Tag Archives: label

May 14 2013
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May 2013

The Antithesis Collective, Part II

Beach lovers and pool loungers rejoice! As you may already know, every season we work in collaboration with a new designer to expand our collection range and develop a product we wouldn’t have the skills to do on our own. For our second edition of the Antithesis Collective, we are collaborating with Cristina Adami, owner and designer of her eponymous label, to create an exciting, multi-way swimsuit. Born and raised in Italy, Cristina moved to London to complete an MA at Central Saint Martins. She then worked in various areas of the fashion industry, including a 4-year stint at swimwear giant Arena and a commission to create Florence Welch‘s stage outfits, before setting up her own label. Founded in 2011, cristinadami creates limited edition collections of handmade garments, crafted using vintage fabrics, end-of-line lengths, and sequins & beads from around the globe.

Cristina comments: ‘It was a pleasure working with Antithesis for the level of creativity and attention to details given to every garments. I first came across Antithesis on social networks and was impressed by the ethos behind the label. I equally promote slow fashion and individuality with a versatile yet unique approach to fashion. As I have first started my career in swimwear and have a personal love for beach side holidays, working with Antithesis felt like the perfect collaboration and was great fun!’ Results coming very, very soon!

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Feb 20 2013
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February 2013

Intern-al Affairs 3: Marcia

Good things come and go, such as our wonderful interns. Marcia Asante has been helping us in the studio for a little over two months. Sourcing textile digital printers, visiting trim suppliers, sketching new attachments ideas, filling in cost sheets; in terms of design assistance, she has pretty much done it all! Born and raised in London, she first started her studies with a Foundation degree in Art and Design before going on a Fashion Design course at the University of Hertfordshire. She now works in retail as a key holder and is looking at gaining experience as a pattern cutter.

Marcia at work!

Marcia at work!

Why did you want to work for Antithesis?

I came across some of the brands pieces on one of their model’s social network page and loved the designs. Doing more research into the company, I discovered what they stood for and the multi-functional clothing amazed me.

What have you learned during your internship?

I have learnt a lot during this internship, the most important being pattern cutting on a professional level. I studied pattern cutting during my degree but not on this level so I have to thank you guys for that.

What have you most enjoyed doing in your time at Antithesis?

What I enjoyed most was working with Renée.  She was amazing to work with and taught me so much. I also enjoyed the trips that to various fabric and trimming stores, it opened my eyes to the large amount of creative stores in London .

 What do you think this internship has brought you?

I feel that this internship has brought me a world of experience. It was an all-rounder and I gained experience in everything; from design research, pattern cutting to general admin. There was always thing new to do when I came in to work which made it a  experience.

 What are your ambitions for the future?

My ambition for the future is to continue to gain more work experience and to do a pattern cutting course to brush up on my skills. Hope to later on be a senior pattern cutter and then go on to start my own fashion label .

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Aug 26 2012
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August 2012

Manufacturing Files I: Neobotanic

Welcome to the first of a series of articles dedicated to the wonderful people behind the production of Antithesis’ clothing! Finding a good manufacturer is not easy, especially for a start-up brand with tiny orders. Yet we have managed to find two London-based production units who accepted to cut and sew our reversible/modular/transformable pieces.

One of them is Neobotanic, a bespoke production unit located in the shadows of the Olympic stadium in Hackney Wick. Founded only two years ago by Olga Ankudinova, it already employs four full-time machinists and one cutter. All the workers are women who emigrated from East European countries such as Ukraine and Latvia to work in the UK, where wages are much higher. They usually work a minimum of 8 hours a day but are always happy to work overtime to compensate for the off-season period where the factory sometimes needs to shut down.

It was not part of Olga’s plans to start up her own manufacturing unit. With a fashion diploma from the St. Petersburg State Academy of Art and Design in hand, she moved to London to find her dream job. After a few months of unfruitful job hunting, she was offered a small pattern cutting and sampling contract, which then turned into a production order. With the help of a skilled friend, she spent countless hours sewing dozens of dresses, which had been cut directly on the carpet of her flat! She gradually built up her clientele by word-of-mouth.

Neobotanic is not only a manufacturer, they also design and produce women’s and men’s collections. Using bright and bold graphics inspired by natural elements such as flowers and plants, they offer their customers the chance to make a flamboyant fashion statement.

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Apr 30 2012
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April 2012

Sustainable Fashion: From Awareness to Action

Last week, we attended a panel discussion organised by five students from MA Fashion and the Environment course at the London College of Fashion. Chaired by the dynamic Tamsin Omond from the Suffragettes-inspired environmental action group Climate Rush, the event put forward five ethical fashion experts who were asked to comment upon various issues. Speakers included Amisha Ghadiali, writer of ’12 Rules to Dress by’, three representatives from the sustainable fashion collective Here Today Here Tomorrow and Environmental Justice Foundation‘s Rebecca Attwood.

During the evening it was mentioned that there are two different ways of achieving sustainability. The first option, which is probably the most well-known, is the choice of responsible materials and a transparent supply chain. Although a strategy with great potential, it is too often an extremely difficult path to take, due to the high costs and the reluctance of the fashion industry to change.

The second option is the education of consumers, whether is it through raising awareness, encouraging slower consumption and responsible labelling. Here at Antithesis we find this alternative much more promising. For example, did you know that up to 80% of the environmental impacts of your garments are caused by laundering? Wearing your clothes a few times before washing, choosing cold water cycles and banning tumble-drying are all small actions that have great repercussions. Want to do more? Spread the word!

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Apr 08 2012
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April 2012

Behind the Seams

We thought we would tell you a little bit about us, the team behind Antithesis. Renée Lacroix and Zahra Ash-Harper met just over a year ago during an event, How to Start-Up in Fashion, organised by University of the Arts London. After realising how much we had in common business-wise, we decided to partner up for our final MA project. Our ideas gradually evolved into a brand and, upon graduating, we decided to follow our dreams: launching our own label.

While we had the same business idea, offering versatile and multi-functional womenswear, our vision unfolded from two distinct paths. As a designer concerned by over-consumption and its environmental impacts, Renée’s interests are primarily linked to sustainability. With a philosophy degree under her belt, Zahra’s motivations are driven by the idea of empowering female consumers by providing choice, facilitating individuality and co-creation in fashion garments.

With a career background in project management and communications, Zahra is responsible for overarching business strategy, day-to-day management of the business, marketing and communications. Trained as a womenswear designer, Renée is responsible for art direction, developing the brand image and product management from research to design and production.

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