Conscious. Carefully constructed. Communicative. Phoebe English designs from the most authentic and thoughtful of places, with a sustainable approach at the epicentre of her process. 

Trained under the late Louise Wilson at Central Saint Martins, since graduating with her MA in 2011, Phoebe has clocked up accolades galore, including the L’Oréal Professional Prize, the Ungaro Bursary and the Chloe Award, alongside recognition in Forbes’ 30 under 30.

Prided on its Made in England roots – born out of her Hackney-based studio with production staying local – Phoebe’s craftsmanship and creativity does British design proud. She remains one of the most fascinating creatives on the London circuit – and so, in a bid to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes, we asked Phoebe to let us into her world for the day.



"My walk to work is a short one from one side of Deptford to the other. I follow a route that takes me past as much green space as possible, as it's important for me to be able to see the seasons changing. I avoid roads if I can and I walk through the churchyard of St Paul’s Church, which is apparently one of the finest baroque churches in London. The churchyard is full of cherry trees, so when they're in bloom in the spring it's stunning and a great way to start the day."



"I'm not a morning person, but I try and go for a walk around (beautiful) Greenwich Park occasionally before work if I'm not feeling too lazy!"

"For us, as a company, the 'idea' alone is no longer enough. We start each season with extensive research on our fabrics – where they are from, the processes included in creating them, what ecological certifications they come with – and then we build on from there. There is nothing better than creating a design with a material you know has the best sustainable credentials you can find."   



"I love our studio. We are lucky enough to be in a beautiful building with high ceilings, big windows and parquet flooring, and I have filled every windowsill with plants. We listen to BBC 6 Music every day... I'm a massive Lauren Laverne fan!"

"I do what I do, because my mind is constantly full and I have to exercise it – designing is the way that I do that."

Also on Because Magazine:

+ Roberta Einer reveals where she finds inspiration in her day to day life.

+ Learn what Osman Yousefzada had to say about our 8Qs..

+ Make like a Tetris block and dress head-to-toe in one hero hue.