but you can also enjoy a selection of some other ethical brands including By Sarah London and Frank Green.
The two week slot is filled with some fantastic events and panels that focus on fashion and sustainable living. Discussions include how to build a sustainable brand and the importance of a sustainable fashion industry, among others. Joining the Riley team will be a variety of industry specialists, journalists and influencers including writer, broadcaster and public speaker Lucy Siegle; Eco-age brandmark awardees Victoria Prew from Hurr and Sarah and Lauren Murrell from By Sarah London; artist, writer, activist and model Wilson Oryema, as well as a crystal sound healing class with Yulia Kovaleva of Re:Mind Studio.
Watch this space for our top take-aways!
Launch Night – 22.10.19
To kick things off, Riley Studio welcomed guests to its wonderful space on Ledbury Street. From the moment you step in you get the sense of what this brand is about. The walls are adorned with impactful statements that grab your attention from the get go, displays of the materials that are used to make its garments (including plastic water bottles!) and a showcase of brands doing great things in the sustainability space.
Eco-Age contributor, Flora Beverley, was at the launch and told us why she is supporting Riley Studio. We also caught up with dynamic duo Sarah and Lauren Murrell, founders of By Sarah London. Ahead of Thursday’s panel, By Sarah London launched its new Christmas Gifting set made from an exciting new innovation in beauty packaging.
How To Build a Sustainable Brand – 23.10.19
As the demand and interest in sustainability has grown over the past few years it has become clear that it is an element of business that is essential for its success, so much so that the very core of business study being taught at universities and schools is grapling with the balance of profit with positive impacts towards the planet. While longstanding companies graple with the notion of change, start-up brands and businesses are hitting the scene with sustainable goals developed to be intrinsic to every area of their business, and as a result, their biggest advantage.
How inspiring then, to hear from four incredible women who have been navigating the sustainability space in a time where the conversation is so prolific and a surge in environmentally-focused businesses is booming. Speaking last night, Victoria Prew (co-Founder and CEO, Hurr Collective), Emily John (co-founder and head of marketing and business development at The Restory), Alice Ratcliffe (head of brand at Appear Here), Alexandra Summers (head of business development and ops Europe at Frank Green) and Olivia Dowie (CEO at Riley Studio) offered their advice and top-tips on how to build your own sustainable brand.
Stay tuned for more as the bespoke Riley Studio events begin this evening with a panel discussion on How To Build a Sustainable Brand. Find out all of the details in our What’s on Calendar.
Chatting through everything from investment to hiring, to social platforms and industry challenges, these ladies came armed with a wealth of knowledge and experience in their field and gave an honest portrayal of the start-up landscape and their navigation of it.
One of the most prominent points to come from the discussion was the importance of authenticity, honesty and trasnparency. All the panellists concluded that there has been a shift in the way we consumer media, whether it is social or editorial. Keeping up to date with the current conversations and news through people and platforms (can we shamelessly plug ourselves here?) and utilising your passion and knowledge to drive your business forward make that your greatest asset.
In Conversation with By Sarah London – 24.10.19
When fashion met beauty. Riley Studio’s Olivia Dowie sat down with Sarah and Lauren Murrell, the founders of By Sarah London, to discuss their journey to launching their sustainable brand.
Sarah developed a number of plant-based blends to aid her sister, Lauren’s skin when she found herself recovering from Leukaemia in 2012 and struggling to find beauty products that would be kind to her skin. Each forumala has been curated with organic ingredients, is gender neutral and is designed to positively impact your wellbeing, your skin and the environment.
One of the key terms I would use when describing By Sarah London’s approach to sustainability and ethics is transparency. As the first beauty brand in the UK to detail all of their product ingredients on the front of a label, Sarah and Lauren excercise that notion across their entire business, from product to packaging to branding.
Proving that passion is key to developing a successful brand, it seems that it’s full steam ahead for Lauren and Sarah as they launch their incredibly innovative Christmas Gift Sets, the packaging (wait for it…) is made from crushed grapes from a carbon neutral factory – how amazing!
The Importance of a Sustainable Fashion Industry – 24.10.19
Rounding of their list of events, Riley Studio welcomed five leading figures, Lucy Siegle, Tamsin Blanchard, Wilson Oryema, Charlotte Turner and its very own Olivia Dowie, to discuss the future of sustainable fashion and it’s role in fixing our global climate crisis. From eco-anxiety, to Extinction Rebellion to musrhoom leather, there was no shortage of an interesting debate.
Panel host Lucy Siegle began the discussion with a nod to Extinction Rebellion, its work over the past month and the growing problem of Eco-Anxiety in a climate concious world. Journalist and Special Events Curator for Fashion Revolution, Tasmin Blanchard, spoke of how she feels about the current conversations and the affect it may have on younger generations.
Thinking about the problem of fast-fashion, Wilson Oryema, activist, model and poet, highlighted the need for consumers to ask questions. Recognising the vast size of the fashion industry and the involunatry ignorance, he explained that the more inqusitive we are as a society, the more questions we ask and the pressure we put on these brands, the more awareness and understanding we will generate around where our clothese are coming from and who is making them.
Ever the fountain of knowledge, Eco-Age’s very own Charlotte Turner, gave a wonderful insight in to the world of textile and the role that it plays in future fashion innovation. There was a mention of mushroom leather, pineapple leather, lab grown leather… alternatives galore and there is no stopping it apparently. As we saw earlier in the week By Sarah London has announced its womderul Christmas innovation in the form of packaging made from crushed grapes and it seems Riley Studio has some exciting plans too…
The Riley Concept store has been a hub of innovation, inspiration and eco-motivation. The conversations being had throughout industries, whether it be beauty, food, fashion or technology, are all moving in the right direction and hearing from a variety of voices feom different backgrounds and speaks volumes to the importance of it in todays society. Riley Studio is a brand that values transparency and uses it as a tool for greater change. Though its concept store won’t last forever, its products are the epitome of investment fashion and its brand mission is one to follow.
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