You are what you wear
I love finding new labels, especially ones that are designed in Cork and by someone who I have known and respected in the Irish fashion industry for a number of years.
The creator behind YAWUW, Angela O'Donnell is an award winning designer and business woman, with 6 years education and 15 plus years experience in the fashion industry.
She launched YAWUW, an acronym for You Are What U Wear, with the sole purpose of designing and producing collections that are made from 100% sustainable textiles, are ethically produced and leave little impact on our environment.
An innovative fashion tech startup with a different type of business model, designing and producing A/W and S/S athleisure wear collections to buyers in line with fashion week and also producing in-house limited edition collections.
The A/W and S/S collections will be produced by their strong manufacturing partners abroad and the limited edition collections will be made right here in Cork. A/W and S/S collections are shown twice a year and are in development for up to 6 months in advance.
So, by producing limited edition collections that are made in Cork, O'Donnell says it allows the team to be continuously creative from month to month, offering their customers something new and exclusive between seasons and also create jobs in our field.
YAWUW recently launched their first limited edition collection of jackets, gilets and hats. The main textile of this collection is 100% organic cotton, the lining of the pieces is made from 100% recycled polyester; even the clothing labels are made from 100% recycled polyester!
They only have 20 metres in each colour, black, ivory and grey, making them quite exclusive pieces for your wardrobe.
This limited edition collection is made-to-order. They chose to not pre-make the collection because by operating in this way, it ensures their customers can order the size they want and there is no waste.
For example, if they made an even number of pieces in all available sizes but the customers just wanted a medium or large than the left over sizes would be wasted and another customer would miss the opportunity to order what they wanted.
There are only a few clothing designers in Ireland operating full time businesses with some or all of their production made here in Ireland. Angela is adamant about building an innovative hub in Cork of skilled artisans to build out this arm of the business and has already begun recruitment.
As Angela says: “There is a value in craftsmanship and tailoring is an art form.”
It’s really quite special to be able to order something and have it made right here in Cork and would make such a special piece in your wardrobe or would make a wonderful gift for someone.