By Keziah Reed
UrbanMade is an ethical and sustainable fashion brand, pioneered and created by UCA Epsom fashion graduate Abidah Begum. It specialises in creating timeless, minimalist staple pieces designed for everyday use. Working with materials including denim, canvas and corduroy, Abidah works to ensure every collection is unique and limited, consistently using material that is carefully and ethically sourced, and unlikely to exist in large quantities. This means that each Urbanmade customer can rest assure that their order has been handmade with care, with a strong unlikelihood of a duplicate being produced due to the one-off nature of each collection.
I spoke to Abidah about her thoughts on sustainability, colour palettes and material choices. It quickly became clear that she operates on a principle of using only what she needs; a waste-not-want-not mentality. This strong zero-waste approach exemplifies UrbanMade’s commitment to sustainable fashion.
This interview was a refreshing insight into the development of a small fashion company, and I’m excited to see how UrbanMade continues to grow. Read on to learn more about UrbanMade’s journey so far, and where it’s headed in the future.
In your own words, what and who is UrbanMade? If you had to explain UrbanMade’s core principles, ethos, and identity to a new customer, what would you say?
UrbanMade is a sustainable and ethical brand created by me, Abidah. My core principle is to create beautiful and durable pieces that can be worn throughout the years and in any season. I also like using deadstock fabric for some of my collections, and if I am to buy new fabric, I purchase it in a small quantity so there’s less to no waste.
Tell us about your own journey in fashion design so far! (The face behind the brand)
My name is Abidah and I graduated from UCA Epsom in 2020 with a degree in Fashion. After graduating, like many people I started looking for a degree related job but due to covid it became impossible and so I started my small business using all the skills I learnt at uni. I also got a job in 2021 as a design assistant to Robyn Lynch, a London based fashion designer. And from my role as a design assistant I am learning so many skills that I hadn’t learnt at uni which I get to transfer to my small business.
What motivated you to start an independent fashion business? Was it something you always wanted to do?
Whilst at uni I would always think about starting my own small business but I never had the courage to do so but I feel like not being able to get a job in 2020 after graduating was a blessing in disguise because that finally gave me a reason and courage to start making and selling my work.
So far, you’ve designed, handmade and sold collections of bags, bucket hats, hair scrunchies, and face masks. Do you anticipate designing attire at some point in the future?
For Summer 2021 I plan to release my first pieces of clothing which I designed for my graduate collection and since then I have developed the designs to add it to my small business.
Looking over your recent releases, the majority of UrbanMade’s colour palette consists of neutral, earthy tones. What drives this choice in colours?
I started my small business with fabric that was supposed to be for my graduate collection, and due to covid I couldn’t use it so I decided to put it to use when I started my small business. And since then I bounce off of the colours that I started with and now earthy tones has become my signature.
In light of covid-19, this past year has been very challenging, especially for small and independent businesses. How has the pandemic affected UrbanMade – have there been any highs or lows?
Covid has been an advantage to my small business, due to everyone being at home because of national lockdowns, a lot of people were buying things online, and especially during Christmas there was a boom in people buying gifts from small businesses and that played in my favour.
Tell us about your own fashion sense – what are your favourite pieces to wear; your wardrobe stables? Does your own sense of style impact your designs for UrbanMade?
My own style heavily impacts my design style, I don’t wear bright colours, I stick to neutrals and dark tones such as black, navy and brown and when i’m shopping for fabric, those are the colours that I am attracted to. In terms of what I sell, I love tote bags and own 10+ tote bags from different places, they’re such a staple to everyday life and any wardrobe so that’s why I decided to make my own.
A lot of UrbanMade’s designs are comprised of corduroy or denim, and we’ve seen there are upcoming products utilising canvas, too. Do you have a preference for the materials you work with? How do the different material properties affect different pieces – i.e. their design, shape, durability etc?
I love comfortable fabrics such as cotton, and there are various types of cotton which I have used, such as corduroy, denim and now canvas. I feel like cotton is easy to sew and work with, they’re not fussy under the sewing machine and also because the cottons I use are heavy which makes them durable, meaning they’ll last a very long time which is my end goal with the pieces I sell.
With the rise of fast-fashion brands selling clothes for stunningly low prices, sustainability and ethical awareness within the fashion industry is as important as ever. What are your views on sustainability in fashion – do you try to incorporate it into UrbanMade’s ethos and your work?
I try to be as sustainable as possible in my small business, I use deadstock fabric which is usually end of roll or designer fabric which hasn’t been used. I also use new fabric from fabric shops and I usually buy it in a small quantity so there is no or less waste. Since beginning my small business, I have always been a made to order brand which means none of my fabric goes to waste and I make the order as soon as it comes in, and recently I have been trying to do small quantities as ready made to save me time, this is still sustainable as I only do a limited amount so eventually everything ends up getting sold. I try to also be sustainable with my packaging, everything can be recycled, the box the order comes in, the kraft paper it is wrapped in, the thank you card and even the tape and sticker that I use can be recycled.
Are there any other small fashion businesses that have captured your eye recently?
Recently I have been loving a small business called @manners.made on instagram, they are also an accessory brand and I have bought a small pouch from them before which I always have in my everyday tote bag. I love the materials they use and I love how it is also a female run small business who hand makes everything they sell.
For our readers who are keen to start their own small fashion business, do you have any advice or words of wisdom?
Just go for it, it seems scary at first because you don’t know if people will buy or support what you do but when you start believing in your craft, the support will be astounding and it all becomes worth it in the end.
How do you hope UrbanMade will continue to grow in the future – what’s your ideal trajectory?
I hope to grow and carry on as I am, eventually moving on to clothes but still making accessories because that is what I started with and I want to keep that in the range. And slowly but surely make everything that I design. I also hope that I can make my small business my full time job, I think that’s my biggest dream at the moment.
You can follow UrbanMade’s journey by following it on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_urbanmadelondon/
Or by supporting its Etsy page: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/urbanmadelondon/
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