GET SMART: British fashion labels including Rixo, Me+Em and Cefinn have created a capsule collection of looks to raise money for Smart Works, the U.K. charity that donates clothing to unemployed women preparing for job interviews.
The 11 female-founded fashion labels have contributed one item each to the collection of fall 2023 looks and will donate 25 percent of those sales to the charity, which is marking its 10-year anniversary.
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The full capsule collection launched on the Smart Works website Tuesday and the individual pieces are being sold via the brands’ own e-commerce platforms.
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Designs range from an oversize houndstooth lambswool scarf by TBCo priced at 72 pounds to a green wool maxi-coat from Jigsaw costing 385 pounds. Missoma is offering a pair of twisted medium hoop earrings for 89 pounds, while Rixo is showcasing a bright red jacquard dress that costs 255 pounds.
The capsule collection has been selected by the stylist and Smart Works ambassador Isabel Spearman, who said she wanted the pieces to be designed by women to represent “the best of British fashion.” She said she was eager to raise awareness of smaller, independent British brands among the public.
Kate Stephens, Smart Works chief executive officer, said that every time someone buys a piece from the new capsule collection, “they will be helping another woman connect to her potential and transform her life. The belief in fashion as a force for good sits at the heart of Smart Works.”
Smart Works, which also partners with big retail brands such as Burberry, Marks & Spencer and Reiss, has recently expanded to 11 centers across the country. The charity raises money through donations and regular sales of clothing and accessories.
The charity said that against a landscape of the cost of living crisis and the aftermath of the pandemic, its support is needed more than ever and it’s hoping to double the number of women it helps by 2025.
Over the past 10 years, Smart Works said it has supported 30,000 unemployed women with “the clothes, coaching and confidence they need to get the job and transform their lives.”
Some 69 percent of the women the charity supports go on to get a job within one month of their appointment, according to Smart Works.