The Southsea couple breathing new life into old clothes

And as a result of that conversation the fashion world is adapting.

Earlier this year, for example, designer brand Gucci bid farewell to fashion weeks as the brand went seasonless, thereby producing fewe clothes and saving the environment.

Moving forward, environmentally-conscious fashion is something that should be at the forefront of our minds when shopping. And Cacey Barks and Josh Bland – the couple behind Tweedy Clothing at Albert Road, Southsea – are making it easy for you to support your high street and care for the environment while updating your wardrobe.

Creating sustainable clothing inspired by their travels across Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Cacey says: ‘Our business is ethical and sustainable because we are fully transparent.

‘We produce slow fashion, as our clothing line does not change every month. Instead we produce staple pieces which are timeless.’

Cacey and Josh – who are engaged and proud parents to 18-month-old Niyah – met in 2014 in New Zealand where Josh is originally from. They soon discovered they shared a passion for many things and among them was fashion.

Cacey, 38, explains: ‘I had been travelling before but went back to New Zealand after the 2014 earthquake to see a couple of my friends and my intention was to move there.

‘We met at a backpackers’ hostel because we were both there waiting to move into our flats. From then on, we travelled together, exploring North Island.

‘I started a yoga teaching course and really wanted to make jewellery. I did that in our garage and was doing it for myself.

‘Not long after, we moved to Sydney and that’s where I started making jewellery in our garage. Every time my friends would come over they said how much they loved it and if they could buy a piece.

‘Josh was picking up old tweed jackets and upcycling them with patches and that’s where the name Tweedy started too.’

After a couple of years down under, Cacey started to miss her family and Josh suggested they move back to the UK.

Cacey, who lives in Southampton, says: ‘Josh said we should do Southampton Christmas Market.

‘I did not think my stuff was good enough to sell but we had a great time. I have been a sole trader at Southampton Christmas Market for five years now.

‘Each market we were expanding our clothing and Josh was making bowler hats and upcycling tweed jackets.’

Cacey has an environmental science degree while Josh, 35, is a trained scuba diving instructor and landscape gardener. Cacey says: ‘Although we’re not trained in fashion, our training and understanding of our environment has helped our business.’

In January 2016, the couple decided to embark on a journey of discovery to India to learn more about where the clothing comes from, ensure their manufacturer was ethical and partner with a factory to upscale their brand.

Cacey says: ‘We spent five months searching for the right place to create our clothes.

‘The fabrics out there are just fantastic and we wanted a lot of our clothes to be recycled from there.

‘It just seemed like the right place to look – it’s funny how the earth guides you in the right way.’

Nearly at the point of giving up, Cacey and Josh stumbled across a small shop in the Himalayan mountains and found their perfect fabric.

Cacey adds: ‘We were told the head tailor was in a small village in Rajasthan. So, we hopped on our motorbike and went to see him.

‘We found Raj who was perfect for the job and we knew we could build something with him. He paid his workers fairly and worked sustainably.

‘We had lunch at his village and met his family and the family of the tailors that now sew our garments.

Although they can’t visit at the moment, the country is a place Cacey and Josh hold dear to their hearts. Cacey says: ‘India is so full of emotion. One minute there is so much joy and excitement and the next minute it really tests you.’

After India, the couple went back to Australia with their first designs, selling them at local markets and festivals. Then they applied to UK festivals and landed themselves a whole summer circuit, selling at Isle of Wight Festival, Boardmasters and Camp Bestival to name a few.

Sustainability and ethical working conditions in fashion have been hot topics this year. In July, online fashion giant Boohoo came under fire following an article which alleged workers in a Leicester factory making clothes for the company were being paid as little as £3.50 an hour.

Cacey explains how their clothing line is sustainable because it uses recycled material and their workers benefit from the Mother Earth Foundation, which teaches factories about zero-waste policies.

‘We also use a lot of recycled saris and a lot of organic cotton and vegan dye where we can,’ says Cacey.

‘We also use Tibetan blankets, which do contain plastic, but recycle them into garments. We keep the shop as polyester free as possible.’

After spending summers at festivals in their truck selling their clothes – including ponchos, jumpsuits, yoga tops, and dresses – Josh and Cacey officially opened their first shop in Albert Road in October 2019.

‘The shop is ticking along already. Lockdown gave us the opportunity to get the shop ready for opening and get our website exactly how we like it,’ says Cacey.

‘I’m really hard on myself and am super-critical. I always want to do something better. But when you take a step back, I am so proud of what we have achieved.

‘It’s fantastic to have a family-run business.

‘We want everyone to feel what they’re wearing gives something back to the community it is made in, whether that be the workers, the fabric, or the planet.’

Cacey and Josh say they could not have done it without family and friends’ support. ‘We could not have done it without my mum, Gayle,’ adds Cacey.

‘It’s weird to not go to festivals this year because that’s what we normally do every six months. But we will be at the Portsmouth Vegan Festival this year as well as a few Christmas markets.’

For more information and to shop Tweedy Clothing online once lockdown ends, go to tweedyclothing.com.