Fashion / bespoke fashion
Pretty Sustainable
“Madia and Matilda is a sustainable clothing company; we make womenswear from end-of-line or vintage fabrics,” explains founder Shalize Nicholas. “Everything we do is made in-house in Stroud, Gloucester. We are trying to reduce the waste in the world from our hometown.”
Shalize’s small lines of bespoke sustainable garments are sugar-sweet. As well as using fabric that might otherwise go to waste, nothing is left over: the designers upcycle all their leftover fabrics to create sample garments and future collections. Eco-friendly fabrics are also used in this luxury fashion range – they are sustainably made without pumping chemicals into the environment.
is needed now More than ever
Concentrating on classic styles and great quality, Madia and Matilda create non-trend focused pieces which are timeless. Each collection is unique and not over-produced.
“It’s for women who are young, who want something vibrant and a little bit different. It’s very unique, as we can only do so many styles with the amount of fabrics we find,” Shalize continues. When asked where she sources her fabrics from, she suddenly breaks into a beaming smile. “Here, there and everywhere! I’m such a hoarder – I collect quite a bit of material and it’s all in my studio.”
Shalize touches some of the garments that make up her collection as we carefully go through the rails of pretty pastel garments. “This is our Spring/Summer ‘17 collection, and we are working on next summer at the moment. We’ve already done our Autumn/Winter collection, and it’s ready to go,” she says.
“I like to cut the garments a little oversized,” continues Shalize, pulling out a cute floral tee dress and a sweet boxy pastel pink blouse – her favourites from the S/S17 collection. “It’s either pastels or black – one or the other!” she giggles.
You can find Madia and Matilda’s beautifully hand-crafted collections at Bristol’s cool and quirky new concept store Rex, who bring along a bit of an underground, collaborative vibe to the very mainstream Cabot Circus. Following a successful pop-up shop at Rex, Madia and Matilda have continued to supply their beautiful garms to the concept store, joining many other independent designers.
“Bristol is the nearest major city to us,” Shalize says. “I’ve loved coming shopping here since I was a kid. I liked coming to the markets, and I’m so glad to have had a pop-up here. Rex sent me an email to join them, and we said we’d love to do it. Rex is a really great fit for us.”
Madia and Matilda want their customers to be mindful of the clothes they buy and to consider buying less. We can all play a part in the future of fashion, leading to a less wasteful world by supporting eco-friendly, ethical and sustainable brands. And it’s a bonus when the clothes are as cute as Shalize’s are.
Madia and Matilda are available online www.madiamatilda.co.uk and at Rex, The Concept Store, Cabot Circus, BS1 3BX
Read Fashion Editor, Emma Gorton-Ellicott’s blog www.no-debutante.blogspot.co.uk
Read more: Fashion on the front line
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