BRODIE CASHMERE

XXXXXXXX ANNE-MARIE HOLDSWORTH

Q&A

KNITTED

together

Anne-Marie Holdsworth on launching Brodie Cashmere with her daughter, sustainability and bringing colour into lives

Q What originally inspired you to launch Brodie Cashmere?

A I’ve always loved great design and fashion, especially in knitwear. My family has traded in cashmere, and we decided to continue the partnership with our factory in Mongolia choosing to only source sustainable cashmere. We work with nomadic herders in the region to produce ethical, conscious cashmere, traceable from the origin. By supporting these workers, we continue to make beautiful knitwear with a considered design. I’ve always loved wearing cashmere, and who doesn’t want to design fabulous products that are ethically made?

Q Why did you want to do this with your daughter, Jessica?

A I launched Brodie 12 years ago with my daughter Jes. Together we wanted to develop a brand which would be accessible to the world. She was integral in pushing the brand forward. Brodie is made from 100% pure cashmere fibres and combines loved styles with contemporary colourways. We started with 15 styles and 15 colours at a small stand at Pure. That first show was a huge success and gave us the confidence to continue. As a new brand coming to London, it was amazing to get such a strong reaction.

Q What’s the ethos behind Brodie Cashmere?

A Our mission is to celebrate women every day creating bold and supremely beautiful

knitwear, championing colour and bold storytelling to inspire those around. We work in kindness with our people and the planet, to search for the finest cashmere with no compromise. Here at Brodie, we want to create a world where every woman feels empowered to do as she wishes with confidence, to feel strong in her own skin and style and to inspire younger generations for years to come. We want all women to #BeBrodie and authentically themselves.

Q How would you say you have evolved?

A I started with my own personal style and then developed it by bringing in family and friends to discuss what they loved about cashmere knitwear. These transformed into samples which were all tried and tested by people who I believed had great style, a great eye and knowledge of colour. It’s always been very much a family led brand, inspired by my family and my girlfriends. We’ve never lost the essence of mother/daughter transition and want to be a brand that every age and every person can go to. I think that a jumper can be worn by all age groups in di erent ways just from the styling of it. Our designs are inspired by the amazing women around us. elevate softer tones and natural colours of cashmere for the purest cashmere wearer.

Q What’s new from Brodie Cashmere as we approach 2023?

A We are making various changes closer to home, such as going paperless at tradeshows, which means no printing of our lookbooks, workbooks and linesheets – instead o ering QR codes for customers to see all materials digitally. And improving sampling methods internally, ordering less and looking at ways to further decrease this number. All of which are integral changes on our journey of being a responsible brand as Brodie continues to grow.

Q How key are your Yorkshire roots to the business?

A I love to be close to my roots, so Yorkshire people have to be at top of the list – full of pride, friendly and have a great sense of humour! We’re surrounded by beautiful countryside and the coast is never too far away. And of course, a trip to Betty’s for the best afternoon tea.

Q What are you looking forward to in 2023?

A We are really looking forward to going back out to all of our trade shows around the UK, US, and EU to showcase our upcoming autumn/winter 2023 collection. It is always such a privilege to see our customers in person and speaking to them about their experience with Brodie. Not to mention, the Brodie team is always growing and we are looking forward to welcoming the new talent into our family and constantly improving across all areas of our business.

Now we have a team of talented designers who look globally for fabulous ideas and colour inspiration to marry in with the same family led interest. We are involved in the full life cycle of our garments' journey, from sourcing the raw material to the finished product. We are proud members of the Sustainable Fibre Alliance, who have at the core of their mission protecting the land, teaching the best in animal husbandry and protecting herder livelihoods. Looking after the people and the planet is important to us, we are conscious about the impact of our choices. For us sustainability is an ongoing journey, for leaving and implementing best practise, and one we will continue to work hard at.

Q Do you think there’s a typical Brodie Cashmere look?

A We want women to feel good in what we create regardless of the style. Style is very personal; we feel that if something makes you smile then wear it. My favourite Brodie would be the novelty styles – standout pieces that are fun and bold. The sophisticated edit styles

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