Meet Georgia Crossley founder and designer of GeeGee Collection. The contemporary British Womenswear brand has added a number of new designs in time for the spring and beyond that embrace boldness and elegance. The London based label’s emphasis on craftmanship and environmentally conscious fashion come across once more through its newest pieces, brought to life by Georgia’s love of unique handwoven and colourfully designed fabrics.
What gave you the idea to start your own fashion label?
Owning my own fashion label is something I never dreamt of doing until about two years ago. I originally thought I’d study fine art but eventually decided to do a degree in fashion and textiles. Following on from this I interned at Alexander McQueen in womenswear design. It was after my internship that I realised I could express my passion for art and textiles through fashion by creating pieces that told a story and had their own unique identity. Like an artist, I could create pieces that expressed my personality and made the wearer feel a certain way. A lot of hard work and dedication has gone into my label and it’s great to see things finally falling into place.
Your brand is very conscious of sustainability and environmentalism, why is that important to you?
I think it was my experience of working in fashion. A lot of brands worked at such a cheap price point that it is actually more economical to just throw away clothes that people send back or don’t get sold. I think now there is so much emphasis has been put on the environment, especially in what we wear. In the future, I think preventing unnecessary waste and being more sustainable will continue to become more integral to the fashion industry. For my brand, I release collections in winter and summer, but am not constrained by the seasonal schedule, which allows me to add clothes to my collections throughout the year and helps prevent waste. I think strategies like that are a nice way to move forward.
How often do you launch new collections and what’s the process behind this?
I release two collections per year in winter and summer, but am not constrained by the seasonal schedule. This allows me to add clothes to my collections throughout the year and helps prevent waste. I think strategies like that are a nice way to move forward.
Your pieces are entirely crafted by hand, why was this important to you and how will you continue this level of craftsmanship as you scale?
As I am a bit of an environmentalist, when I began researching manufacturers for my brand, I wanted the process to be sustainable, better for the planet and in line with my personal values and ethos. For this reason, my collections are small and carefully considered and I have avoided mass production by sourcing fabrics that are handmade in France and tailoring from local manufacturers in the UK.
As I work on a non-seasonal approach to fashion, I can manage the level of craftsmanship as I am adding in new designs throughout the year rather than having to have a certain amount of pieces to produce four times per year for each season.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
“Be true to yourself and never compromise”