"I love to make clothing that highlights the vibrancy and creativity of women who do not want to disappear into the background."
– Bryony Richardson, Owner & Designer
Who is Palava?
Palava is an independent, UK-owned clothing brand that is full of character. We make colourful and quirky pieces that are designed to be lived in and loved for years to come.
We are passionate about sustainable clothing and we pride ourselves on keeping things small and transparent. We know every step of the process and everyone who works hard to make our dresses a reality.
Every element of our designs originates from our small team of four, with Bryony Richardson as the founder and primary designer of the prints. Each collection tells a unique story every season through colour and hand-illustrated patterns.
Our dresses
Our dresses are designed with our customers in mind. They are flattering, practical and comfortable, enabling the women who wear Palava to feel their best when wearing our clothes.
As we age, women are too often forgotten, implicitly expected to blend into the background. We believe in aging gracefully and living life in full colour.
Our unique prints and bright colours embolden and empower our customers. Each of our prints tells a story and is designed by the small Palava team in our London studio. Bryony illustrates or paints or watercolours each one herself!
Where do we get our inspiration from?
We find joy and optimism in things of the past.
The nostalgia of our favourite books, toys and adventures inspires stories and prints for our dresses. We reminisce about good times spent in our favourite party dresses, and the excitement of discovering beautifully deep pockets in any of our items of clothing.
But it’s also in the preservation of valuable things and the care put into mending items that were loved ‘to death’ that we find inspiration.
It’s the longevity of well-made, practical items that don’t follow trends that have shaped our designs to what they are today.
Where are our clothes made?
We work with just three small companies.
For the bulk of our orders, we are incredibly proud to have worked with the same small family-run factory on the outskirts of London for over eight years. We love how easy it is for us to drop by and get updates on production or sampling.
Our heritage-style wool knitwear is made by a manufacturer in Mansfield, specialising in British wool.
We have chosen to source and produce our fabrics and knitwear in Turkey, with the help of our trustworthy partner Guray. We’ve been working with him for over 7 years!
Our sustainability
We care deeply about our planet and carefully consider each step of the production process to ensure our clothing is made as ethically and sustainably as possible.
For example, all of the fabrics we use are made from natural fibres and we use natural, Corozo nut buttons for all our dresses. We produce all our pieces as close to home as possible to reduce the carbon footprint of each item and improve our supply chain transparency.
We still have a lot to learn though - such a Palava isn't it! We believe, even though we are small, we have a lot to give. We know the world can be a grey place sometimes, but it’s never dull with us. We always aim to put a bit of fun into everyone’s day!
You can find the most recent information on this by visiting our sustainability page.
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Publicity & Marketing
Emma Dickinson: emma@palava.co
Studio/Office Address: Palava, 98 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DN