About
Sister Loves is a new platform, brand and creative community. Sister Loves has designed a series of original collections, established collaborations with artists and organisations, and created a space to host the work of emerging independent designers and creatives.
Sister Loves believes design should have integrity, it should celebrate Individuality and Authenticity. Sister Loves will feature design which transcends Seasons and Gender, and champions Craftsmanship, Considered Production and Sustainability. When establishing our brand we wanted our values to be intrinsic in everything we do.
Sister Loves takes time to consider the design process. Developing a product is a journey of experimentation; the expansion or elimination of an idea and the refinement of a design are essential steps to create something that has beauty, purpose and longevity. Sometimes it is the mistakes made along the way that most influence the finished designs.
When designing a collection, we also consider how it can connect with other Sister Loves pieces. We have built links and relationships between the Scarves, Jewellery and Bag collections. We think of our products as elements of a narrative, each piece serves to enhance or disrupt the story you create through what you wear.
Authentic designs requires the touch of the hand, as well as originality of thought. When an item loses this, and thus connection to it’s maker, it is no more than another token of manufacture. At Sister Loves we have tried to think deeply about how and why we create, taking a stand against conspicuous consumption.
Sister Loves wants to invest in creativity, and champion artists and designers. Through our collaborations and our series of Bespoke Projects, we will showcase designers and artists from diverse creative disciplines, highlighting sustainable practice and innovation. Sister Loves aims to grow a community of ‘Thinkers and Makers’, hosting Open Days for illustrators, designers, creators and artists to showcase new and undiscovered design.
WHO IS BEHIND THE BRAND
Sarah Millar and Giuseppina DeCamillo, long time friends and collaborators, have come together to develop the Sister Loves brand.
Utilising their respective experiences, and sharing ideas about the principles and ethics of fashion and design, Sister Loves has grown from an initial concept into a platform for creative ideas, unique pieces and design collaborations.
Sarah Millar
I always had a flair for making things. I used to buy fabric and design outfits and accessories or reconstruct vintage clothes into something unique to wear, often that very same evening. I am also the co-founder of digital marketing agency Sister London.
Throughout my career I have worked on projects that intersect with design, and which have celebrated the style heritage of iconic London destinations Carnaby Street and Soho. My interest in the nature of fabric itself has been furthered by working with Berwick Street, the home of many influential fabric shops, often used by fledgling designers, as well as Liberty London, and bespoke tailors in Savile Row.
I have a keen eye for future trends, attending London Fashion Week and following the global fashion cycle, I am interested by innovative design and sustainable practice. Embracing these ideas, and wanting to explore the digital and creative elements within design that I love, I decided to launch an online accessories boutique.
I first contacted my longtime friend and designer Giuseppina DeCamillo and after many creative discussions; about what design means to us, and what it could and should be in the future, we decided to combine forces to launch the label Sister loves.
There were many samples and products developed along the way, and many production issues to address in trying to follow our Design with Integrity mantra. However this hard work has resulted in the eventual Brand and Platform we have been able to create.
Giuseppina DeCamillo
Throughout my career I have explored a diversity of creative endeavours; Fashion Designer, Curator, Artist, Stylist and visiting Fashion Lecturer.
I use clothes as a central theme to explore identity; focusing on the individual and how to represent oneself within the wider world. I established the Giuseppina DeCamillo brand, which has sold internationally in UK, Italy, USA and Japan, with these ideas held at it’s core.
I co-founded the influential Academy concept store in London’s Kings Road in the early 1980’s, which helped launch the careers of many young designers. I went on to open the Doumo concept store in Newburgh Street in the late 80’s, where I sold my Womenswear, Menswear and accessories collections, while also showcasing pieces by emerging designers.
I have always followed my own path, using my authentic creative voice to challenge conventional thinking. I have developed a vision that extends beyond clothing, establishing the arts platform Preserve Your Instinct with Hiroko Tanaka in the late 90’s to push the boundaries of art and design and question how disciplines can interconnect.
More recently I have worked on bespoke commissions. The collection ‘Lifeline’ sought to reimagine the illustrative process as couture garments. Hand stitched embroidery was applied to unique architectural forms, to create dynamic shapes in motion. This collection was an interplay between art and fashion, design and craftsmanship.
The collection ‘Wild Beauty’ explored how ethics meets aesthetics, rethinking the notions of beauty and imperfection. Using fabric made from re-cycled waste fibres, this collection was designed to give creative value to what was a by-product of textile production. I created hand-stitched, otherworldly garments, de-constructing and re-constructing the composite fabric to build Perfectly Unfinished pieces.
On being approached by Sarah I wanted to develop the idea that something could be more than just a product; how each piece created could have longevity and resonance, and bare the mark of the hand. With this in mind we combined our shared values and expertise to develop the Sister Loves Brand and Creative Platform.