Our ‘Shop Independent Holiday Gift Guide’ for 2021 is here!
It’s officially November and here at The Emperor’s Old Clothes we are beginning to think about what we are going to gift to our friends + family this holiday season. As a team, we are passionate about supporting small and independent businesses and believe that this is the way forward in supporting fellow artisans and creatives.
Year two of the pandemic has been as tough if not tougher than 2020, and it is vital that we continue to support businesses that pay a living wage and support their team all-year round. Whether that’s focusing on their personal development, encouraging creativity and expanding on their current skill-set – these are the individuals and businesses we believe need our support.
Not only will you be supporting local talent, you will also be buying from people who care about the environment. Gifting from the high-street often means you will be purchasing mass-produced, low quality items that are damaging to our planet and have been created using exploitative working conditions.
We’ve had so much fun collaborating with independent brands who share the same ethos as us – we hope our ‘Shop Independent Holiday Gift Guide’ for 2021 inspires you to be more mindful of where you spend your money this holiday season.
We’ve curated amazing products that range from clothing, homewares, cosmetics, jewellery and more. We hope you love these products as much as we do!
Socks by K.Moods | £14.50 each
K.MOODS
K.Moods was created by Kathleen Moodie and is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Each K.Moods piece is made by hand on a domestic knitting machine in their studio based in the creative hub, Summerhall. Kathleen creates textiles that are sustainable and comfortable, while designing with zero-waste and along the slow fashion ethos.
Prices from: £9.50 – £55. Shop Kathleen’s knitted wares here.
Socks by K.Moods | £14.50 each
Pyjama Suits by Irregular Sleep Pattern | £150 each
Pyjama Suit by Irregular Sleep Pattern | £150
IRREGULAR SLEEP PATTERN
Jolene and Mil in Glasgow, Scotland are the owners of Irregular Sleep Pattern; bedding and sleepwear brand that makes fabulous and durable products in an ethical way with the lowest possible environmental impact. All prints are designed by Mil or in collaboration with artists against the cyclical nature of fast fashion and trends. Products are manufactured in Portugal using organic cotton in small factories by fairly paid makers.
Prices from: £75 – £150. Shop their PJ’s and Bedding here.
Anna Soba’s Magnets | £7.50 – £10 each
Anna Soba’s Magnets | £7.50 – £10 each
ANNA SOBA ILLUSTRATION
Kemptown based artist Anna Soba is an illustrator who dabbles in different mediums including clay, lino printing, monotype printing, murals, window displays, hand painted clothing and more.
Prices from: £0.70 – £160. Shop all Anna’s art here.
Daisy Enamel Pin by hollidaystclair | £8
‘They love me, they love me not’ red handkerchief by hollidaystclair | £12
HOLLIDAY ST CLAIR
Holly St Clair is a freelance illustrator and maker based in London. She mostly focuses on work exploring communication and miscommunication through prints, books and animation. Her art is full of fun and humour. She also offers custom portrait commissions!
Prices from: £4 – £45. Shop Holly’s artwork here.
Branch Tree 6.5ft by Demelza Hill | £330
Branch Tree 6.5ft by Demelza Hill | £330
DEMELZA HILL
Based in Brighton, Demelza Designs and prototypes pieces from her studio and sources suppliers and craftspeople all over the UK to produce the products in small batches. She works closely with everyone from material suppliers to craftspeople.
Prices from: £230 – £330. Shop Demelza’s Branch trees here.
Socks by K.Moods | £14.50 each
YUK FUN Fluff Buddy Sweatshirt – Pink | £38
Orange Floral Dungarees ‘Citrus Blooms’ UK 22-24 | £145 | shop here
YUK FUN Fluff Buddy Sweatshirt – Pink | £38
The Bargello Edit kits | from £15
Fruity Banana and Baobab Jam from CHOSAN | £5.25 each
‘Imagine Running Around Like Mad’ A3 Print by LilyKong | £15
Pyjama Suit by Irregular Sleep Pattern | £150
Anna Soba’s Magnets | £7.50 – £10 each
YUKFUN Sweatshirts | £38 – £46 each
YUKFUN
YUK FUN is an independent label making illustrated stuff for awesome people who love colour, animals and fun! Founded by Lucy Cheung and Patrick Gildersleeves in 2014. They work from their home studio in Portslade-by-Sea screen printing, making clothes and drawing.
Prices from: £6 – £260. Shop YUKFUN here.
YUKFUN T-shirts | £33 each
Plantable seed cards by LoopLoop | £4 each
LOOPLOOP
Sophie is Founder of Loop Loop, they take things that have lived a life and loops them back round to give them another one. Pre-loved things shapeshift to be loved again in their new form. Recycled paper cards embedded with wildflower seeds, so your loved ones can plant a mini wildflower meadow afterwards! It’s good for the bees and it’s good for us too!
Prices from £4 – £15. Shop LoopLoop’s cards here.
Beginner’s Weaving Kit by Shiv Textiles | £28
SHIV TEXTILES
Shiv Textiles is an independent, Brighton-based studio closing the loop on the fast-fashion industry. They rescue deadstock yarn destined for landfill and handcraft it into fine homewares, lifestyle accessories and sustainable weaving kits for customers to give a new life at home.
Weaving kit prices from £28. Shop here.
Beginner’s Weaving Kit from Shiv Textiles | £28
‘Painting At Weekend’ A3 Print by LilyKong | £15
LILYKONG
Lily Kong is an Illustrator and designer based in London. Her work challenges us to find the humour in those on-the-brink situations. It celebrates our embarrassing, near-pathetic moments and presents an alternative, humorous perspective.
Prices from: £10 – £40. Shop Lily’s art here.
Bliss Beauty Oil by Zero Waste Path | £21
ZERO WASTE PATH
Created by Bianca and Giulio in February 2018, Zero Waste Path really cares about finding the best natural ingredients and using the most sustainable possible plastic free packaging. Bianca and Giulio manufacture all their products in their workshop. They carefully select their suppliers and take care of every aspect of what they do – this is because they prefer to have direct control over as many aspects of their company. Profits are spent in a responsible way with a focus on sustainability, human and animal welfare.
Prices from: £3 – £19. Shop Zero Waste Path’s shop here.
Earrings by Bethany Rutter | £14.50 – £16.50 each
BETHANY RUTTER
Bethany hand-crafts bright, beautiful earrings out of clay and drops them in small batches on her website with regular drops of new designs on Instagram seasonally. They are made is small batches with designs usually limited to each batch (rather than repeated). She is also an author, editor and podcast co-host.
Prices from: £14.50 – £16.50. Shop Bethany’s earrings here.
Earrings by Bethany Rutter | £14.50 – £16.50 each
The Bargello Edit Kits | from £15
The Bargello Edit Book | release date TBC
THE BARGELLO EDIT
After falling out of love with sewing and in a bid to find a mindful and less involved craft, Nerrisa Pratt, founder of The Bargello Edit, discovered Bargello after a late night of Pinterest scrolling. Fast-forward to now, Nerrisa is continually inspired by the patterns and colours that Bargello creates and is looking to bring this craft to a new audience of modern makers and crafters through a series of online workshops, kits and supplies. We are proud to include the upcoming Bargello Edit book too which will be published very soon!
Prices from: 60p – £50.00. Find The Bargello Edit’s kits and more here.
The Bargello Edit Kits | from £15
The Bargello Edit Book | release date TBC
Dungarees by The Emperor’s Old Clothes | from £135
13″ Laptop case by The Emperor’s Old Clothes | £45 Shop here
Travel pouch by The Emperor’s Old Clothes | £16 Shop here
THE EMPEROR’S OLD CLOTHES
And of course there’s us! As many of you will know we create one of a kind clothing + accessories from vintage + dead-stock fabrics with a design your own service and ready to wear collections for a UK living wage in Brighton + Hove, UK. Our order deadline for design your own clothing for pre-Christmas delivery has passed but you can design your own accessories, purchase our ready to wear pieces + treat your loved ones to gift vouchers here.
Sizes UK 4-6 – 30-32. Shop The Emperor’s Old Clothes garments here.
Prices from £12 – £200+
Pink Scallop Circle Skirt Two-Piece ‘Candy Dream’ UK 18-20 | £129 | shop here
Blue Geometric Circle Skirt Two-Piece ‘Chain Reaction’ UK 22-24 | £119 | shop here
Design your own Purse by The Emperor’s Old Clothes | £15 each
Design your own Make-up Bag / Travel Pouch by The Emperors Old Clothes | £22 each
Hand Block Printed Kantha Quilt by Bagru art and craft | £51.45 – £91.89
BAGRU ART AND CRAFT
Manoj is the owner of Bagru art and craft, everything in their shop is hand crafted by artisans in the countryside of India. Every sale goes towards food and living costs. They sell hand block print fabric, quilts, wall hangings and even more. Their beautiful hand quilted blankets can be used for home decor, bedspreads, sofa covers or just as a comfy cosy throw when it gets cold!
Prices from: £46.50 – £241.69. Shop their wares here.
Hand Block Printed Kantha Quilt by Bagru art and craft | £51.45 – £91.89
Shea Butter by Eléngé | from £18
ELENGE
Carine Moko founded Eléngé after a struggle with skin issues, she tried many products to heal both her and her son’s skin but nothing worked. She has developed her own recipes for natural, vegan products like whipped shea butter and coffee scrub.
Shop Eléngé skincare here.
Shea Butter by Eléngé | from £18
Multi Purpose Oil by Eléngé | from £19.99
The Good Ally by Nova Reid | £16.90
NOVA REID
Nova Reid is an Activist, TED Speaker and author passionate about helping people role model the change they want to see. Nova is an advocate for equity, collective healing and helping people use self-agency to role model change. Her debut book The Good Ally, published by HarperCollins is out now.
Buy The Good Ally by Nova Reid here.
The Good Ally by Nova Reid | £16.90
Design your own Purse by The Emperor’s Old Clothes | £15 each
Design your own Make-up Bag / Travel Pouch by The Emperor’s Old Clothes | £22 each
Design your own Two-Piece by The Emperor’s Old Clothes | from £129
Make Waves Lunch Plate by Buchlyvie Pottery | £27
Grid Side Plate Blue by Buchlyvie Pottery | £18
Notebook by Semi Skimmed Min | £4 each
Skincare by Eléngé | from £18
Hard cover Notebooks by OlaOla | £13 each
Plantable seed cards by LoopLoop | £4 each
Pyjama Suit by Irregular Sleep Pattern | £150
Anna Soba’s Magnets | £7.50 – £10 each
Make Waves Lunch Plate by Buchlyvie Pottery | £27
BUCHLYVIE POTTERY SHOP
Fine slip cast porcelain tableware by Eilidh & Craig, 2nd generation of potters to run the pottery shop est.1989 in Stirlingshire. All painted by hand.
Prices from: £9 – £48. Shop Buchlyvie Pottery here.
Greenery Whisky Set by Buchlyvie Pottery | from £22 – Full set £45
Artwork and notebooks by Minnie | from £4
SEMI SKIMMED MIN
Minnie is a freelance illustrator from South-East London. She uses art to record memories and stories, documenting all facets of life, from far-flung travels to the relatable everyday. Her shop is full of beautiful prints, illustrated notebooks and postcards.
Prices from £0.85 – £15. Shop Minnie’s art here.
YUKFUN T-shirts | £33 each
Skincare by Eléngé | from £18
Emke Cork Vessel – Watermelon Lid by Mind the Cork | £25 each
Emke Cork Vessel – Mint Lid by Mind the Cork | £25 each
Botanical Bath Bombs (set of 4) by The Caring Touch | £8
Anna Soba’s Magnets | £7.50 – £10 each
Artisan Biscotti by My Blisscotti | £10 – £15
MY BLISSCOTTI
My Blisscotti was created by Beth, and is baked using the traditional Italian method. They’re perfect for dipping in tea and coffee or enjoying solo. Beth loves to adapt the original recipes to incorporate new and exciting flavours which we were lucky enough to enjoy!
Prices from: £10 – £15. Shop via their instagram here.
Home Again – Three Wick Candle by Our Lovely Goods | £50
OUR LOVELY GOODS
Ebi and Emmanuel the founders of Our Lovely Goods. The common thread running through everything they do is their Nigerian heritage. They started making skincare and candles, using the best quality and purest ingredients they could find with scents inspired by a story, transporting people to a moment or place. Our Lovely Goods weaves together their passions for home, family, and heritage.
Prices from £15 – £50. Shop Our Lovely Goods here.
Black and Gold Gathered Skirt Two-Piece ‘Golden Ticket’ UK 26-28 | £139 | shop here
Yellow Abstract Cotton Handbag by The Emperor’s Old Clothes | £35 | shop here
‘Painting At Weekend’ A3 Print by LilyKong | £15
‘They love me, they love me not’ red handkerchief by hollidaystclair | £12
Artisan Biscotti by My Blisscotti | £10 – £15
Handmade Clay Earrings by The Kindred Workshop | from £12.50
A Quiet Moment – Green Tea, Jasmine & Amber Candle by Our Lovely Goods | £20
Consumed by Aja Barber | £15
Anna Soba’s Magnets | £7.50 – £10 each
Botanical Bath Bombs (set of 4) by The Caring Touch | £8
THE CARING TOUCH
The Caring Touch are a mother and daughter duo who create hand-made bath and body products and candles in South London. They use plant-based ingredients and aromatherapy essential oils and we can confirm that they smell amazing! Enjoy pampering yourself this Winter with their soothing scents like lavender and rose.
Prices from: £2.50 – £20. Find The Caring Touch’s work here.
Botanical Bath Bombs (set of 4) by The Caring Touch | £8
Textured Silver Circle Stud Earrings by Louise Ineson | £28
Sunbeam Coin Pendent Silver by Louise Ineson | £45
Sunbeam Coin Pendant Silver and 24ct Gold Plate by Louise Ineson | £70
LOUISE INESON JEWELLERY
Louise became classically trained in silversmithing 15 years ago and has a background in textiles. She designs her jewellery to be tactile and is inspired by the landscapes around her and her own personal memories. The jewellery Louise hand crafts is made in small batches in her workshop in Brighton.
Prices from: £22 – £80. Shop Louise’s jewellery here.
Sunbeam Coin Pendent Silver by Louise Ineson | £45
Paper Fuchia Kit by Wild Hive | £35
WILD HIVE
Wild Hive is the studio of paper flower maker, Bee Watson. They’ve been running for nearly 5 years and work with high grade crepe paper to design and make hyper-real paper flowers inspired by live flora and foliage. They specialise in creating beautiful step-by-step paper flower kits and running lovely online and in person (returning 2022) paper flower workshops.
Prices from: £35. Shop their range here.
Paper Fuchia Kit by Wild Hive | £35
Atlas Hanging Planter by Mind the Cork | £48
MIND THE CORK
Jenny is the founder and designer behind Mind the Cork. She takes cork, one of the world’s most underrated materials to create eco-friendly contemporary products. Working closely with craftspeople in small factories in the UK and Portugal Mind the Cork produces sustainable cork planters, bowls, vessels and sculptures.
Prices from £18 – £129. Shop Jenny’s cork products here.
Emke Cork Vessel – Watermelon Lid by Mind the Cork | £25
Emke Cork Vessel – Merigold Lid by Mind the Cork | £25
Emke Cork Vessel – Mint Lid by Mind the Cork | £25
Metallic Red Circle Skirt Two-Piece ‘Ruby Wonder’ UK 10-12 | £119 | shop here
Design your own Handbag by The Emperor’s Old Clothes | £35
Greenery Whisky Set by Buchlyvie Pottery | from £22 – Full set £45
Artwork and notebooks by Minnie | from £4
Botanical Bath Bombs (set of 4) by The Caring Touch | £8
Handcrafted Praline Chocolate Truffles from Rose Chocolates | £19.50
Consumed by Aja Barber | £15
Apron in Torto Resort by OlaOla | £24.99
DIY Globe Terrarium Make Your Own Kit by Hepburn’s Crafts | from £16.99
11oz Mug in Cami Pink by OlaOla | £11.99
Cotton Canvas Cushions – various patterns and sizes | from £34.99
OLAOLA
Ola is the owner and creator of OlaOla, a textile design studio creating colour and bold patterns largely inspired by her Nigerian heritage, which are then turned into homewares, accessories and stationery. All fabrics are digitally printed in the UK using an eco-friendly process. The printer uses no water and 95% less energy than traditional screen printing. Everything is handmade by Ola and a seamstress she works with + paper products are made by a local uk manufacturer.
Prices from: £4 – £40. Shop Ola’s shop here.
Hard cover notebooks in various patterns by OlaOla | £13 each
Handmade Clay Earrings by The Kindred Workshop | from £12.50
THE KINDRED WORKSHOP
Mutsa is the maker behind The Kindred Workshop, she hand crafts lightweight clay earrings to order via her Instagram. Head to @thekindredworkshop on Instagram to find out more.
Prices from £12.50. Order from Mutsa here.
Handmade Clay Earrings by The Kindred Workshop | from £12.50
Handmade Clay Earrings by The Kindred Workshop | from £12.50
DIY Globe Terrarium Make Your Own Kit by Hepburn’s Crafts | from £16.99
HEPBURN’S CRAFTS
Amy is the creator behind Hepburn’s Crafts. Macrame pieces and Terrarium DIY kits are now available via her Etsy shop.
Prices from £2 – £68.50. Shop Hepburn’s Crafts here.
Design Your Own Dungarees by The Emperor’s Old Clothes | from £145
Fruity Banana and Baobab Jam from CHOSAN | £5.25 each
Rich Baobab Chocolate Spread from CHOSAN | £5.25 each
CHOSAN
Chosan brings a taste of the exotic through their vegan friendly and gluten free baobab or hibiscus based food and drinks. You won’t find any preservatives, artificial additives or colourings in their jams, sorbets or drinks. CHOSAN also have a commitment to supporting African food producers.
Prices from £1.50. Shop Chosan’s selection here
Handcrafted Praline Chocolate Truffles from Rose Chocolates | £19.50
ROSE CHOCOLATES
Rose Chocolates is founded by Jonathon Barnes, a pastry chef who has been creating, cooking and learning about food and the tasty experiences they bring for over 5 years. Alongside Co-Founder Justine Gray they have been mastering unique and exceptional ways to create flavourful, therapeutic and meaningful experiences with chocolates.
Prices from £2 – £96. Shop Rose Chocolates here.
Consumed by Aja Barber | £15
AJA BARBER
Aja is a writer, stylist and consultant whose work deals with the intersections of sustainability and the fashion landscape. Her work builds heavily on ideas behind privilege, wealth inequality, racism, feminism, colonialism and how to fix the fashion industry with all these things in mind. Her debut book Consumed, published by Octopus Publishing Group is out now.
Buy Consumed by Aja Barber here.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this year’s guide and have discovered lots of new brands to buy from this holiday season!
CREDITS
Models:
Sienna Chandler-Moore @schandlermoore – Pronouns – She/Her
Mary Burgers @maryburgers – Pronouns – She/Her
Michiel @naturally_untamed – Pronouns – She/Her
Maxxie Travis @maxxielovelace – Pronouns – They/Them
Gift Guide photographed + created by Jodie Dafe + Maxxie Travis + Louisa Wild + Cecily Blondel at The Emperor’s Old Clothes
Gift Guide curated by Maxxie Travis, Jodie Dafe + Cecily Blondel at The Emperor’s Old Clothes
