Birdsong

A London fashion label, founded by Sophie Slater and Sarah Neville, whose clothes are made by women facing barriers to work and paid a London living wage.

About Birdsong

Birdsong is a London clothing label that makes everyday pieces such as dresses, knitwear and slogan t-shirts, and describes itself as feminist and ethical. The clothes are designed in-house and then made with community groups and women who face barriers to employment. Each garment's label carries photos of the women who cut, sewed, embroidered or knitted it. The brand's tagline is "No Sweatshop, No Photoshop". It uses fabrics such as TENCEL, cotton khadi (hand-woven cotton from India) and bamboo, and has been working on a size-inclusive collection.

Birdsong was founded by Sophie Slater and Sarah Neville, and Susanna is named as its designer. They built the company around the people who make the clothes. Ms Slater has described a collection as "not just a new collection" but "a livelihood for local women in London", and as "a practised craft" and "a culture change". A 2019 campaign called Blueprint showed the cost of one dress in detail: for a £120 dress, about £27 went on labour at £15 an hour, and £24.13 on the cotton. That is a good example of the transparency the brand talks about.

The brand is London-based and works with community partners across the city. According to its crowdfunding page, dressmaking is done by Stitches In Time in Limehouse and embroidery by Bow Sewing Centre in Poplar, knitting by groups at an Age UK centre in Kingston and a community centre in Enfield, and packing by adults with learning disabilities in Kentish Town. It has also run a pop-up shop in Poland Street in central London. We did not find a studio or office address, and the sources are from around 2019.

On culture, Birdsong is a women-run business, and its values are in the open: fair wages, good working conditions, and the reinvestment of half of its profits into women's organisations, which is the company's own statement. The people it works with are part of its story, and it names its manufacturing partners rather than hiding them. We could not find any information about team size or the day-to-day culture of the small in-house team.

A small ethical fashion label needs people with a range of skills: designers and pattern cutters, production managers who work with makers, buyers of fabric, e-commerce and photography staff, and marketing and community people who explain the brand's story. Small teams often mean that you do a bit of everything. Students interested in fashion, social enterprise or supply chains can learn a lot from it. Because our evidence is several years old, check Birdsong's own website for its current range and its current team.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Dresses, knitwear and t-shirts made with London community groups and paid a London living wage.', 'title': 'Ethically made clothing'}
• {'desc': 'Shows the cost breakdown of what goes into a garment, such as the Blueprint dress.', 'title': 'Transparent pricing'}
• {'desc': 'A low-waste, size-inclusive collection developed through crowdfunding (2019).', 'title': 'Size-inclusive range'}

Key facts

• Founded by Sophie Slater and Sarah Neville; London based
• Makers are paid a London Living Wage; named partners include Stitches In Time in Limehouse and Bow Sewing Centre in Poplar
• Says it reinvests 50% of profits into women's organisations (company claim)
• Blueprint SS19 campaign: a £120 dress with £27 of labour at £15 an hour (2019)

Website: birdsong.london