Sustainability + ETHICS

Inclusivity

A word from our founder and designer Hayley –

‘The aim of Rolling In Roses was never to be exclusive, never to cater only to one specific ‘type’ of bride. All personalities, all hair types, all skin colours, all body sizes. I don't know what else to say except I hope we have always been a welcoming and safe space to anyone who chooses to visit us. From same sex weddings to trans-gender customers to selling dresses to middle-aged drag queens and making gowns in a range of all-inclusive dress sizes and creating dream dresses for people with all shades of skin and with myriad different accents, I've loved every last moment meeting my lovely and varied clients. And I'd just like to make sure everyone knows that all of us here at RIR promise not to discriminate on any level, ever. All is love.’

Eco-Friendly Fabrics

We are passionate about fabrics. We spend an insane amount of time sourcing luxury materials which are not only divine to look at and wear, but also ethically produced from eco-friendly fibres. Our commitment to lowering our impact on the environment borders on obsession; we consider every detail throughout our production methods, from the organic cotton thread we use for construction, right down to our elastic inserts made from natural biodegradable rubber and our organic cotton size tags. Quality, luxury fabrics are everything to us at RIR, and we’re incredibly proud to say that 94.8% of the fabrics used in our most recent collection have sustainable certification; whether that’s organic, closed-loop, vegan, biodegradable, compostable, or recycled, meaning our materials are produced in ways that protect the environment, are low-carbon, protect natural resources like forests and water, and are cruelty-free and ethically made. So please allow us to shout loud and proud about some of our incredible new fabrics, and what makes them so desirable…

Organic. All organically certified fabrics not only guarantee a chemical-free production which protects the earth and surrounding habitats, but also a high level of water conservation and ethical production which protects workers. Factories are inspected regularly to make sure they meet the high standards required. No slave labour, and happy insects abound.

Closed-loop. Natural cellulose fibre viscose is produced using a circular system which cleans, recycles, and reuses all the chemicals and water used during the processing of the fabric. It is such a joy for us to be combining our traditional and ancient dressmaking techniques with such modern innovative technology as this.

Recycled. We are so excited whenever we find incredible, luxurious recycled fabrics. One fibre is produced using the cotton linters which are the by-products of the cotton industry which would otherwise end up in landfill, and another has fibres spun from reclaimed plastic waste taken from the oceans; so not only are these luxury fibres a dream to wear, but they are also cleaning the earth rather than polluting it. An absolute delight.

Low-impact. The viscose fabrics we use are produced using natural wood-pulp from bamboo and eucalyptus forests, which grow quickly and freely without the use of pesticides and fertilisers. These forests are also protected to ensure no over-harvesting is endangering habitats or eco-systems.

British made. Many mainstream fashion fibres are produced in one country, then spun in another, woven into fabric in another, and sewn into garments in yet another, meaning the carbon footprint of the finished pieces are incredibly high.  Which means that, comparatively, our British-produced lace and silk has the lowest possible carbon footprint. Happy days.

We’re doing the best we can, but things can always be improved. If you have any questions about our fabrics or would like to order a dress in an alternative material, please don’t hesitate to ask. Another word from our designer:

‘Our only real guilty pleasure thus far has been sequins... and believe me when I say I've tried to find an alternative, but I'm just a sucker for a little bit of a glimmer! I've been in talks with a lady in London who is developing recycled sequins but they're not commercially available yet, and I've been in contact with someone who did a PHD on renewable fashion who has developed prototypes of beautifully iridescent biodegradable natural sequins, but apparently they're way off commercial production yet too, sadly. I allow myself to use the plastic ones because we're not creating fast fashion that's going to be worn for one Christmas party and then chucked in the bin, so I'd like to think that the sequins we use are for heirloom pieces that will be kept precious and admired for years to come, and hopefully worn again!’

The nature of made-to-order bridalwear is inherently sustainable as it’s not mass-produced and therefore there is no over-production. But obviously we want to encourage our brides to make the environmental impact even smaller by altering, dying, restyling and wearing again their wedding outfits. Our bridal separates are great for this; styling blouses with vintage jeans and killer heels or shortening a skirt and wearing it with your favourite boots. Most of our fabrics can easily be dyed and we are happy to advise on this; we would LOVE to see more pictures of our brides re-wearing their nuptial outfits! Cyclical fashion is the way forwards, friends. Let’s start a bridalwear revolution.