This woman has big plans for your wardrobe

Lianne Ludlow is causing ripples of excitement amongst ethical style fans right now, thanks to her groundbreaking eco boutique Fashion-Conscience.com. In the last year it’s been lauded by Marie Claire and Elle, and called the Net-A-Porter of ethical fashion for its blend of exciting new designers and focus on style with no compromises. Luckily Lianne’s a big fan of greenmystyle.com too. In part one of an exclusive two-part interview Editor Sarah Woodhead meets Lianne to discover exactly how one woman can be getting so much so right for us eco-stylistas.

Sarah: So, tell us about Fashion-Conscience.com. When did you launch it and why?
Lianne: We launched Fashion-Conscience.com in October 2007. It was really a reaction to what we were seeing going on around us and a desire to find ethical clothing we wanted to wear. I’d been reading an increasing number of articles on global warming, welfare of workers and globalisation and was becoming quite concerned.

I also worked in a glamourous industry, where generally ethics and eco-awareness don’t tend to cross paths very often, but I felt I could not be the only person who wanted to continue to look good and dress well but do it ethically and ecologically. I’ve always had eco in my blood, and even though I might not have known at the time how relevant my choices were, I have always shopped vintage, had a craft mentality, but maintained a passion for beautiful well- designed pieces.

We’re very proud to be stocking such design-led eco collections from the likes of Camilla Norrback, Julia Smith and Doucette Duvall (we’re the exclusive online stockist for the UK) as well as footwear and accessories from Cri de Coeur, Made, Rachel Essex and Verderocks.

Sarah: Fashion-Conscience.com has been praised by Marie Claire, Elle and The Guardian. You must be thrilled
Lianne: Absolutely. I am a huge fan of these publications. I’ve loved Marie Claire since I was a child and was really pleased to see how they had adopted an ethical fashion mantra of their own, ‘fashion with heart’. I religiously read them all, they are opinion formers, so it’s wonderful to be recognised by them.

Sarah: What’s your magic ingredient?

Lianne: It’s not that magic…. hard work! I think in terms of why we have been so brilliantly covered by the fashion and national press, it’s about having a strong vision of what you want to achieve, and believing that how you see the future of ethical fashion is right and the way to get the message to the general public.

I have a background in magazines, celebrity, fashion and prior to that science, it’s an eclectic mix but the website has brought together all my strengths. It’s also a personal passion. I wanted to buy ethical fashion for myself, but didn’t want at any point to compromise my personal style.

My mission was to find the pieces I knew style lovers would appreciate, and the icing on the cake is that they are also eco. I think this is why we have had so much coverage in fashion press, quite simply we try to pick the most stylish pieces that can stand alongside conventional fashion design.

Sarah: You seem to brilliantly spot upcoming talent and the next big names in ethical fashion. Who’s exciting you at the moment?

Lianne: Well, I have been doing quite a bit of scouting lately, one UK name that is exciting is rani jones (pictured left) – but much of the new talent is overseas. British ethical design is making huge leaps, but for some reason the labels that stand out for me for 2009 are not based in the UK. We as a nation of designers are quirky and inventive, and are brilliant at re-using material which is fantastic but it can be hard to reproduce as a wearable collection of items for customers.

Sarah: What can we look forward to in 2009 from Fashion-Conscience.com?
Lianne: Great new labels, exclusives, eco design in items you might not imagine could be eco, or at least have not seen on these shores before.

Sarah: Tell us a bit about you. You’re creating such a buzz.
Lianne: Thank you. I am just a woman with a vision. I would love to see more and more eco labels alongside conventional labels in fashion magazines, not just the green mags or green specials. I want to see people to buying eco labels as part of their daily life, either as a conscious decision, or just because they simply love it. I want to see eco labels that are as loved, admired, well-designed and coveted as high fashion collections such as Stella McCartney to competitively priced every day pieces on a par with Zara or Topshop.

Sarah: What’s keeping you busy right now?
Lianne: Right now we are busy with Christmas, making sure everyone who comes on the site sees what great options there are for giving greener, and trying to figure how I am going to have time for Christmas myself!

Sarah: What’s on your Christmas pressie list?
Lianne: It goes without saying I would love most of the pieces on the site, I particularly love Julia Smith’s Bamboo Hemp Tuxedo style jackets. They are great for wearing over a delicate dress, for that ‘boyfriend leant me his jacket’ look, or with skinny jeans for the weekend. Extremely chic.

Don’t miss Part Two: Lianne tips us off to the perfect ethical jean, plus shares her home, vintage and beauty tips.

www.Fashion-Conscience.com