Borderlands Vintage...
The Scottish Borders has a long tradition in the Textile industry, it is steeped in it, in fact, hundreds of years steeped in it. Border Fabric/Textile companies have supplied wool & cashmere for some of the worlds top fashion brands, like Chanel & Dior. The mills helped clothe the world and it has the best College/University courses in Textile, Fashion & Design in Scotland.
Sadly, by the early 2000's, the textile/fabric industries were hit hard by the demise of production in Scotland and the rest of the UK, as companies moved their production to China/Asia and the knock on effect on the border region was very evident, it still is to this day. I started my IT career back then and was directly impacted too, as I worked for a well known Ladieswear brand based in Springburn. We were all paid off and seconded to the larger group.
I've lived in Galashiels (Pete C), Melrose being a special place for me, so I know how resilient the Border folk are, they have adapted and rethought business models to suit a new demand and that leads us to Rose's Wardrobe, who are based in Langholm, the "Muckle Toon", about as far south you can get in Dumfries & Galloway border region, between Scotland & England, but south of Hawick,
Although they don't come from the Borders, Team Rose's Wardrobe do however carry on a long established Borders clothing manufacturing tradition, but produce gorgeous made to order replica clothing from the 1940's-1960's, using styles & prints from those eras. The also offer a bespoke service, catering for the individual, offering something very unique to their clientele. I caught up with Emma (Designer), Leanne (Chief Pattern Cutter/Finance Director) and Anna (Accessory Designer/Social Media Guru) to find out how they came to be and what the future holds for a vintage clothing designer in Scotland.
Q: The Borders is steeped in clothing/fabric/milling history, how did you end up in Langholm, are you all from the area or did you study at the Uni campus in Gala then eventually work there ?
"None of us are from Langholm, but Leanne and Anna both went to University in Galashiels (Emma went to the University of Central Lancashire). Emma and Leanne both moved to Langholm originally to work for a fashion brand. They met at work, fell in love and eventually decided to start their own brand. Anna graduated last year and moved with her parents to Langholm as a temporary step, not expecting to find her dream job here."
Emma, Leanne & Anna
Q: The clothing industry has had major set backs over the years, many companies have sadly demised since the early 2000's and production moved overseas, and it's highly competitive for the ones who are left. Was it a conscious decision to meet that competitiveness with niche products and by-pass the "mainstream" clothing market, and design for the vintage market, or is it purely design for the love of the era and aesthetics ?
"We definitely wanted to avoid mainstream manufacturing methods to create more sustainable clothing, but the decision to stick to vintage style came from Leanne and Emma’s interest in their relatives’ clothing from the 1930s-60s. They loved the aesthetics and appreciated the quality and careful construction of older garments."
Q: What setbacks did you have during start up, how did you overcome them and what advice would you give to anyone starting out in business?
"Our biggest issue at the start was that we wanted to do too much too soon, so we put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We soon realised that we had to be realistic about our goals and build up slowly, so we re-thought our strategy and started off with a limited number of products, adding to the collections gradually as business grew."
Q: Within the vintage community, there is a very prominent sense of appreciating not only the value of things, but also the longevity of products, apparel etc. which you have embraced the "built to last" ethos of design. Why do you think we lost that value of quality?
"For decades now, technological advances have led to a steady fall in prices and quality of clothing. This was great at first, as people could afford more clothes, but it’s gotten to the point where clothing is constantly disposed of as styles change. With fast fashion prices so low, consumers aren’t able to appreciate the hard work that goes in to making the clothes."
Q: How do you achieve, or rather, ensure your garments last the test of time, to be passed onto the next generation? (we clearly do it with wedding dresses, etc.)
"We use good quality materials and manufacturing methods to make sure that our clothes are physically durable. As the styles of our garments aren’t dictated by current trends, they also avoid becoming ‘last season’, so people are more likely to keep and look after them."
Q:How did you cope over the past two years, were you seling direct from day one of business, made to order via website?
"While it’s been challenging to start our own business, there are loads of benefits to selling online and making to order. When physical shops were closed during the pandemic, we were still able to manufacture at home and post out orders, so that was a huge relief! Making to order is such an important part of our ethos as a business, as we aren’t wasting time, materials and energy manufacturing products which may not sell."
Q: If you all could go back to another time, when would it be and why ?
"For Leanne and Emma, it would be the 1940s (without the war) because of the community spirit and make-do-and-mend attitude. Leanne would have loved to be a land girl! Anna would visit the 1920s for the lavish clothes and parties."
Q: Who are your design icons - who would you have loved to work for in previous times?
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"Emma loves Audrey Hepburn, so would have loved to work for Dior in the 50s. Anna would go back and design for Mary Quant and Leanne would have loved to work for a tailor on Saville Row in its heyday."
Q: What's new for 2022 - plans and new range/designs?
"We have a busy year ahead of us, with new collections and designs throughout the year. Just now, we are getting ready for our Spring collection and preparing for our trip to Festival of Vintage York, where we have a stand booked".