The Hive of Antiform

When I arrive at Re-Made in Leeds one unseasonably hot day in March it all appears quiet on the surface. Lizzie greats me at the door with a huge hug and we march on through to the kitchen where she has a plethora of tea to choose from. I dish out some chocolate brownies (donated from the WI) and we sit down at her pattern cutting table.

It’s a hot day, we are supping our tea and there is a bloke fitting the floor. “Are you having your floor fitted? Does he want a drink?” I ask, pointing at the bloke who is lying excruciatingly close to the rung near the door. “Nooo…” Lizzie replies, laughing, “He’s a local artist – he’s sketching the rug!” And with that the bloke pops off the rug, waves adios to Lizzie and exits the shop.

Then the office phone starts going, a lady comes in to pick her jeans up which have been mended, Lizzie’s mobile starts bleeping with texts pouring in. Lizzie is one lady in demand and it’s not hard to see why – it seems the phrase ‘fingers in pies’ was invented with her in mind. Re-made in Leeds is a social enterprise, not for profit organisation which has an educational campaign structure. They facilitate Clothes Swaps (where numbers can exceed 100), Workshops and other awesome events. They collect ripped tights for recycling and old bras to give to charities abroad. Out of the Re-Made Building also comes the Antiform brand.

I came across Antiform when I was researching ethical, locally sourced clothes for a client in Yorkshire. I was blown away by the styling – ethically made clothes styled in a way which you would actually aspire to wear. An impressive 75% of all Anti-form clothes are made on site by local seamstresses and the other 25% are made in homes and businesses within 20 miles of the main factory. The materials are sourced from local factories – rolls of off cuts are stored in the Re-Made warehouse. Want to know where the material for their A/W12 collection has come from? The same factory knitting fabric for none other than Victoria Beckham, new darling of world fashion.

Each camp (Re-Made and Antiform) gives volunteers and interns the opportunity to get involved. And it is achingly cool. Remember that issue of Elle which was full of ethical brands but the styling was appalling? Lizzie does, “I don’t see why ethical brands stand their models next to trees looking soppy. We wanted to show a whole new way of doing things: that ethical can be just as stylish, just as on-trend as the mass produced stuff.”  And there are no trees in sight – the colours, the styling, the model, the location - all scream fashion and are styled by Lucy Harvey, the Ethical Stylist. The clothes are designed in accordance with the seasons, not 6 months ahead like other brands do, “We are trying to slow the fashion industry down versus the speed of the fashion industry proper. Our range depends on what materials are available to us from our suppliers.” Sold both wholesale and retail, this approach has seen the brand trade over 2 successful years to date.

So why Leeds? Lizzie downs her tea “We are sold this amazing lie that fashion only exists in New York and London but you can be fashion – it doesn’t matter where you live and it doesn’t matter what money you spend: just buy something from a charity shop and rip it up! Experiment! I wanted to prove that a successful label can exist outside of London, that a fashion supply chain can work in Leeds.” With 9 stockists of Antiform including stockists in London, Bristol, Glasgow and Spain, it shows that her wish is her command.

How to Shop at H&M

As you may have worked out if you stop by here regularly I talk about H&M a LOT. I love H&M. Love, Love, Love H&M. I hold my hands up – my allegiance has been noted. I worked there for over 3years and I love the brand, the company and the clothes.

But it wasn’t always like that. Previously to working for them I HATED shopping in there. I owned 1 thing (a navy blue long sleeve top) from them. Purely because I didn’t understand how they laid their shops out and who their target customer was. But once I started working for them I was hooked. And I still am. I could spend hours in there.

More than half the women who have come to The Wardrobe Angel for a touch of my wardrobe magic hate shopping at H&M but once I have explained the different labels on offer there they are converted. Well, not to the same obsessive level I am but at least they have the confidence to shop there now.

So, let’s do this! H&M. Explained.

Women at H&M:

1.       Divided Black and Divided Red – the colour of the mannequins is bright, the prints are garish and the styling is a bit ‘out there’. Some shops lead in with this range (Leeds) but this depends on their target market. Targeting the teenagers among, the Divided Black range can be wonderfully weird, the Divided Red range is more casual with a proliferation of hoodies and denim.

2.       H&M – your basic range showcasing styles that are far from ‘safe’ but not exactly cutting edge. Used to be called ‘Hennes’. Most shops lead in with this range (Manchester).

3.       Modern Classic – great for suiting and classic styles of clothes.

4.       Trend – Only stocked in super awesome shops (Manchester). It has a tendency to move around on the shopfloor as it is a small department. Heavily trend lead, you can always get the latest on-trend items from this section. Last time I checked it has a beige label.

5.       LOGG – For all you comfort seekers out there this range contains the joggers and sweatpants.

6.       LOGG SPORT – a bit more hard-core, this range even has sports bras and items suitable for a spot of yoga.

7.       Shoes and accessories – Absolutely great for costume style jewellery. On-trend and chic as hell.

 Any questions? You know where to find me. Til next time...x

How to complain...and get a result

We all love a good moan about bad service we have received. When that person behind the cash desk just won't go that extra mile and you leave the shop feeling mightily pissed off ALL your friends, family, colleagues suddenly get to hear about it. It's well documented that when we receive bad service we readily tell 8 people but if we have good service we keep quiet about it.

After 7 years of working on the shop floor and being a shopper these are some tips I use to complain and get a result:

1. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS write to Head Office if you are displeased. If you ask to speak to a manager on the shop floor they will deal with you there and then. You'll get an 'I'm very sorry' but if you are really genuinely upset about service in the shop the apology just won't wash.
2. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS write to Head Office if you are displeased. Now I have written this twice (and in CAPITALS no less) you will see its importance. I said WRITE. Not email. I always write. A letter shows you have taken the time to put pen to paper, to think about you want to say and write it in a logical and well thought out argument. An email can be dashed off in a hurry, a letter is a demonstration of your commitment to the complaint.
3. So what do you write? I always start by praising the company. You must love the shop a little bit to have been shopping in there in the first place. Tell them WHY you love them - the quality of clothes, the depth of product, the music they play. Everyone LOVES a compliment and retailers are no different.
4. After you've laid down the love, list the complaints - the member of staff was rude, your item on hold was sold to someone else, you can never find what you are looking for, how you were made to feel. Be as specific as possible but don't go overboard. Get your point across and tell the truth.
5. In the letter tell the retailer which shop you were in, which location, and the time. Service provided by retailers can vary widely depending on the time of day and how busy the shop is. Plus, if Head Office follow up your complaint with the store the manager will be able to pinpoint which staff were giving poor service. This is why you must tell the truth; if the member of staff you name and shame says you were rude to them, and you fail to mention this is your letter, the egg is on your face my friend.
6. Wish the retailer well - think of the letter as a complaint sandwich: love/complaint/love. Always include your address and phone number.

Let me know how you get on. Til next time ...x