Collection 02 - A long time in the making
A lesson on when to pause and step back
Collection 02 has been a long time in the making, in fact over a year in the making. I started developing the new collection in spring of 2022. We even got as far as having samples made and shooting a look book. However in the weeks leading up to the launch I started feeling everything was being rushed and forced together. The opposite too my ethos and mission when starting Söder Studio: to create a modern wardrobe purposefully designed with integrity. I realised I needed to slow everything right down in order to get it right. So I made the difficult decision to delay the launch by a year.
Over the next year three small but significant changes happened that has helped make Collection 02 for the better.
Firstly we were able refine the designs and silhouettes. The original designs are still very much apart of this collection but with some changes. During the summer of 2022 Söder Studio participated in 6 pop-ups at Coal Drops yard selling our Smocks 01 and 02. Getting to speak directly with customers trying on our garments was the most rewarding experience. I got to hear what people liked, didn’t like or what they thought was missing. This feedback has influenced our designs for the better.
Secondly we changed the most of the fabrics in the collection. Previously most of our fabrics have been sourced from outside the UK. The spring of 2022 was a difficult time for many small businesses trying to navigate the new rules around importing due to Brexit, and this was no different for us. Being a micro size business we decided to started to look for more UK based suppliers. Now 85% of Collection 02 fabrics are from local suppliers. These suppliers are dedication to providing amazing quality and sustainable fabrics, and we’re so glad to now be working with them.
Thirdly we changed our manufacturers and our production process. It was important to us to keep manufacturing local so we started working with a wonderful London based Atelier. They have been amazing taking us on, giving support and believing in the product we’re making. We also made the decision this year to start stocking our product with some small independent stores, which has meant some changes to our business model and price structure. This reinforced our desire to continue our pre-order offer, allowing our loyal community to shop new items early at a reduced rate.
So sometimes it’s important to pause, step back and not rush into something if it doesn’t feel right. Now a year on from when Collection 02 was started, we’re finally ready to launch with a product that is truly our mission: purposefully designed with integrity.