Last winter, I travelled to Bath to meet Snow, the designer behind iconic British ethical label Bibico. We shot Bibico’s Autumn-Winter 21-22 collection featuring comfy and luxurious mulesing-free merino wool knitwear, amongst other lovely winter essentials. I loved the experience of modelling for such an established brand in the sustainable fashion industry.
Bibico is over a decade old and a slow fashion pioneer in the UK. Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to browse their physical store in Bath (or to do all the touristy stuff I had in mind) because of Covid-related travel restrictions at the time. However, I got to literally try all the clothes and I was blown away by both the quality and eco-credentials of the new winter collection.
I bombarded Snow with questions about her background working in fast fashion (until she launched her label of conscious apparel) and experience running her own independent business during such a difficult time. In the Q&A below, she walks us through the thought process that made her bring Bibico to life and what it takes to run a truly sustainable and ethical fashion brand in 2021.
This interview was originally published in my newsletter. To discover more slow fashion brands and read exciting conversations with independent designers from the UK and Europe, head to Substack and become a member of Slow Fashion Weekly.
What’s your background and why did you decide to launch Bibico?
“I worked at Zara for 12 years before launching Bibico. I saw the changes in the fashion industry. When I started at Zara we were doing 2 big collections per year. When I left, in 1999, we were doing 1 collection per week from sketch to products on the shop floor. It just became crazy with new products at very low prices…fast fashion had started!”
Who makes Bibico’s clothes and why did you choose these partners?
“Our 2 main suppliers are women cooperatives members of the World Fair Trade organisation. I travelled to India and Nepal to find reliable cooperatives that could produce good quality garments consistently. We support over 600 ladies that come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The cooperative trains them and, once they gain the skills, they start making clothes for Bibico. By working with them we are stopping the cycle of poverty.”
Is it more expensive to produce with them compared to the average factory?
“It is much more expensive to produce with a cooperative because they add a 10% increase in the price of labour, which goes directly to the ladies’ social and personal development.”
What’s the most challenging aspect of running an ethical fashion business?
“Working with suppliers that don’t come from the fashion world. I need to give them all the details. I need to train them, they need my constant advice. The ladies don’t wear western clothes so it has taken them a while to learn how to sew a dress. I am not working with big mills in India or China that have all the machinery and structure behind them. (…) Another big issue is the minimum order quantities (MOQ) in sustainable fabrics. All the big guys are getting into organic cotton, Tencel and Ecovero so they are pushing the MOQ very high, which makes it difficult for small brands like ours to source and afford new and sustainable fabrics.”
What solutions would you like to see more of in the fashion industry?
“The government should support these small cooperatives as they are a great platform to end poverty. (…) I want the mills not to be greedy and also offer sustainable fabrics in small quantities.”
Follow Bibico @bibico_clothing
Visit Bibico’s website
