“Changing the world one garment at a time”
This year Central Saint Martins (CSM) MA Fashion Students were given the opportunity to work with a fashion brand with a conscience. Founded by CSM alumna Johanna Ho (MA Fashion, 1995), PHVLO is a fashion brand that creates beautiful products through sustainable production practices and fair remuneration. PHVLO also cares about building mutually respectful partnerships and a community of like-minded people.
“Our vision and values is very important to how we lead the way to global movement and a community of people who make our world a better, healthier and happier place.” – Johanna Ho (Founder, PHVLO)
PHVLO Creator Johanna Ho with some of the collection at the official London launch
PHVLO is a life performance brand, so versatile it promises to add another hour to your day. The collection of adaptable pieces allows you to transform your outfit as the day goes on. Through detachable ruffles that double up as pouch bags, optional hem and sleeve lengths and waterproof A-lined skirts, your outfit can go from pre-work yoga, to office appropriate and then straight on to post-work drinks. It’s about a 25-hour day, because with highly functioning clothes you gain another hour to do what you want. As well as being made from sustainable fabrics the collection is also seasonless.
And this is what the students were asked to address. They were asked to think about what they would do if they had an extra hour in their day and work with it, ensuring their garments were interchangeable from day to night.
By collaborating with students, PHVLO’s aim was to create a learning experience, nurturing them throughout the process and to promote sustainable design. The end result being the creation of a multi-functional capsule collection that uses new technical and sustainable fabrics to be sold exclusively with Lane Crawford.
Official marketing and a behind the scenes shot of the project, taken from PHVLO Instagram
“What is interesting about PHVLO is that it addresses issues that students wouldn’t necessarily encounter.” – Fabio Piras, (Course Leader, MA Fashion)
After a rigorous selection process, students Paula Canovas Del Vas and Ernesto Naranjo were selected to work with PHVLO on pieces for the collection.
Paula and Ernesto got to experience the whole process of designing and creating sustainable clothing. Part of this amazing project gave them the opportunity to visit Hong Kong to meet with fabric suppliers, colleagues at PHVLO headquarters and visit Lane Crawford to present to their buyers and see the space their garments would be sold in.
Working with PHVLO on this project is not the only way Lane Crawford has chosen to support UAL talent. Lane Crawford also generously supports current students through scholarships and also helps UAL internationally by working with our Alumni Associations to host activities to nurture and grow our alumni communities.