
Studiomama on Playfulness And Fluidity with Birkenstock And Crafts Council
Birkenstock and Crafts Council launch a creative platform collaborating with creatives and hosting workshops for customers. The age old story with ‘sustainable’ fashion is keeping things going without making anything ‘new’. During a talk with Caryln Franklin at Source Fashion

LFW The Knitwear Guide
London Fashion Week, one of the “Big Four” alongside New York, Milan and Paris, has once again dazzled us with its eclectic showcase of creativity. London’s fashion scene was influenced early on from the city’s clubs and counterculture and this

Growing Natural Dyes at my Allotment: a discussion with Amber Fry
I first became aware of how toxic synthetic dyes were as a Costume Design student at London College of Fashion, more than 10 years ago. Manipulating large batches of fabric in the industrial dye vats was quick and effective, but

WATCH: Designing Knitwear Locally (UK) with YKWU EAST
This Autumn, Colèchi launched YKWU East – a six-week programme and knitwear collective for emerging designers. YKWU East combines the skills and technical application from Colèchi’s award winning knitting club, with their AGREENCULTURE principles that explores connecting agriculture, farming and

The Weaving Report [Download]
Last summer, we partnered with Panublix in the Philippines, to look into how the weaving community located within rural areas both in the UK and the Philippines can become more credible actors within the wider, potentially global, and more sustainable

A Just Transition for Fashion
The Regenerative Fashion Futures report from Safia Minney presents case studies on regenerative approaches that could aid the textiles industry in achieving a Just Transition. In politics and industry, “a just transition” is a phrase somewhat bandied about, as are

WATCH: Making shoes from waste leather with Dr. Martens
Colèchi’s Sarabi discovers Dr. Martens’ sustainability strategy and innovative materials development, in this interview with Tuze Mekik, Global Head of Sustainability. Our resident crocheter Sarabi spoke to Tuze Mekik, the Global Head of Sustainability at Dr. Martens about their latest

In conversation with Caryn Franklin MBE: Colèchi’s mission to humanise fashion
In this session, Caryn Franklin MBE and Tina Wetshi discuss the roles and relationships that fashion symbolises by forming new connections across the fashion supply chain – as well as understanding how our relationship with fashion mirrors how we encourage

“I hope you’re well”: Transforming emotions into a wearable manifesto with Tummy Ache
Jealousy, jealousy: it’s an emotion that all of us know and feel constantly, whether it be a fleeting and forgettable moment of jealousy towards a passing stranger’s outfit, or an all-consuming, obsessive and destructive envy of a person, or life,

How to think in futures, and not trends
The industry’s exterior is obsessed with displays, runways, and glamorous appearances; hiding a far less palatable side: textile factories operating in the shadows, with the treatment of their workers obscured by greenwashing. Additionally, large-scale production causes significant damage to our

Next-Gen Materials vs Regenerative Farming, Is Fashion Investing in the Right Places?
Future Fabrics Expo 2024 was a vast amalgamation of what the future may hold for fibre and fashion — and to an extent, agriculture. The venue was considerably smaller the last time I visited in 2020, though it still packed

‘We Will Not Be Saved’: Nemonte Nenquimo’s Fight for the Amazon and Indigenous People
Sheltering from the urban heat in the shade of our small London garden, I start reading We Will Not Be Saved. Guided by the myriad evocative details, names of endemic trees, plants, animals and lush descriptions of daily life, I

WATCH: Tina on Gen-Z, Collaboration & Equality
Over the summer, Colèchi exhibited at the Future Fabric Expo, showcasing our upcoming print journal AGREENCULTURE at the Knowledge Hub, which makes up the expo’s bookshop and information corner, situated right by the main stage where Colèchi co-founder Tina Wetshi,

DEAR EARTH by Colèchi
Last week the Colèchi team were invited to take a day trip to the Hayward Gallery, across the river from our workspace at Somerset House, to visit Dear Earth. Dear Earth is a collaborative exhibition featuring the work of 15

A Break from Mushrooms
The news that Mylo, a mushroom based leather alternative by US innovation company Bolt Threads, will be taking a break, has left us wondering about the future of new non-animal based leathers whilst taking a look at the relationship between


Watch: ‘Knitting as fine-art’ by Tansy West
Tansy West explores knitting culture through the project ‘knitting as fine-art’, presented in a short film as a companion piece to her dissertation. The film includes Tansy’s analysis on the gender stereotyping and public perception of knitters, as well as

Seams bad: Have the quality of our clothes become worse?
In my college days, I learned to utilise changing rooms effectively in order to get the most out of my limited funds and ensure that my future purchases fit me perfectly. One weekend, I splurged £25 on a vibrant jumper

THE HEREWEAR PROJECT AND THE PROMISE OF BIOMATERIALS
In March last year we joined Laetitia Forst for the Herewear workshop at the Centre for Circular Design to explore the ever-growing world of bio-textiles. The fashion industry faces increasing scrutiny over its environmental impact and ethical concerns associated with

How Eclectic Experimental Craft captivates the community with Oie Slate
An Interview with Oie Slate about YKWU and their creations. In May 2022, the You can Knit With Us club was graced with the resonant artistry that is Oie Slate’s craft. With yarn supplied by Wool and The Gang, the

Sentimental Fabrics – Eternally Yours, and the stories that clothes can tell
The clothes we wear most likely mean a lot to us. We see a similar sentiment attached to other material possessions, such as teddy bears we owned when we were younger, or even now. What is it about teddies and

Anime inspired Crochet with Tobi Opesan: How Personal Passions become Prosperous Projects
Tobi creates bespoke anime inspired crochet pieces and also tests crochet patterns. Before she facilitated our October YKWU club, we had been mutuals on Instagram for a few years. I have seen her wondrous progression as an artist and have

YKWU: The Knitwear Designers of 2022
Our monthly knitting club has seen a great deal of wondrous effort from its participants and the facilitators that help us host the events throughout 2022. We would like to share our favourite YKWU designers so far, in order to

Post COP26: Expectations for COP27
Last year’s Cop26 covered the vast spectrum of sustainability, with experts, figures and speakers from government and industry. The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Convention was held in Glasgow back in October. So who was there and what has happened

The Vegan Leather Guide
THE VEGAN LEATHER GUIDE Animal leather is without a doubt subject to ethical and environmental concerns. According to the United Nations, animal agriculture (which includes meat and leather harvesting) is responsible for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions. The Environmental Protection

Deadstock Fabric, Inclusivity and Leaning to Love Your Stuff
In this episode, Colèchi speaks with Ngoni Chikwenengere, founder of We Are Kin and Deborah Lyons, co-founder at Last Yarn; about using deadstock fabric and learning to fall in love with ones clothing.

Doing Sustainable Fashion, Not Buying It: Loanhood and Peer-to-peer Clothes Renting
In this episode, Colèchi speaks with Lucy Hall and Jen Sharon, two of the three founders of loanhead, a peer to peer fashion rental app championing inclusive circular fashion.

Climate Anxiety: An Open Letter to tell you it’s real
An Open Letter to tell you it’s real on reflection of Mental Health Awareness Day. Was anyone else a sneaky child? I grew up in a two bedroom house, our rooms were upstairs, and I would share mine with my

Inflaxuated with Cassie Quinn
We question what happens when we reinvent materials that have existed locally for centuries. In conversation with founder of CQ Studio, Cassie Quinn we unravel her research on diversifying the use of flax as a material and her journey into regenerative practices.

Eirinn Hayhow Presents PLANTASIA for London Fashion Week
‘You are magic, believe it’ reads the slogan of British designer Eirinn Hayhow’s new collection PLANTASIA. Eirinn isn’t referencing fictional magic or using the phrase as a generic method of encouragement. Instead, magic sheds light on the power of everything
If you’d like to contribute towards The Conversation by submitting an article, email your idea to editor@colechi.com.