Understated elegance is very much our signature style

Guinea London is a luxury women’s clothing brand by designer Judie Cutting with a distinctly British feel and a mission to make sure that every style is always designed and cut to flatter. In an interview with Fibre2Fashion, the designer talks about British culture and fashion and describes the aesthetics of her collection.

Fibre2Fashion: What drew you to the fashion industry, and how would you sum up your experience?

Judith Cutting:

I’ve always designed and made clothes and had a strong view that all clothes should be cut to flatter all women. I started the brand in 2016 and have found the industry very professional and adaptable to working with different ideas and designs – there really are no rules.

F2F: How would you describe your collection’s aesthetics?

JC:

Quality is paramount to all I create, but above all, as previously mentioned the key to my designs are that every style must flatter all women within our size ranges. I work very much on the ‘less is more’ principle, but with carefully placed details to enhance the shape. At Guinea, the collections are classic, but totally suitable for the modern, contemporary wardrobe.

F2F: Can you shed some light about British culture and fashion?

JC:

I think Guinea encapsulates British culture and fashion, in that there is an emphasis on good tailoring and that classic, enigmatic look which just says ‘British’. Britain has been at the forefront of international culture and fashion, and there have been so many style icons over the years, right back to Mary Quant and Biba. Today there is amazing talent coming out of the fashion colleges, all with the most amazing creativity and originality.

F2F: Can you please walk us through the design process of your collection?

JC:

It always starts with something I see, a detail, a look and then I think “what if” we moved that collar, had more buttons, or perhaps a deeper cuff.  I see something and it then sparks me to recreate a shape, or a style but in my own way.

F2F: What are the innovative approaches after the pandemic that you have undertaken for your brand?

JC:

We had to completely change the way we did business, switching from selling products face to face and to shops and steer the business into an online business. The secret lay in offering more casual, everyday products as well as the core tailored coat collection.

F2F: What is the signature style or niche of your brand and how difficult it is for a designer to stick to a particular niche or signature style?

JC:

Understated elegance is very much our signature style. The velvet Motcomb coats very much epitomise our signature style; they are classically cut and styled but have the military buttons we are so fond of, and bridge that divides between classic and edgy ‘boho’ style which never dates.

F2F: How do you include sustainability in your collection?

JC:

Natural fibres, mainly wool, are widely used in our collections and we work with heritage mills in the north of England to source our fabrics. Our key suppliers are now using solar technology and environmentally friendly waste disposal and recycling processes to ensure that the products we buy from them are as sustainable as possible.

F2F: With so many womenswear brands coming into picture, how do you ensure your label stands out?

JC:

That is the big question! I think Guinea has a distinctive look and feel, and that’s certainly what our customers tell us. Fundamental to standing out is our commitment to styles which will flatter all shapes and sizes, which really makes us stand out.