Back in September we had the pleasure of meeting Gemma Moulton, founder of East London Cloth, a household linens and soft furnishings brand with a sustainable and traditional focus. Read on to find out more about how Gemma went from her desk job to creating her own craft-lead business.
Can you tell us about yourself and how East London Cloth started?
East London Cloth was born through a combination of necessity and having the time to explore ideas I’d been thinking about for a while. When covid hit, my husband’s industry was hit badly, and I lost a huge contract. I was bored by the lack of creative input curtain making was giving me, so East London Cloth was born!
Where does your passion for upholstery and soft furnishings come from?
Having spent a lot of time working at a desk, surrounded by incredible crafts people, I longed to do something more practical. With a young family, I couldn’t afford to spend years retraining, so when I found an upholstery course that rolled 2 years into 1, it seemed like the perfect option.
What creative process do you go through when designing and making new collections?
Usually, months and months of sampling fabrics, making samples, and testing them. It’s always good to have the input of another maker, as they’ll have different ideas on how things should be constructed. Finally, lots of spreadsheets!!
Fabric is so important to us at Wrap, can you tell us more about your linens?
Our linens are woven in Ireland and washed by us. They work out more expensive than other options (lots of linen now comes from the far east), but the quality is like nothing I’ve ever experienced, and it’s something I feel we will never compromise on.
What advice would you give to someone starting-up their own business?
Passion and know-how go a long way, but ultimately, it’s perseverance and persistence that gets you through.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
Typically, I check emails and socials as soon as I wake up, then head to the studio straight from the nursery run. The day can then differ so much! I usually set-up our maker with some work, then the day can either be computer based mixed in with a bit of making and packing, or out consulting on jobs. We then usually work into the evening, once the kids are in bed. Really not the most exhilarating! But I do love the variety and the flexibility.
How do you make your clothes work for you and your busy lifestyle?
I think I used to be quite prone to fads and having quite a high turnover, but now I try to pick well-made pieces in amazing fabrics, longevity and ease are really important. What are your go-to wardrobe staples? Good high waist jeans, blouses, and leather loafers. Denim shorts in the summer and lots of linen!
Gemma’s Favourites
City... London!
Season... Summer - always.
London hangout... In the summer Hackney Wick, anywhere
by the canal or in Victoria Park and in the winter a cosy pub.
Film... Office Space
Cocktail.. Wine
Beauty product... Mac, Russian Red lipstick
Food...Seafood.
 Ruffle-neck broderie blouse > |
 Mom jeans > |
 Tiered dress > |