Founder Gabrielle Cave takes a trip down memory lane and talks about the motivation behind luxury sustainable fashion brand, Orchard Moon
Let me tell you a story….
After I graduated from my Textiles design degree, I secured a job in Laura Ashley and could have had a promising head office career in a prestigious British fashion and homewares brand.
But I quickly realised that working 9-5 for someone else was never going to be enough.
I had heard about opportunities in the yachting industry and made a decision to pack in my whole life; my home, my car and my relationship and flew to Florida with nothing but a suitcase and a visa enabling me to work on luxury super yachts.
What an exciting time it was. I was in my early twenties working for multimillionaires and billionaires on their superyachts and rubbing shoulders with movie stars; whilst in my spare time hanging out in some of the most exclusive and beautiful places in the world.
I sailed extensively throughout the Caribbean, the British Virgin Isles and the Bahamas, as well as New England. It was an amazing, inspiring and influential experience I will never forget.
One of the places I visited which had the biggest impact on me was Conception Island in the Bahamas, a tiny and stunningly beautiful uninhabited island you can walk around in an hour or two.
Even back then it was sadly littered with plastic waste, bottles and flip flops, which had flowed in on the sea currents. I have never forgotten the uncomfortable feeling I had to realise that such an immaculate and remote place was marred by the detritus of our disposable society and throwaway culture.
At university I had done some research and discovered how polluting the fashion and textiles industry is, and it disturbed me deeply. I dedicated my final year to creating a sustainable collection featuring natural fabrics and prints inspired by nature.
Working on luxury yachts had steered me away from that idea, only to be confronted with the uncomfortable reality of mass overconsumption and single use plastics in the middle of nowhere. At that moment I made it my life’s mission to create a sustainable brand and help the fashion and textiles industry to become more environmentally friendly.
Back on board, just a few metres below my feet was the eternal ocean. Unbelievably beautiful shades of blue, teal and turquoise, constantly flowing and changing. I still see the innumerable shades of the sea when I close my eyes today. That’s why we have chosen teal as our brand colour, a shade of blue that recalls the natural beauty of nature and the imperative to reduce waste and protect the beauty of this world and its fragile ecosystems.
Viscose is not inherently harmful to the environment, as it is made from trees, but the raw plant material requires a lot of chemistry to transform it into a viscose fibre, read on to learn about the science of viscose.
Silk, a mainstay of the luxury fashion industry, a fabric so embedded in our culture that it has earned its own adjective. It has a fascinating history, as well as a dark side which many people are not aware of.
Founder Gabrielle Cave takes a trip down memory lane and talks about the motivation behind sustainable luxury nightwear brand, Orchard Moon
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