In 2016 I started my Always Wear Red fashion business.
But I didn’t like it.
Not my business.
I liked my business.
I just didn’t like fashion.
Unfashion.
So.
Eventually.
I made Always Wear Red everything that fashion isn't.
Unfashion, if you like.
1. No two pieces are the same.
2. Every piece is hand knitted. Nothing is automated.
3. Hand knitted scarves and jumpers heavier than any you'll ever have worn before.
4. Gender neutral.
5. One size(ish). Some a little bigger. Some a little smaller.
6. Designs are classic, simple and seasonless. Yet 'stand-out' at the same time.
7. Everything is made from just one, very expensive, world-class ingredient.
8. Making was really, really slow. And each piece by just one hand knitter. Each piece took an average of 12 months to hand knit and finish.
9. Waste is true-zero. Everything we ever hand knitted is in the collection. Even the very first, perfectly imperfect prototypes.
10. Made by a small team of hand knitters in England or Scotland.
11. All our hand knitters were paid up to double industry norms.
12. Almost every piece has been 'preemptively hand-darned'. Knitters inspected each piece and predicted where they'd most likely fail in the future. Then hand-darned and re-enforced them.
13. Visible hand-darning only. Hand-darning is beautiful. So we hand-darned red on black. Or black on red.
14. We made 50. That's it. We won't ever make more.
15. As much as adore each piece, and shed a tear each time one of the 50 leaves us, we are more excited about you wearing it, than us making it. So if you don't wear it as much as you thought, we'll help you sell it to someone that will.
16. We don't keep all the money. 15% of all sales goes here.
Always Wear Red - The Story Behind The Story
Life's short.
So we made something that.
When you wear it.
It slows you down.
It calms you.
It encourages you to take more downtime.
To spend time with those who matter most.
Doing what matters most.
Always Wear Red is hand knits that hug you.
Self-care you wear.
For your downtime.
Because downtime isn't something to squeeze into this tiny, 1000-month life of ours.
Downtime is life.