From Somewhere
• Designer recycled women’s wear
• Beautiful recycled cashmere
• Manufactured in the EU
• High-end wholesale
• International sales
• Based in London
The business
From Somewhere focuses on the use of reclaimed fabrics to create high-end women’s wear. Orsola de Castro set up the business in 1997 customising knitwear and using prison coats and old kilts to create ranges that sold successfully in The Cross and Browns. In 1999 From Somewhere teamed up with Jigsaw to use their unsold and damaged knitwear and in 2001 the company began sourcing luxury fabrics from Italian textile design companies, using off cuts, leftovers and damaged fabrics rather than garments; the resulting collections mix cashmere, silk, cotton, jersey and tweed to create beautiful pieces that are reproducible in large quantities while always retaining an element of the unique.
From Somewhere have a shop in Notting Hill and the collections are sold all over the world. Orsola now works alongside Filippo Ricci, who joined the company in 2001 and was instrumental in the shift between “customising” and “reclaiming”.
Together they curate Estethica at London Fashion Week (LFW's successful and directional eco-sustainable area at the Designers Exhibition, sponsored by Monsoon Accessorize) as well as SloWhite, Milan’s first eco-space during the Settimana Della Moda.
Sourcing/manufacture
The garments are manufactured in the UK and Italy. In the UK, From Somewhere produces with Unidesigners, a respected and well known manufacturing run by Eva D’Arche, making for some of the best UK based labels; Eva also consults on and creates the winning collections for Fashion Fringe. A smaller part of the production is undertaken in Italy in association with MILES and made at the Cooperativa Rinascere, a non profit organisation that helps rehabilitate disadvantaged individuals affected by chronic depression, disabilities and addiction.
100% recycled materials are used in all the collections. All workers are paid above minimum wage and production takes place in Europe. Approximately 1000 garments are produced each season.
Product/market
The designs are lead by the fabric. The use of recycled materials means the collections need to take into account fabric availability. The key to From Somewhere is reproducibility; the garments are not a one off, the aim is to make as many pieces as possible in order to achieve wholesale.
Approximately 250 pieces of the same design can be produced; a consistent look with only small colour/tone variations allows marketing in retail outlets and on-line, successfully mimicking standard industry production. This sets From Somewhere apart from many recycling based labels where designs cannot be reproduced in larger numbers.
Retail prices range from £90 to £500.
The aim is to compete with high-end fashionista labels, appealing to women in a wide age range from 20-50 with beautiful, stylish pieces. The collections are sold in three retail outlets in the UK with a new shop at 83 Westbourne Park Road, London and internationally in the USA, Japan, Italy, Hong Kong and Greece.
Sustainability
From Somewhere’s primary focus is environmental sustainability; using recycled materials reduces waste and helps to prevent high quality fabrics (which can potentially create beautiful clothing) from being sent to landfill. The company aims to be carbon neutral reducing the distance that their clothing is transported and using minimal packaging. The business supports and promotes ethical trading through their support of disadvantaged workers and production in the EU.
What next?
From Somewhere are keen to expand into the menswear and underwear market as well as exploring knitwear and jersey collections.They are planning to re-launch the childrens line to be available exclusively at the store.
In terms of sustainability: The From Somewhere COOP D’ETE capsule collection in collaboration with MILES (Maglificio Italiano Lana E Seta) is their greenest collection to date, as it incorporates their signature recycling with fairtrade principles and an almost zero carbon footprint.
All pieces are made from scraps, off-cuts and colour charts reclaimed from MILES’s legendary cutting room floor and are lovingly assembled just around the corner, at the Cooperativa Rinascita , a non profit organisation that rehabilitates young people suffering from mental illness and addictions.
A unique and entirely new concept in fashion design and production, held together by a team of dedicated individuals with a longstanding experience in sustainability and responsibility, the COOP D’ETE collection aims to become a new template to embrace a passion for fashion and a deep desire to create a permanent change in the way we look at clothes.
Beautiful clothes that carry a global message: From wasted to wanted! From Somewhere are currently looking for funds and help to expand this idea further, to open it up to students and other fashion labels that might be interested in this type of synergy.
For more information visit the From Somewhere website.
Check out From Somewhere on our gallery.
