Beauty by Design: Teatum Jones

Catherine Teatum and Rob Jones, the designers behind innovative womenswear label Teatum Jones, swiftly made a mark on a crowded industry. Carving out a niche for socially conscious, meticulously executed creations, the brand has spent the last decade pushing an ethos of inclusivity and appreciation of craft - and collecting accolades for its efforts along the way.

As the label prepares to launch an exclusive capsule collection at Liberty, built using deadstock of our iconic fabrics, we talk to Catherine Teatum about the industry changes the brand is trailblazing and what being socially conscious means at Teatum Jones.

Can you tell us a bit about Teatum Jones’ brand history?

We are two humans inspired by other humans and we create fashion from human stories. We launched the brand in 2011 and we are both born Londoners with British and Irish heritage. We are united by a shared fascination of humans and their stories and we truly believe in the power of fashion to present a pro-social message of inclusivity and positive identity. We believe in creating sustainable and socially conscious fashion that puts the craftspeople and the customer at the heart of our creation.

What does the phrase ‘socially conscious fashion’ mean to the brand?

It means being a fashion brand that puts society and people centre stage. As the founders of Teatum Jones, we are considered as part of a group of pioneers of the London inclusivity movement. Our vision for a more UNIFIED world has meant we have always had a more human approach to fashion. From 2011 we have focussed our entire vision around human stories, which have been the very foundation of our collections, our unified casting, our creative campaigns and our business hiring.

You are the current British Library’s Designers in Residence – what does holding this title involve? What has the British Library meant to you as designers?

We are ambassadors of the British Library and our role is to promote its potential to elevate in-depth design research for creatives across all fields. We have used the British Library for our collection research ever since we discovered its incredible archives five years ago.

You have collaborated with Liberty on a capsule collection of pieces made with Liberty deadstock fabric, how did this collaboration come about?

Re-LOVE, our ‘Zero Waste Initiative’, is an idea we’ve been building on since 2018. As part of the initiative we will join forces with different partners to create collections from waste textiles and clothing. Focusing on innovation and crafts-person-ship, we’re spearheading this initiative to provide a solution to the industry’s issue of excessive waste.

Teatum Jones also sits on the committee for The Institute of Positive Fashion by the British Fashion Council – what are some of the aims and objectives of The Institute?

ENVIRONMENT, which focuses on environmental and business governance to drive a more sustainable fashion future. PEOPLE, which focuses on the product makers to the staff, students and models who pioneer our brands and COMMUNITY & CRAFTSMANSHIP supports the talent, skills and elements of craftsmanship that make up our unique industry and have positive impacts on local communities. Teatum Jones’ vision and commitments fall into all three categories but particularly people and craftsmanship.

Why was it important to the brand to use deadstock fabrics, as opposed to picking from the whole range in-store?

We are moving away from creating everything ‘new’ and focussing our efforts on developing bold, beautiful, sustainable and ethical Teatum Jones products from a Zero Waste approach. Part of that is re-evaluating the outdated seasonal fashion business model and placing our faith in the belief that creating socially conscious and sustainable fashion is better for humans, better for the planet and better for commercial business.

What is your earliest memory of Liberty?

Choosing Christmas Tree decorations as a child when the front entrance was awash with snow, it is a very special memory!

Can you tell us why you think Liberty Fabrics suit the Teatum Jones aesthetic?

Although there is a heritage and vintage feel to Liberty prints, the colours are bright and vibrant and perfectly match the bold and graphic colour palette we are known for at Teatum Jones.

Human stories and narrative seem to really feed your design process – how have you incorporated this approach into this collection?

Humans and crafts-person-ship are central to this collection. A lot of the styles have used waste fabric that has been collected from factories and hand arranged without further cutting and therefore without further waste into patchwork. So each piece tells a very personal and unique story of the journey from factory to studio to shop floor.

You have been called ‘method designers’ for your deep dive approach to research for every collection – what does this title mean to you?

It means we take our job as design researchers very seriously.