Shifting to more ethical and intelligent ways of working is the zeitgeist of fashion in 2019. Slowly but surely, more brands are placing an emphasis on environmental consciousness and, as ardent supporters of sustainable efforts, we’re celebrating the brands doing just that. Each week, we’ll be meeting the brands fashioning beautiful goods with the greater good in mind.


Distinctive for its appreciation of UK craft heritage and strong environmental credentials, Blake LDN is all about a clean, understated aesthetic that takes the best of tradition and uses it to inspire great design. With a sustainable ethos from its inception, Blake LDN is creating covetable knitwear that challenges the mass-produced sweaters we see on the high-street. Founded in September 2012 by Alice Byrom, a conscious entrepreneur with a contemporary vision, Blake LDN is a brand where “less is definitely more”.  

After graduating from Central St Martins, she worked as an assistant knitwear designer at Rag & Bone in New York and it was there that she developed the idea of combining local sourced materials, sustainability and contemporary design that underpin Blake LDN. “It really opened a Pandora’s box for me! I came back to London and knew I wanted to launch my own label to satisfy my needs in all areas.”



The importance of provenance, sustainable practice and the highest quality craftsmanship is integral to her practice. Upon her return to the UK, Byrom traveled to Hawick in the Scottish borders to visit the few factories that were still operational in what had been, before the industry turned to mass production and outsourcing, the home of knitwear in the UK.

“It was at the time where customers were questioning how and where garments where made. I guess it was the very start of this sustainability journey we are all on now.” Blake LDN works with factories in Scotland, Nottingham, Italy and Romania to create jumpers that are made from at least 50 percent UK-produced yarn.



They only manufacture small numbers of each design and their direct to consumer arrangement means that the brand, not encumbered by seasonal trends, can be more conscious in both their creative and production processes: “As with our ethos our designs are classic which should last a lifetime.”

Byrom describes her design ethos as “clean and understated with a modern twist. This could be a colour combination, the texture of the stitch, the shape the jumper.”

Our current favourite is this chunky oversized jumper made of 75% wool and 25% angora, all from the UK. The cable knit references traditional Aran jumpers and a flash of mischievousness comes out in the fringing on the arms and the funnel neck. Its lilac tone is an antidote to the grey skies.

We love finding classic sweaters with a twist, and Blake LDN's collections have longevity. Both original and timeless, with conscious sourcing and manufacturing at their heart, these are pieces designed to last.

Blake LDN's Vale Aran Sweater is available
here



More Brands To Believe In

+
Sustainable footwear by 1001 Stories

+ East London soap social enterprise BECO

+ VARANA: 
luxury east meets west