INTERVIEW #42 TDS THE DESIGN STUDIO
Based in: North Wales, United Kingdom
Founded in: 2014
Founded by: Sally and Lettie Pattinson, a mother daughter duo.
Store: www.lovetds.com
Price range: £50 - £650
Why we love them: Unique and ethical pieces, we would like everything in our sustainable closets! TDS is a magical mother daughter brand with a passion so strong the garments reflect it.
What is TDS and why did you start?
TDS is a mother daughter duo. We specialise in making cool, one of a kind jackets and accessories made from remnant fabrics to create bespoke designs. My mum, Sally, is a previous fashion design lecturer of over 20 years and worked in the industry. She has always made my clothing since a baby. It wasn’t until I went to uni, I wore a cardigan she had made me and everyone wanted one! That’s when we decided to join forces and make the design studio.
Where do you source the products and how are they produced?
Everything is handmade by my mum, Sally, here at our home studio in North Wales. We hand select our fabrics locally and only source recycled and remnant materials.
Any favorite piece? How long does it take to make it?
I love everything we do so it’s hard to choose! Time varies, different fabrics and designs take their own amount of time. From designing, sourcing materials, cutting, sewing can take 3 hours to make one jacket.
Where do you find inspiration?
From everywhere really! Cities, people we meet, mood, seasons. The dynamic duo of being a mother and daughter creates a lot of inspiration as we have different ideas which we love to discuss and bounce off each other. My mum is very old school, she has an amazing collection of fashion books throughout the decades - whereas I’m more of a digital era and love looking online, so we mix old and new. My mum studied history of costume so sometimes there’s historical reference in our designs with a modern twist and I love that.
What have been and are the major challenges?
Definitely the change in consumer habits and the online world. There’s so much competition out there and as a small, ethical brand sometimes it’s hard to stand out from such a huge crowd! And it’s never nice having your original design stolen and seeing fast fashion brands manufacture it for £10 or something ridiculous. It’s a major challenge but I don’t believe it’s the customers fault. I totally understand made to order/handmade fashion comes with a high price tag, and lots of people want to buy into a trend but don’t have the money to spend on the handmade/ethical option.
What has been the largest gain?
Working with my amazing mamma. Definitely seeing all our designs being worn around the world! Bumping into people wearing them when I’ve been in Paris, London, New York has been really cool. They are such statement pieces, so I’m always able to spot them. The friends we’ve made from TDS have been a huge gain as well. Working alongside like minded creatives is very fulfilling. As a mother daughter duo we’ve experienced amazing things together like being guest speakers at the clothes show, working with Samsung and Clarins! And being in Sunday times style magazine - having Aimee Lou Wood, Suki Waterhouse and Sophie Turner wear TDS was also major.
What do you think needs to change in the fashion industry to make it more sustainable?
It’s very hard to pinpoint such a global issue. There’s so many elements to what should be changed to make a better, more sustainable planet. There’s been some incredible alternative materials being created such as mushroom leather! And how we are seeing more recycled materials be used. But it’s up to the major fashion houses to do their part as well, and not just be down to the smaller brands. Away from sustainable material changes, changes need to be made for the workers of the fashion industry. It is a disgrace how factory workers are not paid a fair wage for the work they do.
What would you advise consumers and fashion lovers to do in order to create a sustainable closet and lifestyle?
Never be afraid of repeating an outfit. I think this society is so fashion conscious that they have to have huge hauls of new items every week?! You can’t beat a charity shop rummage either and mix old and new, accessories things up. Have fun and don’t ever worry about having to keep up with trends... fashion is very fickle. It constantly changes!
What's the best thing about running your own brand?
Having the time to put so much effort into something you truly love and are passionate about. TDS is my baby and I want the absolute best for it! I’m not bothered about getting huge, I like to keep control of everything and maintain the love I have for doing what I do.
