Rani Jones is the brainchild of designers Rani Patel and Lucy Jones. While it seems that eco-friendly fashion should be an oxymoron, these designers have managed to meld the two to create a collection that is as fashion-forward as it is socially responsible. Their clothes are sharp, inspired by geometry, and the of the type that can punch up your everyday wardrobe. Read ahead to see how these two designers came to create their unique label, and then let me you what YOU think!
—Rebecca Suhrawardi Austin
Can you tell me a bit about your background and how the two of you became a designers?
We both feel that dressing up and make believe played a huge part in both of our childhoods. We had vivid imaginations from a very young age and so design was inherent in both of us whilst growing up. We graduated in different years, both with First Class Honours in BA Fashion Design from the London College of Fashion, by April 2008 the rani jones label was born.
How would you best describe your label?
Rani Jones is a London based eco-luxury womenswear label. Our designs are based on simplifying and modifying conventional pattern cutting techniques to create strong geometric shapes. This approach combined with our exacting attention to detail produces innovative, progressively designed womenswear and accessories.
I'm curious as to why you went the partnership route rather than to start your own independent labels?
We met a year and a half ago whilst designing for the same company and realised that we had similar beliefs and styles of working. Past work experiences opened our eyes to the reality of fast fashion, we had spent time in India, sourcing materials and working with factories and it became apparent to us that our focus had to be on slower fashion. The partnership developed naturally due to our close working relationship.
The cornerstone of the Rani Jones brand is social responsibility and eco-friendliness. Does staying true to that ever interfere with the final design of a garment?
The Rani Jones philosophy challenges pre-conceived thoughts about ethical/environmental fashion, to prove that great design can be enhanced by an eco-approach. We incorporate socially responsible principles and eco-sourcing throughout all decision making processes. Of course this can be quite limiting but it can also be very exciting as due to our research being much more in depth and considered, it can lead us to discover fantastic fabrics etc and things that we wouldn't have come across otherwise.
What sort of woman do you envision wearing your clothes?
The Rani Jones woman is independent and stylish, edgy and sophisticated.
What sort of inspiration did you pull from for this current collection?
Geometry is the basis for all Rani Jones designs with main inspiration derived from Brutalism. The Brutalist architectural style sees buildings formed with striking repetitive angles to give a raw unadorned concrete appearance. We take the rough blocky Brutalist aesthetic and transform it into something that speaks of luxury-resulting in beautifully constructed wearable garments that retain a sexy feminine edge.
What do you think makes London so special as a fashion capital?
London encourages very expressive, creative fashion which is supported by the amazing fashion colleges which are here. London as a city is saturated in history and has an amazing cultural diversity and so is always bursting with inspiration.
What advice would you give to aspiring designers?
We absolutely support and encourage any avenues that allow people to be creative, generate and share their ideas. Make the most of your surroundings and never take things for granted.
See more at ranijones.com
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