If there is someone you would like to add to the list, please email us directly. Please see our shortlist below!
Duco Bloemers – PLAINANDSIMPLE
Duco Bloemers is a graduate from UWE who is also the founder of circular clothing company PLAINANDSIMPLE based in London. He is an entrepreneur with a passion for creating a better planet through good business. He has created a new kind of clothing company that makes high-quality products, responsibly produces and then takes back it’s old clothing to reuse the materials. Closing the loop on fashion, reducing waste and giving people a better choice.
They believe in doing the essential thing for a healthier planet by creating premium quality essentials that are Made to be Re-Made. Their GOTS certified organic cotton t-shirts are responsibly made in ethical factories, designed to last and come with complete transparency on pricing.
They offer free returns and a lifetime guarantee, that when they’re worn out, you can send them back, get £6.00 store credit, they then break them down and turn them into new ones.
As a circular clothing company, we know that not all of our t-shirts will come back to us and that’s ok. Because they have been made out of 100% organic cotton with no plastic from the fabric to the label they are also 100% biodegradable. They are fully circular and good for the planet.
Keri Andriana – Amschela
Keri Andriana is a multi-award-winning handbag designer, CEO & Founder of UK affordable luxury handbag brand Amschela. She started her career as a lawyer, studying at both the University of Bristol and the University of The West of England (UWE), specialising in Prison Law before transitioning to the world of fashion. She launched the brand in her hometown of Bristol in 2017, and it really was the idea of taking a childhood hobby and seeing if she could turn it into a business as a second career choice. As a self-taught designer it was quite a brave idea.
Amschela is an UK emerging affordable luxury accessory brand, promoting sustainability and positive change of inclusiveness for all women via accessibility. The brand’s mission is to design authentic, sustainable and affordable handbags for everyone. Their products prioritise quality to retain an exclusive feel of luxury but with an inclusive nature for all, using food waste materials.
The brand has featured in Sky, ITV, Google, British Vogue, Elle, Vanity Fair, Tatler, British GQ winning several awards and nominations: Business of The Year Rise Awards (2018), SW Luxury Accessories Retailer Award Bristol Life Awards (2019), Business of the Year MTM Awards (2020) finalists at the Small British Business Awards and Great British Entrepreneur Awards (2019). The brand was selected for London Fashion Week September 2021 and is a member of the British Fashion Council. The brands first movie appearance in the On The Other Foot Movie will took place on November 29th 2021.
Amschela is mid-transition to become a full vegan brand by April 2022, with a circular business model of 100% traceability of all materials used by 2025. Amschela is a member of the UK SME Climate Hub and supports 6 UN Projects fighting climate change which led to me being nominated for a British Fashion Award in 2020. The brand is also a Kickstart employer supporting young people entering into the fashion industry. Keri’s current goal is to raise investment and scale the brand to new heights with alternative product markets but keep handbags as the company’s core market.
If there is someone you would like to add to the list, please email us directly.
