Let's Unfold with Our Buying Team

Say hello to Anisha & Catriona, two members of our lovely buying team. 

At This is Unfolded, our buying process is a little different (and much better) in comparison to more "traditional" retailers. We're on a bit of a journey to change the fashion industry for the better. As it stands, 30% of clothing items manufactured are never ever sold (crazy right?!), this is HUGELY damaging to our planet and isn't something we want to be a part of!

Unlike many other brands out there, we work in collaboration with our Unfolded community to make sure our collections are full of beautiful pieces that people actually want to wear and aren't produced as a result of what is ultimately, guesswork. 

A big focus for our buying team is taking initial designs to our Unfolded Creators and asking them for feedback. They then take this feedback and make decisions about the collection, whether that is killing off designs straight away, making adjustments to others, or approving the designs that have been clear winners with our community, it all comes down to your feedback! 

By designing in collaboration with our community and by making the decision to only start making our clothes after orders have been placed we're not getting involved in a process that produces clothing we think you're going to like, for a third of them to go unsold and potentially face landfill, no thank you! Instead, we produce collections that we've had rounds of feedback on & won't cost the earth. Oh and did we mention?! Each Edit sold has a real positive impact in the world, but more on that later!

We fired Anisha & Catriona over a few questions to give you a little more insight into our buying process, how we work alongside our community, style tips for Collection 01 and a sneak peek into what Collection 02 might just look like!

 

Now, Let's Unfold... 

How does our buying process differ from traditional retailers? 

Anisha: Our whole range is shaped by our customers. They influence what the range will look like from conception of shapes and prints to our final line up!

What's your fave stage of the whole buying process?

Catriona: I love the day that samples arrive! We've been looking at the CAD sketches for so long and we've seen the pieces over Zoom with the factory but the day that they arrive and you have them in your hand is so cool!

Do you have a fave piece from Collection 01?! 

Anisha: The Jo dress! I love how versatile it is.

Catriona: I'm a real dress person and I love a bit of colour so for me the Susie and Katherine are my favourites! For a casual piece, I love the quality of the Anoushka tees.

 

If you had to pick one piece from Collection 01 that could work for the office, dinner & drinks and a day of fun in the sun, what would it be?

Catriona: Good question! I love how versatile the Claire is, it would look great with a blazer for the office, I'd lose the blazer for dinner and add some statement earrings and then for a day time look it's amazing worn open over jeans and a vest.

 

Any hints as to what Collection 02 is looking like?

Anisha: We've got a couple of gorgeous linen mix styles as well as lots of new colourful prints!

Catriona: There's some really gorgeous fabrics coming into the mix for Collection 02 and there's some styles that I just can't wait to see people wearing in summer. We tested over 100 styles/colours with our Creators and have come to a great line-up. There's at least 2 shapes in our line-up that everyone said they would wear so I hope there's something for everyone!

If you could work one print into a future collection, what would it be?

Anisha: Gingham! One of my all time favourite prints, especially in a bright colour. But it's all up to the Creators! 

Catriona: As I said, I'm a big colour fan so I'd love to see a bright print on a bright base but it's all about what our Creators want to see so we only go ahead with shapes and prints if they are winners for them.

To finish up, tell us one wardrobe staple you couldn't live without?!

Anisha: An oversized blazer - I love how you can wear it with anything and it really elevates an outfit. 

Catriona: I basically live in Mom jeans at the moment with a casual top but I am looking forward to getting some more fun back in life once life is more normal and when it is I will be wearing all the summer dresses in my wardrobe. 

 

And that's a wrap on our Q&A with Anisha & Catriona! 

As we mentioned, with the savings from not overproducing our collections, we're able to have real positive impact. Each Unfolded Edit sold supports children's education in India, we've partnered with an amazing organisation, Pratham, to make this happen! Each Edit sold also makes sure we can pay garment workers better through our Unfolded Worker Fund, which is topped up after each purchase.

Read more about the story of each item in Collection 01 and how they went from sketch to sample here.