Sustainable Style: Why we love East Anglian label Gaia Garments

Designed and made in East Anglia, planet-friendly fashion label Gaia Garments is the brainchild of Ellena Gall. Winning both a prize and plaudits in the World’s Lightest Boardroom - like Dragon’s Den, but hosted in a hot air balloon by Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews - she tells Alice Ryan her brand story

Congratulations on your World's Lightest Boardroom success! To get that recognition - and the prize package! - must feel good? It was such a surprise and honour to win - the other businesses were amazing so the competition was tough. But yes it felt great to be selected as the winner.

What made you enter in the first place? And what's the plan for your prize package? We actually got selected without entering so the invite to attend was out of nowhere! With the prize money I intend to upgrade our equipment, and help launch our new limited edition ranges.

Rewinding a little: what inspired you to start a fashion brand? During lockdown I was learning about the damaging effects of fast fashion and looking for alternatives, but couldn’t find what I wanted. Armed with a sewing machine I started sewing at home and it went from there!

How would you describe the Gaia Garments look? We love the tagline: Look good, feel good, do good. . . The pieces are staple and timeless, trends come and go and encourage overconsumption so we want to provide versatile wardrobe essentials that can be worn again and again, all whilst flattering the wearer.

The garments are designed to both work and play hard, aren't they, being made to last and to wear multiple ways? That was definitely the aim, how many times do you find a top you love so buy it in multiple colours? We wanted to simplify this and give people even more options for how to wear their pieces.

And - obviously - they're designed to be as kind to the planet as possible, too. Tell us what makes your pieces a planet-friendly purchase? We work on a made-to-order business model, meaning no product is made without having a home to go to. This avoids any excess products being made, and additionally we made our pieces out of tencel, a super planet friendly fabric made from tree pulp.

We know you started the business just three years ago with a single sewing machine in your dad's spare room - and today you have a team of seamstresses! What's driven that growth, would you say? Our growth has definitely been down to our amazing customers and audience - all our growth has been organic through social media and word of mouth. We have amazing customers who return again and again, and are so lovely in recommending us constantly.

If you could recommend a single hero piece to our readers, to add to their wardrobe now, what would it be and why? Probably the scoop neck vest - it is four tops in one so just perfect for any occasion. As we move into warmer weather I find myself reaching for mine constantly.

What's the ambition for Gaia Garments? And the reward of running the business for you? I would love to be a household name for staple wardrobe items. I love educating people to change their buying habits, and knowing that I’m helping people with this is a huge reward for me.

See and shop the range at gaia-garments.com. For more information and style inspiration, follow @gaia_garments on Instagram.