In the second installment of my series on great indie businesses, I’m honoured to feature the wonderful clothes label Riyka. I was contacted by Rebecca, who founded the company with her husband Vedren, and she told me a little bit about their love of great design combined with sustainability, and how that naturally led to the creation of their clothing line.
Working from their East London studio, the duo use jersey, denim and leather offcuts and other recycled materials to create beautful clothing which is a mixture of geometric shapes, simple lines and clean finishes. They believe in environmentally conscious practises, fair wages for all employees, and the garments are all manufactured within the EU – not only that, but the price point is comparible with other high-end retailers such as Toast, People Tree and Lowie, making them a new favourite in the ethical clothing category.
Throughout December, anyone who spends over £100 with Riyka will receive one of their dustbags as a bonus free gift. Usually priced at £10, the dustbags are sewn by Elizabeth, a 27-year-old woman living in Gambia; after her father died when she was thirteen, she went to live with a family friend but when money became an issue, the GETS charity stepped in and sponsored her final two years at school. She was awarded the title of ‘Best Seamstress’ when she graduated, and is now working towards living independently; every dust bag sold or included with an order of £100 or over not only contributes to Elizabeth’s future, but it also makes the perfect (re-usable!) packaging for Christmas gifts.
I’m so pleased to be able to highlight this wonderful company who place sustainable practises so high on their list of priorities, and I hope that you like their clothing as much as I do; personally, I’ve got my eye on that denim shirt. Check out that collar!
Very nice, I like the plain cuts and the geometric stuff.
I think it's so much better to support independent businesses, I hate it when you see high street shops ripping off their things too x
Thanks for the intro, sounds great and I love the examples you've picked out. Can definitely see you in that denim shirt! x
Wow, i love this stuff. That black dungaree dress & the geometric jumper are really great!
Oh I really love their stuff and thanks so much for sharing as I had not heard of this London based duo before – love the geometric shapesLaura x
I really like the patterned sweat shirt and it's so good to know you're supporting independents! x
I'd never heard of them! thanks for pointing me in their direction! x
ooh i've heard of them somewhere but can't remember where! love that denim shirt.