Sustain Your Fashion Fix With Elk Label
Wendys recently hosted an event with guest speakers from the Elk brand. The inside scoop on the latest collection is always incentive enough to justify an evening out, but throw in bubbles and canapés and it’s a no brainer. Of course the biggest lure is that you love the brand itself, and looking around the room two things were obvious. Firstly it was packed with ladies who clearly appreciate the beauty of Elk. Secondly it’s clear that there is no such thing as a typical Elk fan.
While many of the guests had a fair idea of what the Elk label represents, as the night unfolded the audience was captivated by the combination of tales from the workshop to a showcase of new styles. Elk has an ethos grounded in sustainability; this husband and wife led brand has committed to working not only to design and produce drop-dead gorgeous garments, but to do so with consideration to its team of manufacturers and the environment. Fighting words I hear you mutter – is there really a way of producing beautiful clothes, shoes, bags and jewellery with a minimal environmental impact? Well yes, it seems Elk has found that the impossible can, with enough thought and care, be possible.
Clever Collections
With a system based around six monthly drops rather than seasons, the first thing the uninitiated will notice about Elk is that its clothes are building blocks. By freeing itself from the traditional concepts of seasonal styling, the pieces can be layered up and down, plus mixed and matched – not just with current pieces but also with those from past collections. This is so ridiculously perfect for Australasian climes (which lets face it can be as unpredictable as –oh, let’s say the weather), but it also empowers Elk devotees to keep their much-loved pieces in circulation (even celebrity wardrobe de-clutterer Marie Kondo would have to be impressed by this).
Built To Last
Elk values sustainability and this means that it creates fashion that is design orientated rather than fast fashion led, and the pieces that it creates are crafted to last. So, for example, your beautiful waterfall bamboo dress does not just feel amazing as it skims your body, it will wash like a dream, will hold its colour and – get this, won’t pill.
Processes
Taking the sustainability even further, we are told how the brand has started looking at their processes and turning them on their heads. For some of their products such as leather goods, they are approaching their suppliers and finding out what they have in terms of surplus hides. They are then taking this as a start point and designing with this in mind. Cleaning up on denim production is another innovation, with Elk committed to recycling its wastewater. Increased use of organic fabrics and reduction of carbon footprint is something this company takes hugely seriously (and its transparency report makes for surprisingly good reading).
Design Features
Priding itself on being both ageless and size-less (range goes from 6-18) the audience is mesmerized as we are not just told, but shown just how much thought goes into the female form and how best to celebrate it. So you’ll find cool little details peppered throughout the pieces. We all agree that sleeves are a must have for those that don’t like the tops of their arms. And there are admiring ‘aahhs’ as we are told of the wee buttons on the scoop sleeve tops, so your bra isn’t on show. The pants have been designed to sit smoothly across the belly, but have hidden elastic around the back for comfort (I can verify there were a few sighs of delight at this one). Many of the tops, we are told, are a smidge longer than the norm, giving the perfect drape, and feature a flattering V at the back as well as the front. Dresses, pantsuits, jeans, skirts – all cut to flatter the figure. Genius.
As piece after piece from the new collection was unveiled we were all clearly itching to get our hands on it – but the evening had come to a close (rounded off with a wonderful gift of the coolest Elk earrings). Now the waiting game was on for the new pieces to arrive in stock. Wait over – it’s here! So click on and check it out. Offering a riot of colour, and textures galore, these pieces boast flexibility in styling and choice – key to the ultimate enjoyment.
Please note links to all the products featured in this article are in the text below the images. The prices displayed are accurate for the date this blog was posted and may be changed after this date.
Written By Nicky Adams
0 comments