Working out of her London home, denim consultant, designer and 2020 Rivet 50 nominee Claire Ford just finished the Spring/Summer ’21 jeans collection for U.K. fashion brand Reiss, and is putting the next steps in place for her other gig as designer for Outland Denim.
The global team behind the Australia-based, Cambodia-manufactured jeans brand is taking a pause from their usual pace to reevaluate what they want from their products, she said.
Ford recently sat down with Rivet to offer a look at how sustainability will remain a top priority even as the brands she designs for work their way out of the pandemic crisis.
Though traveling to Cambodia is off limits for now, and small, everyday tasks like receiving samples in the mail can be a challenge, Ford said working during a pandemic and having to rely on feedback from those on the ground is improving her understanding of knowing exactly what she wants.
It’s a rare opportunity for Ford and the socially and environmentally conscious brand to slow down and respond to the coronavirus crisis in a considered and strategic way.
“We’re looking at what we can react to straight away within our core product and also looking at what other product categories we can work on as well,” Ford said. “It’s been an interesting time working with the pattern team and really focusing down on how do we improve every single product we’re sending out to market.”
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