Slow Love

I spoke to the wonderful people at Slow Living Magazine about my design inspiration and the in's and out's or sustainable production. 

Sampling featuring our studio kitty cat Louis :)

Elle Evans produces sustainable, low-impact swimwear for those who care about fashion and the future.

Elle Evans Swimwear began when at age four I took a pair of worn out bathers -handed down through older cousins and sisters and now destined for the rag bin- and made a one-piece for my doll Anna.

I have no clear memory of learning how to hand sew, I like to think it was simply in my blood. My Grandmother –Granny Evans- was a seamstress in her time and my mother learnt the tricks of the rag trade through her. Growing up around both of them I simply absorbed it. What stays with me most –of all they have taught me- is the meticulous patience they showed in sewing, knitting and creating and how that bond between maker and garment strengthens when you take your time, and go slow.

I founded Elle Evans on the principle that slower is better, that taking time to be hands-on means appreciating each piece I create. When you involve yourself with each offshoot of the design you care about its life cycle; you want to know where it came from and where it’s going, you start to concern yourself with it’s effect on the world.

I have a hand in every swimsuit I produce, whether it’s simply cutting the fabric, sewing it together or stitching in the final label, handling each swimsuit individually reminds me that each one has an impact and that I am responsible for its entire lifecycle.

The lifecycle of an Elle Evans swimsuit begins with an idea. The spark for a collection can come from almost anything, but I usually begin with a shape. I’ll start with sketching a human figure and then let my subconscious take over sketching without really paying attention; a line here, a frill there. My latest collection began with two intersecting circles –an eclipse. From there each design took on something celestial; crescent moons, circular patterns, until I was simply sketching the craters of the moons surface over a design. That became the inspiration for my print and for the name of the collection; ‘Lunascape’.

To make my swimwear as sustainable a possible I use only post consumer waste fabrics, which in essence are remnants, discarded by bigger companies that would otherwise go to landfill. Fabricating a collection using sustainable fabrics is much like baking a cake with out a recipe; you have a vague idea of what you want it to look like but you’ll be largely influenced by the contents of your pantry. Walking into my fabric suppliers’ warehouse I let the colours define the collection rather than the other way round.

Fabric is not the only thing that goes into making a swimsuit of course. As Elle Evans grows so do my efforts in keeping the company low-impact. My swimsuit patterns and the cutting out of each product are specifically designed to end up with minimum fabric waste. As washing and drying is most environmentally harmful part of a garments life I sew instructive washing labels into each pair of Elle Evans swimsuits to help reduce unnecessary energy consumption as the swimsuit enters its next stage of life full of pools, beaches, rivers, sun and sand.

I believe everybody that loves the water can love their swimsuit too. That every body that tries on a pair of Elle Evans bathers ought to feel relaxed and confident and look amazing. No two bodies are the same shape and I take pride and inspiration in that; my designs are meant for real human bodies in real shapes and sizes, created not to cover up but to show off each woman’s unique contours. I give my customers the option of a customised fit that really and truly works for their bodies. (Want a one-piece that fits your size 12 hips and size 14 bust? We do that.) Part of ensuring that each swimsuit has a long life is making sure it fits and flatters.

I do all I can to ensure that my swimsuits have a story I can be proud of, that each one comes from humble beginnings to live a long life that leaves little impact on the environment and that endures being passed down to younger cousins and sisters for many years to come.