Is Fashion Week Ever Sustainable?

Fashion week - Why Madia & Matilda is against fast fashion

What is slow fashion?

In recent years we have seen a wave of change wash over the fashion industry. Consumers and companies alike have become more aware of the effects of fast fashion on workers and our environment.

Slow fashion is how we approach and raise awareness to the way fashion is produced – taking the time to consider the processes and resources. The term Slow Fashion came about quite organically. It was coined by Kate Fletcher of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion. Slow fashion is necessary to save our environment as well as workforce welfare. In 2018, brands such as H&M reportedly burnt 12 tonnes of unsold garments despite launching their Garment Collecting programme – a global initiative to prevent customers’ unwanted items from going to landfill.

The slow fashion movement has been increasing exponentially in recent years as consumers demand higher sustainability and ethical standards.

Why we only design collections every 2 seasons

Here at Madia & Matilda, we pride ourselves on our sustainability and ethical ethos towards fashion. We only use fabrics that are end of roll, end of line or recycled from previous garments. Our items are designed and produced in house without the need for a factory or cheap labour. In order to keep our sustainable promise we only produce collections twice a year for spring/summer and autumn/winter. By producing biannually we are able to invest more time and money into our designs and quality, thus creating items that are ethically sound and adhere to our high standards.

Why we don’t participate in fashion week

Madia & Matilda consciously chooses not to participate in fashion week so as not to support the fast fashion trend. Many fashion weeks and catwalks feature garments that are produced quickly and cheaply to capture the most recent fashion trends. Not only does fashion week inspire fast fashion production but it also encourages consumers to buy into trend fads that only last a few months.

Charity fashion shows

Instead, at Madia & Matilda we dedicate our time and energy to producing eco-friendly garments that can form the basis of any wardrobe. Rather than partaking in mainstream fashion week catwalks, we only feature ourselves in charity catwalks. This year see our brand join the Durham University Charity Fashion Show - The UK’s largest student fundraiser and the biggest event in Durham’s social calendar. This year the fashion event is supporting the Environmental Justice Foundation, a charity who works at the forefront of global environmental politics to secure the rights of climate refugees and the future of our planet. If you want to attend the event you can find more information about the event here.

Madia & Matilda have also featured in many other charity fashion events including St Martins in the fields, Empire Casino London and Brighton Fashion Week.

Sincerely Madia & Matilda

Wardrobe Detox

New Year New Wardrobe

The New Year is the perfect time to detox your cluttered wardrobe. 

We’ve got 5 top tips to help you curate a more conscious closet. 

1. Categorise 

• Items you love and wear often
• Items you like but aren’t 100% about
• Items that no longer fit or you don’t like
• Damaged or unwearable

2. Do you really need that many of the same thing?

• Get rid of what is looking past its best
• Be decisive and only keep what you actually wear

3. How many times have you worn it in the last year?

• If the answer is less than 4 (and it’s not an occasion piece) then it’s time to part ways

4. Does it fit properly?

• Get rid of the clothes in your wardrobe that don’t fit and make you feel fabulous

5. Educate yourself

• Know where your clothes come from, where they are made, the materials used. Watch some documentaries about ‘fast fashion’, we recommend The True Cost on Netflix. Click here to watch.

Detoxing your wardrobe can be a daunting task but it’s completely worth it in the end. Take your time to look at each garment in your wardrobe before you categorise it, this way you can be certain you are doing the job properly instead of holding onto items you know you’ll never wear.

When decluttered your closet try and piece together outfits as you go so that you know all the items in your wardrobe go together. This will also make it easier in the mornings when you can’t decide what to wear.

Once you’ve finished the mammoth task of clearing up, you can begin to sort out the items you’re getting rid of. Make two piles – one for donation/selling and one for recycling made up of items that are no longer wearable.

Why not try selling some of your unwanted items on an app such as depop. Alternatively, you could always donate any unwanted clothing to local charities.

If you need help detoxing your wardrobe this year why not let us help with our stylist solutions. Ask in store, email or call us to find out more.

Sincerely Madia & Matilda

New Year New You - Back to Work Outfits

New Year New You - Back to Work Outfits

To help you get in the swing of things in the New Year, we’ve compiled a list of our top ten garments for back to work.

All of the pieces are from our shop MadiaMatilda.co.uk, sustainably and ethically sourced to make you look fabulous at work (even if you’re not feeling it).

Clara Skater Dress

This classic LBD will see you through any type of day at work and make you look effortlessly put together. Worn with a blouse underneath or simply on its own, this dress features a skater style skirt and a racer back, the perfect item for all year round wear.

Click here to purchase.

Elle Trousers

A black pair of trousers is always a workwear staple. This particular pair is constructed from polyester making them a solid investment for smart and seamless dressing. Paired with a light blouse for a spring/summer look, or layer a shirt and jumper for a cosy winter look.

Click here to purchase.

Victoria Blazer

This soft tweed blazer is an ideal item for smartening up any outfit and suitable for any time of year – from chilly summer evenings to autumn/winter layering. The perfect blazer to add colour and texture to your usual shirt and trousers combo.

Click here to purchase.

Lacey Blouse

This smart vintage print blouse is an effortless piece to spruce up your work wardrobe. Made from premium vintage chiffon this double breasted top features a cropped length that goes with any trousers or skirts – perfect for the office.

Click here to purchase.

Annie Trouser

Add some glamour to your regular work trousers with our Annie trousers. A sporty Lux trouser with a satin stripe down the side and a matching satin waistband. Perfect for pairing with a plain button up shirt or a light flowy blouse and transitioning from work at the office to drinks with the girls.

Click here to purchase.

Greta Blouse

Our Greta blouse is the perfect piece to see you through the New Year. Featuring a high neckline and cuffed sleeves it’s an idea piece to style this winter – layered with a structured coat or blazer and bright accessories you’ll be going back to work in style.

Click here to purchase.

Clover Blouse

The perfect blouse to see you through the entire year – our Clover blouse is ideal for layering this winter. The peter-pan style collar looks amazing over the top of a knitted jumper for a cosy work look. Alternatively, you could also pair it with a chunky cardigan and our Annie trousers for a comfy smart casual look.

Click here to purchase.

Wilma Top

This jersey top with flared sleeves and a V-neck is great to wear for both casual days and workwear. Paired with a colourful pair of trousers or a blazer, this jersey basic is ideal for layering with your more stand-out pieces.

Click here to purchase.

Roxy Trouser

These satin tapered trousers add an extra dimension to any work outfit. Dressed up with our Clover blouse and some strappy heels for a glam office look or black flats and a smart blazer (like Victoria) for a more formal outfit.

Click here to purchase.

Fern Skirt

Our Fern Jersey skirt is perfect for casual office days. This comfortable thick jersey midi skirt is ideal for an office setting, paired with some smart flats and a slim fit blouse. Accessorise with a black belt and your favourite jacket and your work look is complete.

Click here to purchase.

Sincerely Madia & Matilda

National Gingerbread House Day #Foodie

Happy National Gingerbread House Day!

To celebrate national gingerbread house day, we're sharing with you a festive recipe for building your very own gingerbread house.

We love this easy Mary Berry gingerbread recipe:
If you want to read the original more in depth recipe click here.


Ingredients:

For the Gingerbread:
375g unsalted butter
300g dark muscovado sugar
150g golden syrup
900g plain flour
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp ground ginger

For the icing:

3 free-range egg whites

675g icing sugar, sifted

3 tsp lemon juice

For the decoration:

Boiled sweets

Chocolate buttons

Jelly sweets

Chocolates

Powder icing sugar

Cake board

Method:

Preheat your oven to 200°C or 180°C for a fan assisted oven.

In a large pan, melt together the butter sugar and syrup.

In a separate bowl, sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger together.

Make a well in the centre and pour in the liquid butter mixture. Stir it in and, when cool enough to handle, knead into a stiff dough.

Next divide the dough into five equal pieces, then divide one of those into two - so you have six pieces of dough in total.

Roll out each piece of dough out on to a sheet of parchment paper to ¾cm thickness.

Using a template, cut the pieces to make the sides and roof of the house.

Using a sharp knife, cut out the windows, doors and star shape on the back.

Place the doors on a separate tray and re-roll the offcuts to make a chimney.

Slide onto baking trays and bake for 8 minutes or until even in colour.

To make glass windows in your gingerbread house, crush up some boiled sweets (any colour you desire) and place them in the windows. Place these pieces back in the oven until the sweets have melted.

Leave the gingerbread to cool completely before decorating.

Time to decorate!

You can be as creative as you want with the decoration of your gingerbread house. It can be covered in colourful sweets or iced and decorated in a more traditional style - it's completely up to you!

To make the icing, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Using a wooden spoon or a hand-held electric mixer on slow speed, add the icing sugar a tablespoonful at a time. Stir in the lemon juice and beat the icing until it is very stiff and white.

Next, to create roof tiles, spoon the icing into a piping bag and pipe small dots on the back of the chocolate buttons and stick onto the roof of the ginger bread house.

Spoon six tablespoons of the icing over the cake board and, using a palette knife, spread the icing to cover the board with a snow effect and to create a base to stick the house on to.

Pipe some icing along the wall edges and join the house together on an iced cake board. Leave the icing to dry for a minimum of four hours, but preferably overnight.

Once dry, stick the roof onto the walls of the house. If you want your gingerbread house to look especially Christmassy, place a couple of fake tealights or nightlights inside before adding the roof. The light will shine through the boiled sweet windows and make it look like a real home.

Pipe some icing along the apex and edges of the roof to look like snow and icicles. Stick the front door in place with icing. Once you have finished decorating, dust the house with icing sugar for the final snowy touch.

The rest is up to you! Go crazy with colourful jelly sweets or make some gingerbread characters or trees to accompany the house.

This gingerbread house makes the perfect Christmas decoration, you could even give this to someone as an amazing gift!

If you decide to follow this recipe make sure to let us know by tagging #MadiaMatilda and #GingerBreadHouseDay

Sincerely Madia & Matilda

  

5 Looks For The Party Season

5 Key Looks For The Party Season

Looking for the perfect party outfit this Christmas?

Look no further than Madia & Matilda!

From elegant evening dresses to versatile blouses, we've got you covered this party season with our top five picks from the Autumn/Winter18 collection.

Amara Sheer Dress

This beautiful chiffon dress is perfect for the festive period. This timeless dress features a high neck line that flatters any shape. Paired with sparkly accessories and some strappy heels, you'll be party ready in no time!

Raphielle Strap Top

Party all night in this understated satin and velvet top that is perfect with for an event or party. Pair with a sleek pair of trousers and strappy heels for a more sophisticated look, or add your favourite black jeans and some heeled boots for a casual party look.

Raphielle Strap Top

Rosie Tunic Dress

Our loose fit casual tunic dress is perfect for the autumn/winter. Made of cotton, this dress is light and comfortable and, in silver, is perfect for a Christmas party. Pair with black tights and heels for a unique elegant look for the evening.

Marcy Ruffle Blouse

This fuchsia blouse is a versatile piece that you can dress up for any party or event. The chiffon material makes this blouse light and flowy and perfect for layering with this winter. Pair with some black jeans and heels for a smart casual party look.

Robyn Frill Dress

This dusty pink dress is the perfect early Christmas party piece for transitioning from Autumn to Winter. Our crepe frill mini dress features a zip up back and a frill on the right side. Paired with some black heels this dress will see you right through the holiday season.

We hope that our party outfit picks will inspire you when it comes to dressing up this holiday season. If you want to share your party looks with use this Christmas don't forget to #MadiaMatilda #WithLoveMnM or tag us on social media!

Sincerely Madia & Matilda