About the Project Creator
My name is Claire and I run sewing workshops under COUCHMAN:bespoke. I have over 10 years experience of tailoring with 3 in teaching. Through the calming qualities of crafting it is a great way to over come anxiety type feelings adding positive effects on peoples mental health. We teach classes in tailoring to provide key skills to people wishing to learn, since this is no longer taught in schools. These skills can go on to provide work to anyone who may not get work otherwise, without discrimination. I am a menswear graduate from Brighton University. After writing my thesis on the cotton farming industry I wanted to do more to create a better clothing and textile industry. This is when I started COUCHMAN:bespoke is an ethical tailors, to educate people on the environmental impacts of their shopping habits. Now 10 years on and the business is based in Tower Hamlets near Canning Town. We are ethical for paying a fair living wage to all who work with us.
The clothing and textile industries are one of the biggest polluters on the planet. Through chemicals from dyes being dumped in the rivers around the world to cotton using lakes full of water throughout the growth and manufacture process. Our ethos is to use alterative cloth and educated others on how to shop better. At C:b we use sustainably sourced cloth that is either certified organic or remnant from factories and designers, to make bespoke garments that fit perfectly and last a lifetime. We offer alterations to keep clothes out of landfill and educate the local community about the effects the clothing industry has on the planet. Through mass manufacture and a hidden slave trade. Our ethos is to use less water and create no water pollution through the clothes we make. To achieve this we do not use new cotton and give back to organisations helping to clean and provide drinking water around the world.
Across both businesses we give back to organisations around the world who help directly with water issues, skills training and to stop deforestation. This is made possible with Buy 1 Give 1 who select organisations based on small sizes and them giving 100% towards the cause. Then after paying fair wages and utilities within the business all profits go back in and towards our Pay It Forward local community sewing school scheme.