Image: Faircloth & Supply
Ethical Apparel by the Granddaughter of Roald Dahl
Most children of the ’90s remember the beloved author Roald Dahl…how could I forget? The name brings back sweet memories of staying up late on school nights ducked under my covers reading his work with a flashlight, while trying not to wake up my sister who shared the room with me. His creative legacy continues with his granddaughter Phoebe Dahl, who’s taken on a different route in the apparel market. However, Phoebe isn’t just creating another clothing line, and this is one of the reasons I’m excited to share this. Her brand, Faircloth & Supply, was launched in 2013 and focuses on “seasonless,” sustainable, handmade women’s and kid’s apparel that benefits girls in Nepal, giving them a chance at a good education with school uniforms, supplies and a scholarship for one year. The brand is based on one textile, linen (“a fabric that can lead many lives and tell many stories”), and every garment “will retain their elegant beauty and undeniable charm over time.”
One other notable fact is that Phoebe’s cousin, Sophie Dahl, has modeled in campaigns for for Versace and Alexander McQueen. Phoebe’s mother is her biggest fan, promoting her new business wherever she goes, as much as she can (source). How couldn’t you, with such an amazing cause?
Our inspiration has always been found fabric, heritage textiles, and antique treasures, such as French linens and old Japanese Indigo dyed utilitarian wear. Through this inspiration we concoct a creation that embodies grace, elegance and comfort. All of our pieces feel soft and worn. To be thrown together with anything in your closet to create a beautiful yet functional effortlessly styled ensemble. We pride ourselves on producing quintessential pieces that we hope will live, love, and travel with you.”
Faircloth & Supply Bags (with back view on bottom right)
Dahl introduced dead-stock cotton, which basically just means it’s recycled, into her new Winter collection, and uses this along with the linen. She focuses on designs that are a bit unconventional…loose-fitting with drop crotches, oversized tunics and dresses and even bomber jackets. Dahl says, “I wanted to play with shapes that wouldn’t normally be made out of linen” (source). Faircloth & Supply also includes a kid’s line, with clothing hand-picked straight from Nepali markets.
For those who aren’t interested in expanding their closets, Faircloth amp; Supply offers straight donation amounts of $12, $25, $50 or $100 for anything from buying school uniforms for a Nepali girl to providing micro business loan to help girls start businesses making uniforms. Good deeds making a full circle. Phoebe was originally inspired after a trip to Nepal and witnessing the horrible conditions there, and realized it would take more than just trying to help from the outside. She says, “their motto is the locals know more about the social issues than we do, so instead of going in and trying to fix all of their problems, they find the people who can tell us how we help” (source).
Faircloth & Supply Donations
Faircloth & Supply has already made a huge difference in donating uniforms and supplies for Nepali girls to attend school. Phoebe states, “We’ve donated upward of 900, almost 1,000 so far. It doesn’t cost as much as you might think to send a girl to school. It’s as much as if someone were to forfeit going out to lunch one day a week.” (source). I am thrilled to hear about Dahl’s legacy to impacting the lives of kids around the world being passed on like this, and I for one feel inspired to go pick up one of his books and read it from cover to cover, just one more time.
Shop Faircloth & Supply’s entire collection of collections here, and read more about the brand and it’s inspiration at The Cut (awesome article), and at Yahoo!.
