Designing-in knowledge...
Theatrical costumier Laura Holland knows a thing or two about garment structure and fitting clothes to actors. And she has an interest in sustainability that dates back to the late 1970s.
Chronos Couture, Laura’s sustainable fashion brand, is for women over 50 who have lost their fashion direction and are uninspired by what’s on the market for them.
Garments are bespoke, designed to come back for alteration and repair – and are cut to be returned for credit against something new, their pieces upcycled into new garments. The venture is designed to build community, through the fashion lifecycle and in its vision to employ other costumiers whose skills might otherwise be lost if they cannot make a living. Everything will be made in and around London, from existing materials which would otherwise be wasted.
Think of it as having a Victorian couturier in your address book – and that was the brief for the brand identity, with a desire for an hourglass to feature somewhere, and two already-chosen colours.
So to mirror the ethos behind the business, I designed-in my own knowledge, researching typefaces that were in-period and thinking about how to build sustainability into print. Caslon 540 predates the Victorian era but came back into fashion. And there is a design for a dual-purpose business card and garment swing tag.
You can nerd out a little too much, though… at first creative stage, I had gone so native as a Victorian that Laura decided to dial back that element of the brief! We’ve simplified and modernised one of the concepts – and that makes it perfect for even more sustainable, low-tech production.
Laura’s label will be on Instagram. But meanwhile, if you’d like to discuss a garment, you can contact Laura via email.
