Leading British shoe and jewellery designer champions sustainable fashion

1. We can set different standards for our supply chain, both in resources and in the workforce - I achieved a first class honours at university with a paper on the ethics of the fair treatment of indigenous people and the preservation of traditional skills, this has set my foundations for designing, crafting and developing a leading business ever since. I feel strongly about supporting and upskilling women from under-represented communities globally and keeping ancestral crafts thriving. The provenance and traceability of the materials used in our Freya Rose designs and the care for the people I work with globally are fundamental to my business. I have worked alongside artisan shoe couturiers in Spain for over 10 years, considering them part of the Freya Rose family and knowing each and every person that turns my designs into a reality. The Freya Rose signature mother of pearl heels and jewellery are responsibly sourced in Bali, where I have also worked with the same family for 12 years. I believe that preserving and supporting these ancestral craft techniques is essential in a fast, modern world where globalisation degrades these ancient practices and often exploits those involved in the process. Supporting indigenous talent and ensuring ethical practice has always been at the heart of my work.

2. We can halt the tidal wave of fast fashion - Fast fashion is a term we’re all familiar with and I believe that, across the world, the detrimental effects of its demand on the environment and mankind are plain for all to see. I choose to produce small quantities of finely crafted shoes and jewellery that last. These kind of choices don’t have to be limited to high end products. Together we can champion the use of; recyclables, rewearing and reusing. The red carpet doesn’t have to be the place for seen-once, wear-once items. We can begin to build a different message, create a different movement from the bottom up. And, if we want our women and girls to enjoy our wonderful planet, as we have, we owe it to them to protect and preserve the environment and one another.

3. We can create a different set of aspirations for the market. Wouldn’t it be amazing for “slow fashion” to be adopted by consumers everywhere? We have to find our voice and lobby those with an “influencer” status. I believe it’s important for everyone to speak up and speak out at every opportunity they have. I will always encourage talking about the impacts of our industry and the positive ways we can effect change. Whether your style is campaigning, or using your own social media platforms, or endorsing someone else, or simply being the example, once we, as women in the industry, collectively make a change, we can change the landscape forever.

4. We can educate the next generation of consumers. Without a shadow of a doubt, my late father had an eternal impact on me. As a child he taught me to ‘always have time to stop and smell the roses’. He would often take me to a local rose garden where there were over 100 different varieties of roses, a spectrum of colour in bloom. Their perfumed scent in the air, particularly in that golden hour of light in the afternoon, was magical and almost hypnotic. That rose garden is the inspiration for Freya Rose and I will always be grateful that he encouraged me to be mindful and thankful for every waking moment, to stop and appreciate beauty and to treat our world and one another kindly and with respect. When it comes to effecting change, it starts at home, with our children, just like my father did with me. No change is too small, no message is insignificant. The groundswell of many individual voices for positive change can bring about something incredible and by doing so, we protect our planet and its resources for future generations.

5. We can invest into the causes which are closest to our heart. Many of us are in the unique position of being able to give back in some way. I have recently launched a new initiative that supports the indigenous craftsmen and women in Indonesia by investing in the training of the next generation of jewellers to preserve these skilled ancestral techniques. Committed to giving back, I have also built charity into my own enterprise since its inception. We gave 100% profit from our 'Luna' design to Together for Short Lives charity and we donated over £2,000 of products to NHS workers during the Covid pandemic, as well as offering a discount for NHS brides.