Stewart+Brown in Vogue UK

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

It’s never a bad thing when you are reading British Vogue and the headline is “Stewart+Brown is the Real Deal.” And that’s exactly what happened last month when Livia Firth–wife of Brit actor Colin Firth, penned the headline for her “The Green Carpet Challenge” column. Since Livia was bogged down in Tinseltown for the Golden Globe Awards with her fab hubby, she dispatched her personal eco-stylist Jocelyn Whipple to S+B headquarters for a bit of personal shopping and some chit chat.

As it turns out, Jocelyn, the eco-stylist extraordinaire also happens to be Stewart+Brown’s UK sales rep. So not only did she get to do some personal shopping for Liv and her friends, she and Karen had a chance to sit down and collaborate on some exciting new ideas for the S+B brand’s next season. Even though her visit here was short, we were able to squeeze a small interview out of her before she returned to the UK. Here’s what Jocelyn had to say.

Q. What is your position at Stewart+Brown and how long have you been involved?
A. I am the UK sales representative and ‘Ambassador” for Stewart+Brown. We met at the first ethical showcase ‘Estethica’ at London fashion week in September 2006. I had been aware of the brand for a few years but we had never met. Once we did , it was clear that it ‘was meant to be’. We have a great relationship through thick and thin and I can honestly say that the longer I work with the brand, the more I love it!

Q. What are your hopes when collaborating with Karen Stewart?
A. ooh! Great question! Karen is so exceptional to work with as a designer and I so admire her ability to maintain the core tone and content of the brand and at the same time, is able to keep each collection fresh. This to me is what ‘sustainable design’ is all about and I respect that a lot. While visiting we came up with a lot of exciting ideas and I guess all I can say is my hope is that at least ten of those ideas come about in the next few years.

Q. What would you say your favorite S+B piece is?
A. Can I choose two at least? I wear a long sleeve Pima tee just about every day, so that is definetly one. The other would have to be one of my most prized garments, which is a beautiful long, super chunky knit cashmere coat from S+B’s Autumn/ Winter collection of 2007. That piece is going to my grandchild whether they like it or not. It is the most luxurious piece to wear and part of the luxury feeling for me is knowing it has contributed directly to empower the Mongolian herdsman’s way of life.

Thanks for the insight Jocelyn!