Alleyne’s Sixth Form student, Phoebe Baddeley, talks to A Little Bit of Stone about her ambition to create one of the most significant sustainable fashion brands – PHOEBS.
As 2022 unfolds in front of us, Phoebe, or Phoeb as she’s known, talks to A Little Bit of Stone about her new brand.
“The last year of my life has been crazy; I’ve been fortunate to meet and talk to some fantastic people. I’m most proud of the launch of my brand, PHOEBS, which is funding organisations to restore our world for the better.
My story started at only 15, and I’m now turning 17! As a kid, I have always been fascinated by the outside world, going on a ski holiday every year and seeing the world from above, but it’s only become a huge part of my life since 2020, with that passion and obsession leading to me creating PHOEBS.
I started PHOEBS At 15, during the 3rd lockdown at a time when I was struggling. The brand was a lifeline for me, but it gives people hope for the future, “doing fashion the right way”.
I was never great at school; more people believed in me than I did in myself. I never had any regrets; if that was saying stuff I shouldn’t have said or doing things I shouldn’t have done, I don’t regret it at all! I would regret it if I had never taken the chance and launched it.
PHOEBS was created in 2021 with the vision to be one of the biggest sustainable brands by 2030; so far, the brand has been spotted in 14 different countries, the biggest one being the United States.
Since its launch, PHOEBS has been making the impossible possible, like helping prevent an entire species from going extinct, which directly results from people supporting PHOEBS. I’m really pleased in the way my business has grown, it’s currently valued at £17,000 and that’s what’s made all of this possible.
We have tremendous opportunities coming our way. Therefore, I have decided to support another organisation to help rewild the UK. I’m really excited for the future, to see the things PHOEBS will achieve and the person I will become along the way. – This has changed my life.”
Phoeb went on to explain what the future vision is for PHOEBS, telling us:
“I hope that in the future, PHOEBS is more than just a brand. I want the public to be proud of it, a British brand, a brand everyone wears not just because of its values, but the change it’s making funding organisations to create the future which was about to slip away, a world of richness and colour nature returning.”
As a young entrepreneur, we take influence and support from those around us; Phoeb singles out her biggest supporters as her headteacher at Alleyne’s, her mum and the enthusiasm and belief from teacher Mrs Chadwick.
Phoeb finishes off by telling us about her vision for PHOEBS and why it will be different:
“At PHOEBS, we envision a wilder future; it’s not too late to save the wilderness slipping away from our fingers therefore, we must come together. With each sale we make, proceeds go to organisations like rewilding Britain and bio rescue project to help bring communities together to stop extinction and to restore nature. Our product range uses sustainable materials listed with PETA approved vegan, certified organic cotton and recycled polyester.
So why will PHOEBS change the way fashion is seen within the environment? Our brand isn’t just a brand; it’s visionary; it gives people hope for the future because with every type of clothing which is developed, it isn’t affecting the world around us due to the sustainable resources and the vision we hold.
Ask yourself this? Would you spend £10 more to buy an organic T that is helping to rewild one of the most nature depleted countries helping to restore wildlife, or would you buy a top for £5, which has consumed a whole river destroying an entire ecosystem causing species to become extinct? We’re doing fashion the right way, the way it should have been done a long time ago.
Fast fashion has been evolving for more than a decade, the cheap clothes grabbing people in despite the fact that lots of people are unaware that fast fashion is one of the biggest pollutants, the second biggest after the oil industry. Due to the demands of fast fashion, it has killed wildlife and puts endangered species at risk due to habitat destruction and ecosystem loss.
Despite all that, and now having alternatives like sustainable brands such as ourselves, consumers are still buying fast fashion to a huge extent. Therefore we aim to do fashion the right way; one of our main values is production. So we get our products made here in the UK made from organic cotton and recycled materials and certified PETA approved vegan As we know how big of an impact fashion has on the environment.”
If you’d like to learn more about PHOEBS, then check out their Instagram – Phoebsclothing
