The Archive feat.

Tove

The Archive feat.|Tove
Camille Perry and Holly Wright founded Tove with the vision to create a wardrobe of sustainable pieces that are versatile and easily transition from occasion to occasion, day to night. And they succeeded, quickly becoming renowned for their signature colours, silhouettes and commitment to the future of fashion. To celebrate Relove x TOVE, they discuss where it all started and where they want it to go.
What was the idea behind Tove? Holly Wright: We had recognized that there was a disparity between contemporary and luxury and an opportunity for a modern, timeless, and feminine womenswear brand. The contemporary market was oversaturated with trend driven brands that lacked attention to construction and quality fabrics. We wanted to propose an answer to this void by creating a modern wardrobing brand that focuses on the fit, luxury fabrics, and timeless design, with an attainable pricing architecture that reflects the care taken with each piece. Camille Perry: Our collective vision was to create a wardrobe of sustainable signature pieces that are versatile and could transition easily between occasions, day-to-evening, and work-to-family. Pieces that are beautiful enough to make a statement, whilst never overpowering the wearer. Our collections feature refined paired back styling, beautiful luxurious fabrics, with a focus on true quality. We felt we couldn’t find a brand that subscribed to this ethos, so were compelled to create it.
“A forever piece feels relevant, yet timeless and makes you feel incredible every time you wear it.”
Where does the inspiration come from? HW: The philosophy of our brand is centred around the idea of real women designing for women, representing a vision of how we want to dress today. The creative process always begins with our TOVE woman. We share an affinity with her and the world that she moves in as it is similar to our own. Often, she is a working mother balancing the demands of career, social life and family. We always consider where she is and how she is moving through life. CP: Every TOVE piece is underwritten by an appreciation of the personal style of our woman and how each piece might be worn, layered and utilised. Our collections are designed to be seasonless, creating a wardrobe that is relevant to the season, yet is timeless. Every collection is a continuation of the one before. Every piece in a new collection is designed so that it can be worn with an earlier chapter. With this approach our woman can wear signature pieces for years to come. Longevity and versatility are the cornerstones of the brand. How do you work together? HW: Our respective backgrounds are design and buying. My last position was as Head of Design and Camille’s as Head of Buying. However, we have a symbiotic working relationship having worked together for over ten years together. Our collective vision is the same and it is this that helps to shape both the outlook for the collection and our brand. CP: We are fortunate as a duo to have both sides to our business within our partnership, something that is quite unique within our industry. In our previous roles when working together people often remarked on the fact that our outlook was so united… we often know exactly what the other is thinking without having to openly verbalise the point. We share our ideas with each other on all aspects of the brand in order to land on the right decisions for us. It is this strength of vision and our friendship that forms the foundation for our working relationship.
“Our collections are designed to be seasonless, creating a wardrobe that is relevant to the season, yet is timeless, and every collection is a continuation of the one before.”
What does sustainable fashion mean to you? CP: Sustainable practices are the DNA of our brand and influences all our decision making. We feel passionately that a brand created at this time must have sustainability at its heart to reduce its impact on the planet. We simply cannot continue operating the way we used to, on so many levels – wasteful production cycle, the excessive mindset… The fabrics we work with when designing the collection are chosen due to their sustainable nature. Our signature organic cotton and silk have both been chosen not only for their beauty and timelessness, but also due to the fact that they will last a lifetime, after which they will degrade naturally. Similarly, our packaging is recycled, or designed to be used time and again. HW: Small-batch production helps us to maintain the levels of craft and consideration with every piece that we make. When a style sells out quicker than anticipated, that can be exciting and slightly frustrating! However, as our collections evolve from one season to the next, we often reimagine these pieces for the forthcoming season to give our customers a chance to buy them again. It also means that our production is mindful of waste.

    • PRODUCT

      We believe that clothes, like us, should have as long and varied life as possible.

    • PEOPLE

      We are part of a network of amazing women who are trying to do something for the greater good

    • PACKAGING

      We only use compostable, 100% FSC certified recycled paper.

    • POSITIVE IMPACT

      As a community, our aim is to redress consumption and bring back a culture of care.