Teatum Jones launches ‘Zero Waste’ initiative with Liberty fabrics

London-based Teatum Jones, which showcased at Copenhagen Fashion Week as part of the Zalando Sustainability Awardshowcase, unveiled its Re-Love | Global Womanhood 2022 collection featuring archival stock, “imperfect and forgotten” Liberty fabrics and damaged tailoring fabrics from British woollen mills.

“As per our Pillar #6 ‘A Slower Approach to Fashion,’ every care and consideration goes into a new textile development. Nothing goes ahead unless it is deemed necessary,” explains Teatum Jones in the show notes. “It is part of our Zero Waste mission to be resourceful with research and development from previous collections, we want nothing to go to waste.”

Teatum Jones worked closely with Liberty on selecting fabrics from its stock archive, described by the brand as “hidden away in their Italian warehouses due to the pandemic”. They chose 12 deadstock fabrics including iconic Liberty prints Standen, Sussex and Ceremony.

These Liberty prints in fuschia, cobalt blue and metallic lames were collaged with Teatum Jones’ signature fil coupé fabric that was carried forward from past seasons to minimise waste in dye development, sampling and production. They also combined the Liberty fabrics with archival autumn/winter 2018 ‘Global Womanhood’ deadstock silks and redesigned them into a patchwork mash-up of varying scales and colours in the Grace Dress.

Teatum Jones presents SS22 collection at Copenhagen Fashion Week

Teatum Jones said: “Patchwork has become one of our most passionate developments in our Zero Waste approach to creating collections. Each patchwork textile is designed by hand, carefully created using an arrangement of archive and waste fabric and balance of colour. Each piece is completely unique, worked on by hand like a new canvas, making it the equivalent of wearing textile art. This is true sustainable crafts-person-ship.”

Mary-Ann Dunkley, design director for Liberty Fabrics, added: “Preventing waste from entering landfill is a key focus for Liberty Fabrics – all fabric that is not sold during the course of the season is retained and reused for upcycling projects. Liberty design aesthetic is timeless and Teatum Jones have showcased how repurposed old-season prints can be recycled in a stunning collection that closes the loop, remaining respectful of the finite resources of the planet.”

In addition, the London-based brand, which ensures that all garment production happens within a 9-mile radius of its studio, also chose tailoring fabrics from British woollen mills to acquire end-of-line or damaged stock to prevent it from going to landfill.

CPHFW: Teatum Jones unveils sustainable practices for SS22 collection

The Re-Love | Global Womanhood 2022 collection is inspired by a collective of 25 unique women, which embody the Teatum Jones spirit “bold, confident, creative and smart,” including women such as trans model Munroe Bergdorf, disability model and activist Kelly Knox, professor of Diverse Selfhood and former I-D editor Caryn Franklin, Lybian textile designer Nawal Gebreel and Triumph underwear creative director Sian Thomas.

The sustainable fashion brand asked each of the women, all from different social backgrounds, of different ages and different ethnicities three questions about their most instinctive human emotions - joy, sadness and hope, which was then translated into three chapters.

Joy manifests in a palette of explosive red and burgundy tones with passionate pinks and deep purples. Neon pink florals are flock printed in London onto deadstock red silk organza and pleated in England to reduce the pollutive travel incurred in producing this textile, while signature Bella dresses made in recycled poly and Liberty waste prints, alongside two-tone chunky British merino knits and voluminous magenta recycled poly satin sleeves.

Sadness was revealed in a palette of midnight navy, intense blue and spring ivory with oversized graphic florals flock printed in London onto deadstock navy silk organza ruffle skirts. Recycled poly printed satins are layered beneath signature large-scale geometric jacquards are woven with chunky merino and reclaimed woollen yarns. All embroidery tapes and yarns are deadstock sourced.

The final section, Hope is energetically brought together with a group of fun, optimistic patchworked unsold vintage denim looks with neon houndstooth Intarsia jumpers woven in England with knit specialists John Smedley using ZQRX New Zealand merino wool certifications.

The collection features several classic Teatum Jones silhouettes, from its signature oversized coats to tailored suits with belted eyelet straps and dresses with tiers of gathered sleeves and asymmetric hemlines. One of the highlights is its Alex dress featuring pleated handkerchief hems and overflowing gathered sleeves.

Teatum Jones launches upcycling project to benefit Save the Children

Teatum Jones also unveiled a partnership with Mary Portas’ ‘Mary’s Living and Giving’ as part of Save the Children featuring upcycling and deconstructing unsold vintage denim, which they have embellished with oversized waste material from their factory and sampling room floors that can’t be used in garment production. The shapes of the embellishments are all hand-placed and hand fixed with no further cutting involved, therefore no further waste. Each piece is unique and worked on by hand.

On the initiative, Mary Portas, said: “I love Teatum Jones and everything they stand for which is why I’m so excited for the ‘Re-Love; Zero Waste initiative’ to launch in partnership with Liberty and my Mary’s Living & Giving shops for Save the Children. Teatum Jones are already living and breathing my ‘kindness economy’ philosophy, using local communities as inspiration, finding innovative ways to reuse and repurpose materials and now they are also leading on this new and exciting sustainable partnership.

“As we leave lockdown and continue to move into a new, more responsible, era for fashion and retail, this really is the perfect example of a partnership for good which allows people to shop in an aspirational but sustainable and ethical way.”