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Louise Thomas
Editor
Net-A-Porter and King Charles’ charity, The King’s Foundation, have launched a luxury capsule clothing line inspired by the Royal family’s beloved Scottish landscape.
The collaboration is part of the Modern Artisan project, which was launched by Yoox Net-A-Porter and The King’s Foundation in 2019, giving fashion and textile graduates the chance to design and create a sustainable clothing line.
The luxury online retailer revealed this latest collection at the Barbican Centre in London. The pieces were produced by trainee six UK-based artisans during a six-month residency at The King’s Foundation’s Dumfries House headquarters in Ayrshire, Scotland.
The collection comprises of 13 pieces inspired by Her Majesty Queen Victoria’s watercolours of the Scottish Highlands. The ready-to-wear collection sews together every the element of the land: from its materials to its scenery.
There is a lounge suit dyed with natural native heathers from the Highlands, an oversized scarf made from local British sheep’s wool and the palette is muted and moody – drawing upon the misty landscape of Balmoral estate.
The collection emphasises the value of British: from its produce to its workers. “There’s an idea that British wool is scratchy and unwearable, when in fact there are many super-soft breeds that deliver luxurious fabrics,” says Net-A-Porter’s managing director, Vikki Kavanagh. “We wanted to dispel this myth and worked with local knitwear producers to create some beautiful pieces that celebrate the potential of British wool.”
It has utilised traditional techniques such as hand smocking and hand sewing – long forgotten in the age of fast fashion – whilst implementing new Digital ID technology that can track and tell you the story of a garment, offering post-purchase care guidance.
“We have had to get creative in finding solutions for this capsule collection,” says Kavanagh, “for example using deadstock fabrics and building relationships with smaller, like-minded wool suppliers.”
This collection has certainly strengthened the ‘Made in the UK’ movement. It is a movement that the programme staunchly supports – from the environmental to the social to the economic benefits. And really, it is something we should all try and get behind.”
This collection is available to purchase at netaporter.com.
