We're kicking of the month with a re-brand of our Brand Spotlight posts, they're now going by the name of Five Minutes With...I hope you can forgive us the confusion. Now, onwards!
This month we're talking to the lovely Roanna Price of design collective RAJE. RAJE is made up of four fabulous women who are working together to create an ethical fashion brand. We'll leave it to Ro to tell you more...
So tell us about RAJE...how did it come about?//
Back when we were all young, Innocent girls we entered the Make Your Mark in Fashion competition. We went on to become finalists, show at LFW and won some funding. This was the push we needed to go ahead and try and make R~A~J~E happen.
How have you found the process of setting up your own business?//
Challenging, formative and very very time consuming. Since I was 17 R~A~J~E has been my focus. Uni, jobs and friendships have all come and gone in that time. When you run a business you realise you can only have relationships with very secure people who understand when you can't do anything for the next 8 weekends!
Ethical fashion/design is the cornerstone of RAJE - do you ever find that this conflicts with any other aspects of the business?//
I think it's better put as, as designers we don't believe a product can be beautiful if it's origins are in bloodshed, exploitation and damage. So, rather than ethics being our cornerstone, true beauty is our cornerstone - the two are inextricably linked. And yes, it causes conflicts - but it all depends on your priorities. It conflicts with straight forward, money making goals. But we didn't get into this to make money. We want to provide beautiful, well-made, sustainable clothes that boost women's confidence and provide business for healthy supply chains. So in that way, no, there is no conflict.
Have you ever felt the need to compromise in order to stay true to your wish to remain ethical?//
We know that "being ethical" is a journey and one of the first things we all agreed on was that we would always, no matter how big we are, re-evaluate our production process, our employee contracts and our social responsibility. So while we don't feel like we've compromised, we also know that this is just the starting point.
The four of you come from different backgrounds within the creative industry, do you feel as though your separate disciplines merge well together? Do you enjoy mixing your talents?//
Definitely. Our different disciplines, passions and strengths make us an incredibly strong team. What one of us isn't good at, the other will excel in. And yes, a R~A~J~E day is always a fun day - we are four incredibly opinionated, stubborn, driven and talented people. I would say that J, A and E are three of very few people in the world who can take me on when I'm fired up, and the same applies to them. Uniting all of our passion and drive to run R~A~J~E really is a remarkable thing.
And finally, what does RAJE have up it's sleeve for the future?//
Many many things! But it's safe to say a limited edition range, second collection, online magazine and swanky studio space are all in the pipe line.
Thanks to Ro for chatting to us, we loved hearing about RAJE!
Svea xo
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