Editors' Top Reads: News from Liberty, STPLE, Wanderdoll and more...
Here are some of this week’s news and features highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.fashion team.
The Interview: Ainsleigh Sutherland on building Wanderdoll and Manchester’s rise as a fashion hub
Is it just me, or is Manchester giving London's fashion and beauty scene a serious run for its money right now? Every month, another northern founder steps into the spotlight with a brand that feels fresher, braver, and more community-driven than anything coming out of the traditional London pipeline. This week’s interview with Ainsleigh Paige Sutherland, founder of Wanderdoll, is the clearest sign yet that Manchester isn’t rising - it’s already here.
Wanderdoll is part of a new generation of British independents rewriting the rules of womenswear from outside the capital. Sutherland didn’t follow the conventional fashion-school-to-fashion-house path; she built her brand from a kitchen table, trusting her eye and her determination.
But the heartbeat of this piece is her relationship with Manchester itself. For Sutherland, the city isn’t a backdrop; it’s a collaborator. "The city and its culture are interwoven into the fabric of my designs. Manchester plays a significant part in shaping the future of not only Wanderdoll but also the global fashion landscape. If a customer learns of Manchester through the brand, I hope they feel the city’s palpable creativity, defiance, and spirit reflected in each piece," she said.
Mancunian grit, defiance, femininity, and community sit at the core of her aesthetic, shaping a brand that feels distinct, grounded, and fiercely local - even as its audience grows globally.
If you want to understand why the North is becoming the country’s most exciting fashion hub, and what happens when a designer builds a brand rooted not in algorithms but in authenticity, this interview is unmissable. Read the full feature here.
Chloé Burney, Senior News & Features Writer.
The Interview: STPLE founder Hannah Dawson on creating a modern, yet timeless, luxury wardrobe
STPLE is a new British brand from Cheshire-based fashion buyer and designer Hannah Dawson. I had the pleasure of walking through the collection with Hannah at a press event in Claridge's last month, after which she took the time to do this interview for us.
This tightly edited collection - there will only be three drops a year - is beautifully considered, exquisitely constructed, and not that expensive... The priciest item is a full-length wool coat at £895 (knits are £325 and jeans are £260),but believe me when I say, from a quality perspective, it stands up to any luxury brand. The buttons, lining, fabric, stitching - just everything - are all on point.
This is the sort of disciplined minimalism that we're used to seeing from Scandinavian and European brands like Toteme and Rohe (both brands I adore) and it's so pleasing to now have a British version (and one based outside of London). I'll be buying it.
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.
The Interview: Liberty's Ruby Beales on curating one of London's most magical jewellery departments
This week, I'm spotlighting Lauretta’s insightful interview with Liberty’s Jewellery Buying Manager, the aptly named Ruby Beales.
The jewellery department at Liberty is currently home to nearly 60 carefully curated brands, spanning fashion, demi-fine, and fine jewellery. Prices range from around £150 for a fashion piece to £15,000 for a one-of-a-kind fine creation. Regardless of price, every item is chosen to reflect the Liberty ethos, which celebrates exceptional craftsmanship and creativity.
In the interview, Beales shares her career journey, her philosophy when it comes to buying, and what it takes to captivate the discerning Liberty customer. Read the full feature here.
Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.
In Pictures: Lazy Oaf raises a pint to Guinness’ new London home with limited-edition streetwear collection
I’m not usually a fan of the seemingly growing collaborations between food and drink brands and fashion labels, but I’ve got to say that the new Lazy Oaf x Guinness collection is quirky and fun.
Under the title “What’s the Rush?”, the 25-piece collection is “inspired by the anticipation that comes with waiting for a great pint to settle,” as well as Guinness’ iconic advertising. As someone who is partial to a pint of the black stuff, I know all too well about that anticipation - and the disappointment if the bartender can’t pour a decent pint!
Having initially launched on the Lazy Oaf website yesterday, additional items will be dropping exclusively at the new Guinness Open Gate Brewery Guinness Good Things store on London’s Neal Street in Covent Garden on 11 December, marking the first of a rotation of exclusive launches planned for the space. I look forward to visiting Guinness’ new London home.
The collection features a range of jackets, knitwear, T-shirts, caps and gloves, marrying the latest trends in streetwear with design cues from historical brewery workwear, including ‘drayman’ details alongside Lazy Oaf founder Gemma Shiel’s much-loved illustration style. Got to love a pint-shaped pocket too.
Shiel says she always looks for a genuine connection before saying yes to a collaboration. As her Irish father owned and operated a pub in Soho where she grew up, you can’t get much more of a genuine connection than that. Anyway, it works, and it makes me smile - and I may just go for the cap just to get a reaction down my local!
Tom Bottomley, Contributing Editor.
