One positive thing about lockdown is the number of exciting new businesses we’ve seen start up in Leicester. One of those is Saint Saviours.
Saint Saviours is a Leicester inspired clothing brand, taking influence from the city’s textile heritage. We caught up with Nick, who set up the venture with his brother, to find out more.
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Tell us a little about your new brand, Saint Saviours?
Hey! So, Saint Saviours is a premium clothing brand, reflecting Leicester’s textile heritage through a modern aesthetic. We already know Leicester as being famous for so many other things, but we felt like we should raise awareness as to just how influential on the world its textile background used to be!
What inspired the start-up?
The inspiration came for the start-up towards the end of the summer last year – just as we were tackling the pandemic head on and the news that fast fashion was exploiting our city. Me and my brother were already considering ways to make our daily lives more sustainable, especially since the pace in our lives had changed and we really started to take note of how we were living. Coupled with the issues highlighted around the bigger fish in the industry, we decided it was down to somebody to help put Leicester back on the map and shine a light on the fact that it’s not always been like this. In fact we were once the second richest city in all of Europe, and working conditions meant a healthy social life and many out of work benefits that were linked to each factory, for both men and women.
This was where Saint Saviours was born. Our ethos was simple – a conscious effort to work alongside local manufactures at fair, proper pricing, to reuse and recycle wherever possible (not just with our clothes but in our everyday studio life too) and to showcase all the good, local talent Leicester has to bring.
What are some of your favourite items that you sell?
I would be lying if I said we have a favourite piece, as we spent a long time making sure the collection was exactly right. Each product was carefully designed, sampled, tested and re-designed to make sure by the end of the process, we had the product to back ourselves up with.
However – I have found myself living in our ‘Originals’ hoodies at the moment – the thick fleece lining is the ultimate in comfort for taking off the chill!
Do you design the items yourself or work with a team?
All of our products are designed in house currently by myself. We are, however, branching out to local Leicester based artists to collaborate with soon, so we can begin to not only have a range of style throughout the brand, but showcase some of the talent that Leicester has to offer.
What is the plan for Saint Saviours over the next 12 months?
The plan for Saint Saviours over the next twelve months is to just really push the brand and cement ourselves as another great independent within our city. We’ve decided to keep our current collection small, but with the introduction of a few new items peppered throughout the year just to keep the quality at a level we are most happy with. This, alongside keeping our social media presence high and networking with as many people as possible should keep us ticking along for the year nicely.
Who are some of your other favourite independents?
Other independent brands we really dig at the moment would be P&Co, who are Midlands based like us who are really refining who they are – it’s been interesting to watch them grow. Other independents we like are St.Martins Coffee for keeping us fuelled, as well as other Leicestershire independent artists who really influence us, which we feature on our Instagram ‘Artist Spotlight’ – a twice monthly showcase of talent that Leicester has to offer.
Which other clothing brands inspire you most?
There are many brands that inspire us for different reasons. We love Ben Francis’ (Gymshark) work ethic and how he treats his colleagues. We appreciate brands such as Kent & Curwen for their longevity in the industry and being able to adapt and survive. Looking closer to home, we really like what Nikki is doing at Silly Girl Club, creating unique pieces through reusing retro materials in a sustainable way.
Where can people find out more and shop online?
You can find out more by visiting our website at www.saintsaviours.co or popping on instagram.com/saintsaviours.co and giving us a wave!