In my quest to discover how a more sustainable and eco friendly future can be produced for the high street, for my own interest and my dissertation, I came across a brand in Topshops Oxford Street store named the Ragged Priest. Of course I was instantly intrigued. I loved the whole edgy, deconstructed punk look it portrayed and wanted to know more about this brand
My friends from work told me a few facts. The Ragged Priest is a UK Vintage company from down South that reworks vintage garments. This means that every piece in the Topshop range may look similar but each was unique in its design. When I researched more I found out their brand traded in two areas; Vintage products and reworked Vintage. Though they wouldn't be the first store to reconstruct designs from old, they stand out from the rest because they rework to follow current trends rather than just sticking to the era of the product. When I conducted research for a project last year, it was evident that some people could be reluctant to buy more sustainable second hand or recycled products because they were not necessarily trend driven and didn't allow them to fit into the latest styles of the high street. Perhaps this proposes an interesting idea to be considered for a eco future for major high street brands? When attending Lovebox festival this weekend many wore the ragged Priest brands or copies of this style showing that something more sustainable could be highly accepted to the mid market customer. among their celebrity customers include Rihanna, Jessie J and Florence Welsh which perhaps indicates that celebrity endorsement has helped with the rise of the brand as well as its amazing, original style.
Here are a few pictures from the Lookbook that I hope you enjoy as much as I do. It was a pleasure to see some of these products up close and personal at the weekend as part as trend research for work.
