I just love Phoebe English’s approach to fashion. Her label, established in 2011, is closely aligned with the fast fashion movement, showing a tireless commitment to sustainable, circular design. She blends textile craftsmanship with a personal narrative delicately balancing the decorative and the utilitarian. The result? Visionary collections that pave the way for sustainable fashion.
Phoebe English honed her craft at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design in London, earning both her BA and MA in Fashion Design with Knitwear. Under the guidance of the esteemed Louise Wilson, Phoebe's practice developed a focus on constructed textiles, culminating in the award of the L'Oreal Professional Prize upon graduation. Her commitment to sustainability has earned the studio numerous accolades, including the Marie Claire Sustainability Award for Best Sustainable Designer Brand (2022) and the Fashion Awards Leader of Change for Environment Honouree (2021).
The PHOEBE ENGLISH Studio's work is featured in prestigious collections, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York, the V&A fashion collection in London, and the National Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh. The studio's creations have been showcased in global exhibitions, including "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" at The Met and "Waste Age: What Can Waste Do?" at the Design Museum in London. In 2017, the studio's archive was celebrated in a live event for the V&A Fashion in Motion series, cementing Phoebe English's reputation as a visionary in sustainable fashion.
I chose her pieces as her design ethos and values mirror those of Fashion Space. Investing in her garments is not only supporting a more sustainable fashion industry but you are buying the vintage fashion of the future. These items are created using small-scale production methods, working with local craftsmen and using sustainably produced textiles to create limited-run collections designed to be as functional as they are fashionable.