Sid Bryan and Cozette McCreery, the masterminds behind Sibling, understand that fashion should never be taken seriously. It’s almost impossible to find anyone who isn’t grinning from ear to ear at their London Fashion Week shows. Look closely though, and you’ll find that the most intricate knitwear techniques are used to make their novel but beautifully crafted avant-garde pieces. "Everyone remembers being forced into a scratchy sweater or cardigan don’t they? We are the antithesis of that,” says McCreery.

 Sibling SS17 Photographed by Portia Hunt

 This season, Sibling has announced a collaboration with knitwear giant Brora. "I mean, it’s just perfect isn’t it? Sid and I didn’t need to over think this when asked, and we were thrilled when we were,” says McCreert, McCreery and Bryan worked closely with Brora’s creative director, Victoria Stapleton, to produce a sixteen-piece collection.

 Sibling x Brora collaboration

 "To be honest, our archive and well-loved pieces were the main inspiration so our first ever leopard graphic but this time blown up in size and a biker to sit alongside very classic stars and stripes,” says McCreery. "It was more about colour, graphics and easy shapes and less about the technical. We wanted to offer something that would appeal to the loyal Brora customer, perhaps someone unfamiliar with our brand as well as someone who already knows and buys us."

Sibling x Brora collaboration

The brand, which originally focused on menswear, launched in 2008. “We produced a tiny collection and showed it at a friend’s space on Curtain Road. Bistrotheque provided the food (the garments were almost overshadowed by the mini scotch eggs), and The George & Dragon provided the bar. I cast the look book models using Myspace, pulling in all my good looking male friends (a virtual reality street casting I suppose!) and asked another friend to shoot it. The Specials Terry Hall DJ-ed. It was a fun night and supposed to be a one-off project but the buyer from Beams Japan was there and hounded me for stock. And so it all began.”

Sibling x Brora collaboration

Having worked in womenswear, the threesome wanted a new project that both challenged and excited them. "Sid’s background is grounded in knit and I was fellow knit-obsessive Bella Freud’s assistant for many years (I still am occasionally)," says McCreery. "Starting up your own line is quite possibly the maddest thing you can do so you need to begin with a passion.”

Sibling SS17 Photographed by Portia Hunt

The designers constantly flip gender on its head by showing the unconventional in a tongue-in-cheek way. “For the design process, even before we started showing both genders together on the catwalk we always started with the same mood board and colour palette”, says McCreery. "Of course there are differences but it’s a bit of a moot question with Sibling as we happily put men in skirts, sequins and pink!” We catch up with McCreery to find out what’s on her agenda this week.

 Monday: Hoi Polloi (100 Shoreditch High St, E1)

 

 I’m heading to Hoi Polloi below the Ace Hotel for their Halloween In Hell. Run by the wonderful people who bring you Bistrotheque they always have an interesting, fun slant on things so I frankly can’t wait. My friend who performs under the name A Man To Pet will be running around, possibly dressed as Drew Barrymore in I Know What You Did Last Summer. The Bistrotheque Choir will be slaughtering (in the best possible way) pop songs. When they aren’t pretending to be murder victims, Hoi is either my go-to place for a late night snack (addicted to their roast cauliflower at the moment with a side order of chips) or breakfast meetings.

Tuesday: Bernstock Speirs



I seriously need a haircut as it’s in that hideous in-between growing out stage. I have the SIBLING x Brora black beret with stripes and a pom pom naturally, but I fancy being a bit Vetements and want a classic baseball cap. Well, sort of classic as it has bunny ears. It’s from Bernstock Speirs and the cap comes in different styles. I think I want either the fake fur trimmed one or something with sequins. They are also the originator or the veiled beanie. They are having an exhibition of watercolour paintings by the DJ/Writer/London Icon Princess Julia and I want to buy one of those. I’m all for supporting friends.

Wednesday: Foyles (107 Charing Cross Rd, WC2)



Research day! I’ve been jokingly crowned The Queen Of Google but I’m old school and you can’t beat a good book for imagery. Also you know the provenance of a design or graphic or image when it’s printed. We like to give credit at SIBLING and it’s very easy to unintentionally steal someone else’s work when you rely on internet searches. I like Idea Books at Dover Street Market, Claire De Rouen Books on Charing Cross Road and the massive newish Foyles opposite. I’ll then trot down towards all the antique book stores.

Thursday: Sloane Salon (2 Holbein Place, SW1)



This time last year I had a bleaching which went disastrously wrong and our menswear show hairdresser John Vial saved both my colour (thank you Tracey at Fudge Professional) and hair. I rocked a dark brown mullet a la Joan Jett for about 2 months until, after a very frank conversation we decided that the whole lot had to go. By January I was sporting a pink crew cut. My hair now resembles a very neat bob. I don’t do neat bobs. It needs messing up. Perhaps a fringe? Also he’s just around the corner from Brora’s Sloane Square store so I can go and be nosy about sales, especially the customer who’s buying. I love getting that information.

Friday: The Glory (281 Kingsland Rd, E2)



I have a date. Hysterical. I like dates though, all the chat and the "will he be funny and nice and get me". Quite often my dates are a disaster! I can only put that down to being an acquired taste and to be honest, I'll just say ‘another one for the book Cozette’ to myself. My book is going to be a long old read but least it will be funny, even if it's at my own expense. I’ll head to The Glory and sing along to Kylie with my friends and make them laugh as I recount it.

Pieces from the Sibling x Brora collaboration are available on www.brora.co.uk and at Brora on 81 Marylebone High Street, W1U.