INTERVIEW #62 GUNG HO
Based in: London
Founded in: 2017
Founded by: Sophie Dunster
Stores: Gung Ho - Online, Gung Ho - Showroom, book an appointment to swing by and try any of the pieces in person at our shipping container on Nine Elms Pier, London. Email sophie@gungholondon.com
Price range: £15 - £345
Tell us about Gung Ho and why you started?
Gung Ho is a sustainable british fashion brand on a mission to get people talking. We have bold prints and bold values and we’re Gung Ho about fashion that proudly showcases your passions and beliefs. We weave conversation starters into the design of every garment. But we don’t stop there. Gung Ho aims to leave as little impact as possible, support wonderful people and champion the charities that work with the issues you are wearing. We truly believe the industry needs to provide sustainable fashion that doesn’t compromise on taste and style, whilst inspiring new minds that might not know about these issues in an inclusive way. We want to create a movement that makes it exciting to be part of the change, and ultimately give back positively, one conversation at a time.
I started Gung Ho as I grew up with a dad who is a zero carbon architect, so sustainability has been drummed into me from an early age. I wasn’t scientific but I could draw, so I ended up using these to help convey these issues. I originally wanted to become a political artist and then completely fell in love with silk screen printing - which transformed the drawings into walking ‘talking points’ that people wore. This way, it wasn’t a piece of artwork hanging on a wall for a limited amount of people to see, it became someone’s first impression of you - and fashion shouldn’t just make you look good, but showcase your values too.
What is your sustainability profile?
We believe that the best design can be sustainable too. From working with natural & sustainable fabrics right through to our corozo nut buttons, we do the research to make sure we're making as little impact as we can. We’re working with a Regenesis Light Satin (made from recycled plastic bottles), a Silk Tencel (regenerated wood cellulose) mix, (both feel like 100% silk), Tencel, Hemp and GOTS Certified Organic Cotton. We make sure all our inks for printing are Azo free and Oeko-Tex certified.
Our garments are designed to be adjustable and made for life, meaning that if you lose or gain a bit of weight, you still look and feel great. We design and make the collection in only 2 sizes (XS/S & M/L) or as a one-size-fits-all, which significantly reduces our fabric and end of season wastage. Any further waste is also minimised by small-scale accessories production using fabric offcuts like scrunchies and neck scarves - each completely individual and one of a kind, handmade in our London studio.
We've been busy reworking our system to make Gung Ho circular. Combining offcuts & garments sent back to us at the end of their lifespan, remixed with local antique furniture and broken vintage from our friends at Make Do & Mend we are excited to introduce Gung Ho Reworked. 100% upcycled, 100% impact free. Each piece is unique and one of a kind. You can also Trade-In your old Gung Ho pieces for free & receive 10% of the original order value in store credit here.
To top it all off our packaging is biodegradable & recycled, and of course 100% plastic free. Our tissue paper and stickers use soy inks on recycled paper. We’ve partnered with One Tribe so for every person who signs up to our mailing list we save 100m² of Amazonian Rainforest.
How and where are the products produced, where do you source the material from?
We have two different manufacturing processes - 1 for the garments (blouses through to jumpsuits) and 1 for our sweatshirts and t-shirts. The majority of the collection falls under our garments. The first step is selecting a beautiful and sustainable fabric base. We currently have garments made from silk-tencel, tencel, organic cotton and regenesis (upcycled plastic bottles) and will be adding a gorgeous organic cotton hemp mix next month. Unfortunately, we have to source this from China, but we're continuously on the hunt for more sustainable fabrics that are closer to home. The exciting thing about sustainable fabric is the new tech that is consistently evolving - watch this space!
We then use fabric printers in Gloucestershire so that we keep things local and keep our carbon footprint as low as we can. It is important to us to build relationships with these smaller companies and we continue to support them collection after collection. This also means we're able to work to a smaller, more limited print run. Many companies have large minimum orders which means that smaller brands like us have to make a lot more than they actually need - resulting in excess fabric waste. Our suppliers allow us to print exactly what we need, so we can produce realistic collections. After all, we can always reorder!
Once the fabric is ready, it is sent to our manufacturers to transform into the finished product. This is a beautiful small studio in London, run by really great individuals. The standard is brilliant and we love supporting them. This is the exciting part where everything comes together. Our labels are made in the UK and our buttons are now biodegradable made from corozo nut in Gloucestershire too.
We design our garments to fit humans - working to two sizes only: an XS/S (6,8,10) and a M/L (12,14,16), with some one size fits too. The cut and design is such that if you loose a bit of weight or gain some, you will still look and feel fabulous, and that is making the most out of the garment too. We all have those pieces we love in the wardrobe that don't quite fit right any more and we never want our garments to find themselves in that position.
The second product process we have is our embroidered sweatshirts and T shirts. These are 100% GOTS certified organic cotton (with the exception of one or two designs that are 85% organic, 15% recycled polyester), and are produced in a Fairwear Foundation certified factory in Bangladesh. This means the factory complies with strict standards - employment is a choice, there is no discrimination, no child labour, freedom of association, fair living wages, reasonable hours of work, with safe conditions and a legal contract.
These products are then embroidered or silk screened in Oxford. We choose embroidery because it lasts forever. These are pieces to be looked after and loved for years and years to come. Our silk screen rule is to only use 1 colour in the design. This limits the screen prep, inks and water wastage for the design. Again we have chosen to support a UK based company so that we keep things local and keep our carbon footprint low. We have worked with these guys right from day one and love the quality of the pieces.
Your best selling product?
Our Signature Bee Embroidered Sweatshirt
Where do you find inspiration?
In the topics that most people don’t want to talk about. Change is different and most people naturally shy away from learning about things that will cause it. It is our mission to inspire and want to be part of it.
What have been and are the major challenges?
Sustainable fashion is much more expensive than what people are used to, it is all about changing spending habits and the value placed on our wardrobes and those that make it.
What has been the largest gain?
The people I have met whilst campaigning for these different issues. It is so wonderful to meet like minded individuals that are also shaking things up with the same bigger picture in mind - our collaborations have been key to Gung Ho’s growth.
What do you think needs to change in the fashion industry to make it more sustainable?
Brands shouldn’t create stock anymore. Gung Ho is launching a new system in April where we have our best selling prints in stock - our customers pick the style they love and the print that means something to them. We do a monthly order with our London makers, this way we no longer create anything that isn’t wanted. I firmly believe that this is the future of the fashion industry.
What would you advise consumers to do who seek to create a sustainable closet and lifestyle?
When you do want something new, invest in the brands that are actually trying to make a difference - they will only be around if people show them support!
Best thing about Gung Ho?
Sustainable fashion that isn’t monochrome or minimalistic!
What's up next?
The launch of our new bespoke system in April (this is made for our customers, and shot using our Gung Ho community as models, in the studio where our garments are made)!
