Cosy and Comfy by LAM

q: What were your first thoughts when you decided to start your own brand? a: Having been in the industry for over 20 years designing collections tailored to the needs of individual brands, I reached a place where I felt the time was right for me to follow my own brand vision and create my own collections. I wanted to decide the whole essence of the label that I was creating with the key being - no compromise on design, quality over mass market and the need for sustainability. q: What are the qualities that make your brand so unique? a: Specialising in knitwear, I love the fact that I have design control from the first thread! My designs feed my love of things both feminine and relaxed. LAM gives the wearer unexpected details in designs which are effortless to wear. The fit and feel of a garment when worn is so essential - this is as important as the design. The key to my designs is that 'I' want to wear them - they are what I've been looking for, so if I feel good in them I know others will too. q: How would you describe LAM in 5 words? a: Effortless. Feminine. Luxury. Season-less. Sustainable. q: Producing sustainably is a big part of your brand, why is that? a: LAM doesn't want to get caught up in the throw away culture of fast fashion and believes clothes that we feel good in can be worn for years, rather than just a season! With this in mind producing sustainable clothes was always going to be a key factor for me. Sustainability is much more than the yarn or fabric of the garment, it's also the processes used throughout the whole production. As I said before, I start from the thread when designing so start at the mill to look for sustainability. The water consumption, dyes used, and fibres all have to be considered. Seeing the mass production of garments for so many companies I feel we all have a responsibility to think about what we are buying and the impact that purchase has had on the environment. Mistakes have been made in the past and it's up to new companies and brands to make changes for the better. q: How do you think this pandemic will change the fashion industry? a: Of course no one could've ever predicted the unprecedented change that has been thrown onto the world. Suddenly everything and everyone has stopped - it's an induced time to think and reflect. Fashion normally never stands still but hopefully this time will have given a redirection into what is now required of fashion. Overconsumption has been cluttering everyone for so long - and hopefully this will be the reset button. As I said LAM believes in longevity, quality and sustainability, and the current situation has prompted even more reflection on these areas. When all this passes hopefully we see the emergence of smaller brands with beautiful products that doesn't feed into the mass production we have been witnessing. LAM's collaboration with Curated Crowd and the ethos of Curated Crowd is perfect for this new embrace, of quality over quantity. The way we shop has been evolving, but the online experience can now only pick up pace due to the impact this pandemic has had on the high street and society as a whole. The online experience now needs to step up to this new chapter. q: What advice would you give to new brands to source responsibly and sustainably? a: It's essential to think about the bigger picture - it's not just about the where the raw material comes from but also how it is produces and then the production. Work with companies that share your values and constantly look into new areas you can start to support and implement. Of course it's hard to tick every box, but over time you can introduce more and more socially responsible practices. q: Any new collections that we should know about? a: With social distancing, working from home and the current lock down, loungewear is a buzz word for me. I was already offering garments in this genre but am now thinking more in this area - as I said I design garments I want to wear and this is where we are... In addition to this I'm look at new trans-seasonal cashmere & cotton yarn blends which feel beautiful. My design head is still combining feminine touches to keep my styles unique and as always I'm enjoying looking at new colours and melange tones. It's all very exciting.