'She's Eclectic' We talk to Magpie Vintage founder Alice Lockspeiser.
PHOTOS_ Julia Kennedy, STYLE_ Natalie Read
MAKE UP AND HAIR_ Alexis Day using Antipodes, Gen See & Davines, TALENT_ Hannah Thatcher @ Select
ALL CLOTHES_ Magpie Vintage
Sustainable Seven. Q&A_ With Alice Lockspeiser of eco conscious fashion label Magpie Vintage.
We loved this brand so much from our shoot ‘It’s a girl thing’ that we decided we should do a whole feature.
“Tell us about your brand and how you got started?”
So I started Magpie Vintage as a vintage clothing business about 12 years ago, selling at markets around London. I had to source and pick everything that we sell and we’ve grown and established ourselves as a true, premium vintage store with several shops in London. Over the years I’ve collected vintage fabrics but never known exactly what to do with them, so when the pandemic hit and the shops closed, I had some time to work with them and I made a patchwork jumpsuit from one of the quilts. I’m obsessed with vintage clothes and the aesthetic and I’ve always wanted to extend my love into creating new from old. There are SO many incredible fabrics and textiles that are generally outdated for modern interiors, but are way too good to be sat around wasting away in someones cupboard or attic. Im passionate about sustainable clothing (in a sexy, non hemp way haha) and wanting to offer fashion that comes from landfill, not adding to it.
“Who is your typical customer?”
We have customers from all over the world, spanning ages from 18 - 65, which makes me SO happy to be providing timeless, ageless clothes for anyone that wants to dress to be happy. A few of our customers have feedback that whenever they wear Magpie Vintage, they are stopped throughout the day and complimented on their outfits.
I think anyone who wants to stand out from the crowd and isn’t shy of being stopped would love our clothes!
“What are the biggest challenges you have had to face and how did you overcome them?”
I think our biggest challenge is and will always be, having to compete with big fashion giants that greenwash and sell ’sustainable clothing’ for very cheap prices. We price things in a very transparent structure, with everything hand made by us from our North London studio, we don’t; just believe in ethical fashion in an environmental way, but also that our talented team are paid a fair and living wage, and have a happy and positive environment to work in.
I totally see it from a consumers perspective when there’s a shirt online from a mass market brand for £35 and we sell ours for £250, however there is no way for that shirt to have been made in an ethical or eco conscious way and be priced anywhere close to something that low.
So I do think justifying our prices has been quite tricky for us.
“What are your thoughts on sustainability across the fashion industry?”
I think in general it’s great that there’s a genuine awareness and curiosity now from consumers wanting to know where their goods are made. This has put big retailers in the spotlight and forced them to have to make some systematic change in the way they operate.
However I believe that many companies are seeing it as ‘fashionable’ to be sustainable.
I would therefore question their driving force as well as their processes and ethics. It simply isn’t possible to create sustainable clothing and pay your workers a fair and living wage if you are selling your products for dirt cheap prices so I do also think the standards agencies have a lot to answer for with allowing companies to stamp ‘organic’ and ’sustainable’ on their garments when in reality it might be that just 10% of the cotton used for that particular piece was in fact ‘organic.’ I could probably talk about this for far too long - I guess my round up would be, that in general I think its great that for the most part, people want to buy more sustainably and are now being more careful and conscious with where they choose to spend their hard earned money. This has led to a great few years for small, independent brands allowing them to grow and flourish so I really hope that continues.
“What advice would you give a small brand about making their business sustainable?”
I would say that no one is 100% sustainable, even just sending an email has a carbon footprint, so don’t beat yourself up if you’re making changes and learning as you go. Be open and transparent with your customers, honesty goes a long way and is intertwined with being a sustainable, ethical brand.
“If you could change one thing about the fashion industry what would it be and why?”
I’ve only ever worked within the fashion industry for myself, so I haven’t experienced too much of it, but I know that it can be a pretty intimidating environment and lots of people are over worked and under paid, so the treatment of the people that work within the industry would be the first thing I would hope to see change.
“What are your dream goals for Magpie Vintage and where do you see the brand in 5 years time?”
There’s a small team of us and we’re all really excited for where Magpie is headed - everyone is as passionate as each other about wanting to create positive change within the fashion industry - its so nice to work in a space where everyone has the same goal and enthusiasm for getting there.
Visit the Magpie Vintage online store for a collection of made to order and one off pieces. You need to touch these pieces to feel the love that has gone into each. All items are made in their London studio and take between 5 and 12 hours to make.
To see and try on in person, visit one of their stores_ Magpie Vintage, Camden Passage, Angel and Brick Lane Vintage Stall in the Truman Brewery, Brick Lane.