Carla Diogo has spent the morning putting the finishing touches to her latest timeless pieces – and making around 40 scrunchies.
The work comes ahead of the launch of her autumn/winter collection and celebration of her fashion label as it marks its one year anniversary. While the scrunchies ensure that she uses up every scrap of fabric so that nothing goes to waste.
“I’m so inspired by Bristol itself, it is such a sustainable city,” says the designer and maker about the sustainable ethos at the heart of her brand.
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“It’s very much about recycling, reusing and I want to be part of that as well – let’s all be part of that.”
It’s a year since Carla launched her own fashion label, showcasing her trademark ‘scallop collar’ shirts, as well as other pieces, all designed to be worn day to day but each lovingly made to order from the highest quality, sustainable fabrics.
She will be marking the occasion with the autumn/ winter collection launch at Native Vine, just opposite her studio on Church Road.
“I’m excited and nervous at the same time,” says Carla, speaking to Bristol24/7 on the day of the launch over coffee in the Red Church.
“It’s just always a bit nerve wracking, showing people what you’ve done. But I’m proud of everything I’ve done so far.”
“A lot of work has gone into it. It’s a small collection, or a collection of separate pieces so that you can then mix and match with items you already own.”
Carla, who also co-owns Two Six Four on Church Road, is launching her new autumn/ winter collection – photo: Martin Booth
After school, Carla completed a BTech in fashion and clothing at the London College of Fashion before going on to do tailoring courses, where she says she learnt the majority of the skills she now uses.
The designer, who lives in St George also co-owns Two Six Four on Church Road, runs free ‘mend and repair’ sewing workshops at Easton Community Centre and in the Bethesda Methodist Church below her studio.
This, she says, is the most affordable way of creating sustainable fashion and it’s a joy for her to work with people in the community who want to learn to sew.
A pattern cutter by trade, Carla says she has seen first hand the amount that can go to waste.
Determined to be an antidote to fast fashion and waste, the designer carefully selects fabrics, many of which are ‘dead stock fabrics’ that would otherwise have gone to waste.
The beauty of this is it makes each piece more unique because it is made from small amounts of good quality fabric.
Going back to the new collection, Carla adds: “Everything that I made was inspired by the everyday. Bristol’s inspiring, we’re so close to all these outdoor spaces. Just walking through St George Park, it’s hard to not look up at the trees and not be awed. I want my clothing to kind of blend into that.”
As for the future, Carla says she is keen to scale back the amount she’s doing and possibly look at collaborating with other Bristol creatives.
“I’m not trying to make 100 items a month, it’s all about keeping things small and manageable,” she tells Bristol24/7.
“And perhaps maybe in the future, it would be great to collaborate with other independent designer makers. It would be nice to branch out and see what can be made in print as well. That could be quite exciting.”
Main photo: Carla Diogo
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