Behind the Seams: Purple Guava
Designer Sarah Grace Hooper talks of highs and lows of running a business and the power of finding the lost and forgotten and turning them into something new
“Okay. Let's take a little sip of my coffee.” Designer and photographer Sarah Grace Hooper says before we delve into the peaks and troughs of running a business and who she is, how she works, and what she's all about.
If you're a fan of the world of upcycling or just beautiful clothing, Hooper started her own brand Purple Guava, the drool-worthy pieces using 100% second-hand fabrics and turning them into one-of-a-kind pieces that could only be described as very cool music video’s dream. Weaving second-hand cotton basics into dresses and tops has become Hooper's primary focus and we are here for it.
“I was just playing around and learned the skeleton weave technique and different ways to use that in a way to find that effortlessly cool look for a low-cost option.” Hunting vigorously through charity shops, Hooper discovered the number of cotton basics unable to be sold in second-hand shops, so as a creative connoisseur, she started collecting the latent stock unable to be homed elsewhere. The Textile Exchange's 2020 Material Change Index found that while progress is being made in the fashion industry, only 6% of the world's top fashion brands are doing enough to protect the environment, which is why pioneers like Hooper who are taking the unwanted to give a new lease of life are so prevalent, “I took loads and rescued them, did my first range and started wearing it at our uni and people would be like - I want that.”
Having started her brand during lockdown when contemplating how she would spend the endless hours we were all suddenly given, Hooper thought “I have two options, go down some sort of proverbial pit, not do anything and just wallow and waste time. Or I was like, hmm my sewing machine is sitting right there, I’m so bored. I could just make something, after starting to make a few things for myself - I had these skirts from charity shops that I turned into a two-piece set. I posted pictures of myself on Instagram and then suddenly had all these messages asking for one, then it became even boob tubes or other summary pieces I was creating.”
Hooper's friends and family were over the moon when she decided to get her machine back out, as she had sworn design was not the path for her even though during school she was known for it. Having a mother as a skilled seamstress helped pave the path for excellence, “she taught me most things that I know, and when I was younger my family was very careful with money, and always emphasised spending on experiences rather than things. But they had children who are very fashion obsessed. We love to hoard and collect things so my avenue became second-hand shops and thrifting. Even my grandparents used to take me to charity shops when I was little. It is very much in my nature to find things that are lost and forgotten, and try and build them into something better.”
Hooper saw the power of clothing being a social tool, she saw that through her ability to find something second-hand and make it fit you or look like an item that perhaps is designer or not in your price budget you could almost trick people. “I grew up in a really rich and affluent area, and I wasn't that well off. So people kind of looked down on me a little bit even though if I lived anywhere else, my family would be regarded as very well off. But it was that affluent of an area where people have Range Rovers sitting in their drives before they're 16. So my mum kind of taught me tricks and ways to fit in with the richer kids. By the way, I carried myself and how I made my clothes look expensive - I would feel more grand without having to spend anything. I’m grateful for that, that nature in me doesn't care about brands and big names, it's the quality of clothes and how they make you feel.”
When it comes to running a brand on your own it's hard, but when you are also physically making the clothes, shipping orders, and dealing with socials it's a challenge that comes with many highs and lows. Comparing oneself to others can also be a huge barrier however Hooper has also found it a huge learning curve, “I have some people who started their brand at the same time as me, and I kind of thought they had a similar trajectory. But because their pricing was in the hundreds the moment they released their first collection they are now soaring.” Hooper continues to explain how important it is to have faith in your hows and why’s, “if you market yourself as a bedroom brand, something affordable or DIY, people will take you as that. This is something I’m struggling with at the moment. But at the same time, I don’t want to alienate people who have lower costs or people who can’t afford my stuff.”
So what does one do in this hurdle that many designers are in? According to a survey by ThredUp, 62% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable fashion brands, however, the question to ask when deciding on pricing is how accessible you want your brand to be. “My negotiation with that is having luxury collections which I put my soul into and work hours and hours on a piece which is complex and that will be sold in the hundreds but that also having affordable collections charging under 50 pounds, I can afford to do that and I want my brand to be accessible.”
Purple Gauva is a brand to know, admire, and support - like Hooper's style the brand is a vision embracing the eclectic and funky vibe and intertwining it with a cool and sexy silhouette. It's an amalgamation of two aesthetics and worlds, “and, you know, I kind of liked that playfulness idea, like really childish, and naive, colour clashing and kind of like dressing up in your mum's wardrobe and you're just trying to make yourself feel as badass and sexy as possible. But you don't quite know what you're doing.”
Hooper feels her Purple Gauva incorporates her style which she feels is a paradox of slick silhouettes and playful almost naive colour palettes and patterns. To check out more of Hoopers world, delve into her enigmatic brand - all links below.
