Cast your mind back to the day that you turned double digits... How was it marked?
"On my 10th birthday, I was given my first ever mobile phone," says Because Magazine’s Managing Editor, Abigail. "It was a Nokia 3210 and, what I now know to be, the greatest piece of technology ever created. Bar none!"
Reaching one’s first decade is a milestone unlike any other; and it deserves recognition. Since launching her namesake brand in 2008, Sophie Hulme and her business have flourished in the world of fashion and luxury accessories, from masterminding a recognisable signature in The Albion bag to opening the label’s first stand-alone store on London’s Chiltern Street earlier this year.
To celebrate and coincide with the 10-year anniversary, Sophie has now released an outerwear capsule collection comprised of five silhouettes, both from designer’s archive and as a tribute to the classics. Here, she tell us more...
Why was a capsule outerwear collection a fitting way to celebrate your decade in design?
"I’ve always thought that the process of buying a coat is nearly identical to the process of buying a handbag. You want something hardworking that will last for years; something that has a clear design sensibility, but isn’t trend driven; you want quality and something that works in real life. We have this Made for Life ethos in the studio, and it’s something that informs all of our products.
I really like the conversations between our bags and our coats – like the Call Me coat, which has the same golden hardware fastening as our Pinch bag (which unscrews to reveal a tiny pencil) or the buttons on the Sunday coat and Pea coat, which are made from the same moulded leather that we use on our bags.
This outerwear capsule felt like an ideal way to reflect on 10 years, given that it’s really going back to our roots. When we launched in 2008, we had coats in our offer, so it’s great to remind people of where we came from and to revisit some of our archive styles. They look as good now as they did then!"
What have you learned over the past 10 years?
So much! I feel really proud to have achieved what we have in such a tough industry and up against such huge brands. It has been so exciting to be in amazing stores and magazines over the years, but I still get such huge satisfaction from seeing someone on the street carrying or wearing one of my products. It’s so flattering that they have spent their hard-earned money on something that I have created!
One of the biggest privileges of having your own business is being able to choose who you work and surround yourself with. I have been lucky enough to have worked with some totally wonderful, inspirational people, who are real experts in their fields; including my husband, who is the architect behind our Chiltern Street store. We’ve also recently worked with The Darkroom and Rose Blake on collaborations, and we have launched an internal initiative that’s dedicated to responsible design that avoids waste at all costs. All of the bags in our The Project range are made from repurposed leathers.
What are you looking forward to about the next decade?
I really believe in our premise of making beautiful things for real people to enjoy in real life; acting against fast fashion and wastefulness by making long-lasting pieces that aren’t influenced by trends is a real driver for me. I feel really lucky to have been able to do this for so long, and I hope to be able to continue it for a lot longer!
To shop the Sophie Hulme capsule Coat Collection, visit the flagship store at 38 Chiltern Street, Marylebone, W1U 7QL.
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