Meet The Founder Of This Fun, Sustainable Brand

We wanted to create something that did more good than bad. Damson Madder was founded at a time when the spotlight on the environmental impact of the industry was growing rapidly and consumers had started interrogating all the bad practice going on behind the scenes – it was a real wake up call. I knew I wanted to stay in the fashion industry, but certain parts of my work were becoming quite soul destroying and the impact undeniable. Then I had a moment of clarity – I could choose to do better, to be better and to do things differently if I did them myself. 

Ethical fashion and design are at the forefront of the brand. Back when we started out, there just weren't that many brands offering unique and exciting designs that had been made ethically or sustainably. We started working with different recycled and organic fabric bases and experimenting with natural dyes. While we were testing out colours, some of our favourites were called ‘Damson’ (plum) and ‘Madder’ (flower) – and so the business was born.

Ultimately our purpose was, and is, to make a difference. We launched in April 2020, just one week before the first Covid lockdown. It was tough, but we’ve always taken a global perspective when it comes to inspiration and design, which is why we had such an incredible response to the first collection – it resonated with so many people. 

Innovation, sustainability, and style are three words that best describe the brand. They just translate into everything we do. We really focus on circular design, innovative fabrics and washing techniques and, as mentioned, sustainability is core to our business. Every garment has different sustainable attributes depending on the style. It should also go without saying that everything is ethically sourced, too. We use recycled polyester and cotton within our collections – the former is made from plastic bottles taken from coastlines and landfill and the cotton is recycled from textile waste. Our packaging is recycled and recyclable, too. But we don’t claim to be perfect. Instead, we’re always transparent with our materials and processes, and are always striving to do better. 

Bigger isn’t always better. Being a small business, it can be a challenge to keep up, so we try not to get swept up in the buzzwords, but focus on constantly evolving and developing how we work. We create all our collections in small batches to reduce overproduction – buying between 50-350 units of each line. Keeping it this way ensures there’s minimal waste.

Our denim fabrics are 100% biodegradable. Throughout our denim collections, we’ve replaced harmful chemicals in our finishing processes with newer technologies for sustainable washing effects. In addition, mono materials further elevate our circular design principles – making all of these garments more easily recyclable.