From Corporate to a Fashion Label

“Sustainable luxury with a purpose.”

From corporate to a fashion label with Bozena Jankowska

What has been your journey so far? By not being afraid to take a risk and following my two passions – sustainability and fashion. After a 25-year career in sustainability including a 16-year stint in sustainable finance, I reached a point where I felt I needed a new challenge and bring to life something I’ve been thinking of doing for some time. It was scary, as I was leaving an industry which I knew intimately and entering an industry where I knew I would be starting from ground zero. The only constant I had that straddled the two words, was my intimate knowledge of sustainability. As with any new venture the key was to do as much research, outreach and networking as I could to build the knowledge and contacts I knew would be key to setting up a new luxury fashion brand. Attending seminar’s, fashion fairs, textile fairs and asking lots of questions along the way (and not worrying if they were basic or not) took up much of my time and it still does to this day as I have found you never stop learning when running your own business!

The second key component to getting started is not being afraid to make mistakes – which I’ve made plenty of on my journey so far! The key thing to remember is that these are valuable mistakes which allow you to learn, grow and become a smarter business owner! Building relationships is also key whether it be with the textile mills your source from, the manufacturers you partner with for production or different experts you decide to pull in to give you the insights you cannot get yourself elsewhere to take you to the next stage of the business. There is certainly a lot to think about, the level of detail that is necessary to start any business is intense and which I didn’t fully appreciate but it certainly focuses the mind!

What is your mission with your brand? I’ve always felt strongly about sustainability because I’ve always had the ability to stand back from a situation and see the bigger picture about the implications of our actions on the environment and society. Given where we are today and the multitude of environmental and social challenges we face we really haven’t done a great job being stewards of our planet for future generations. I believe that information and awareness can change behaviours if channelled in the right way and there are some powerful platforms out there that can help with that.

Finance (my previous world) is one and fashion is another – albeit both are very different. Fashion has global reach and influence, it can tap into people’s imaginations and impact how they consume. With my label, I want to channel that by using fashion as a platform to talk about sustainability, give fashion a purpose beyond simple aesthetics, and give back to causes that champion sustainability issues. However, I know that it is not my only mission. I equally want to offer my customers beautiful collections which they fall in love in, are excited about and love to wear because they make them feel amazing, beautiful, empowered and confident (all in the knowledge that they are also doing their small bit for sustainability!)

How important is sustainability in fashion, to you and your brand? Sustainability is at the heart of my label. It provides the design inspiration for each collection – since each of my collections tells a story about a critical environmental or social issue that requires our attention. For my Season One ‘Ode to the Bee’ debut collection, the inspiration is the humble honeybee. Bees have been facing many challenges including loss of habitat, use of pesticides, climate change and disease so populations have been decreasing, yet the honey bee is key to the security of our global food supply. One in three mouthfuls of food we eat is the result of the pollination work being done by bees. They are the unsung heroes and I felt strongly that their story should be told through my collection. I have also partnered with a non-governmental organisation Buglife to bring the issue to life and give back via each purchase made from the collection to the work they are doing with bee conservation. I’m focusing on reducing the environmental footprint of my own operations but aiming to source where possible sustainable fabrics for my collections and work with textile mills that have as a minimum, high environmental standard. I have made every effort to ensure that my packaging is from sustainable sources and which can be either reused or recycled. Each item from the collection is made to order which not only ensures that each garment is made to a high-quality standard but equally is only being made because someone wants to it, resulting in less use of resources and waste.

What are your tips for embracing living and buying more consciously? Investing in high-quality pieces that you believe will stand the test of time and will give you the versatility you are looking for from your wardrobe. Think about bridging new and old together with styling new wardrobe pieces with vintage ones and having fun with different styling ideas! You will be amazed how many different looks you could pull together with just a few timeless and beautiful pieces if you put your mind to it!