November’s edition of the LANX Proper People blog saw Lily head to the village of Withnell, situated at the foot of the beautiful Pennine Moors, right here in Lancashire. We were set to meet with Paula from Withnell Studio, a small business that we have partnered with before, using each other’s products on shoots over the past few years.
A CUPPA TEA AND A BISCUIT
After arriving outside a quaint semi-detached house on an unassuming road and initially thinking the sat nav had done us a dirty, we were greeted with a huge smile as Paula popped her head out of her garage come studio and waved us in. Once inside, cuppa in hand, the chatting commenced with the first topic of conversation being Paula’s lovely LANX Reed boots in Bottle Green, perfectly paired with one of her own Dorothy dresses. A staple autumnal look according to Paula.
CLOTHING DESIGNED WITH MEANING
Paula went on to give us an overview of Withnell Studio and what she does. Describing her business as a ‘slow fashion brand’, meaning her pieces aren’t mass produced. In fact, far from it, Paula is a one-man band, meticulously hand making each and every piece herself to order. Heavily inspired by the wild landscapes of the surrounding moors, Paula’s pieces are designed with a soft tonal palette, enriched with subtle details and many are named after members of her own family, past and present. As we mentioned above the dress Paula was wearing is named ‘Dorothy’. Dorothy being Paula’s mother, her namesake is a cotton corduroy shirt dress; practical, useful and made to last. (With pockets too!)
CONSCIOUS FASHION
As a keen sewer herself Lily’s eyes lit up when Paula offered to show us her several sewing machines; one industrial, one domestic and an overlocker she has had since she was 18, that is still going strong to this day. When Paula says she is a conscience fashion brand she really means it, sourcing natural fabrics, that are often organic, from reputable sources while supporting UK manufacturers and merchants wherever she can.
SUPPORTING LOCAL CRAFT
With Paula’s strong belief and commitment to craftsmanship she was the perfect fit for our Proper People blog. Be sure to follow Withnell Studio and you might even spot some more product swapping in the near future.
PROPER PEOPLE BLOG BY LANX
We’re a bunch of Proper People here at LANX HQ and we’d like to shine a spotlight on fellow good’ens in the local area. Interesting people doing interesting things! If they’re Lancashire based, even better, but we might stray to Cumbria or Yorkshire on the odd occasion.
