Chapter One - Introductions.

Hi. My name is Jess.

And I guess you could say my devotion to fashion began at 4 years old as I walked the catwalk for M&Co Kids in a local village hall.

The events that followed were, naturally, the result of my being thrust into child stardom at such a young age.

LOL. Not quite.

But for as long as I remember - I have been infatuated with clothes.

Allow me to fast forward us a few years…

Picture this.

I’m 7 years old - missing a couple of fundamental teeth - with the haircut of a 57 year old dinner lady (a short, suspiciously neat bob, shaven at the back). But contrary to the image that sentence just conjured up in your mind - at the time - Avril Lavigne was really the only person that mattered - and I must have watched that 'Sk8er Boi' music video on repeat for a solid month.

Before the days of lip-syncing videos & Tik Tok - there was me - in my new pink Tammy Girl rugby shirt, skater jeans, platform trainers complete with wheels in the sole, and the red light bulb I’d requested for my birthday (because that was the closest I was getting to a full blown punk bedroom makeover) - singing every lyric of Sk8er Boi into the mirror like I might BECOME Avril.

Then there was the legendary pink faux suede flares, with butterfly belt and gypsy top combo (probably only a week later to be fair) - the outfit that this kid Jodie shamelessly copied right down to that iconic butterfly belt.

The blue headband, the blue dress, & the blue violin. Iconic.

Then there was the mullet I hacked into my own hair at 14 because I’d seen someone pull it off SO good. It looked SO bad.

**I know what you’re thinking - if the story continues in this detail - we’re going to be a here a long time.

But what I’m really trying to get at here is this :

I’ve always loved making a statement. Fashion, for me, became a way in which I felt I could reinvent myself over and over - not because I didn’t like who I was, but because some days you feel more Beyonce than Avril - and it’s my belief that which ever way the pendulum swings, you should embrace the person you want to be today.

What we choose to clothe ourselves in tells a story, far before we even utter a word, and, I believe, it's one of the most significant things we can say about ourselves.

Yes, I’ve made some savage fashion choices, and I’ve got embarrassing photos to boot - but one thing I cannot be faulted for is trying it ALL. Anything and Everything - until I eventually landed somewhere in between constant pyjamas, and a leather blazer.

Chapter 2 : Depop will have to do.

I eventually wound up working in the industry (no 💩 Sherlock) as a fashion photographer - working with brands I’d loved my whole life. What a total dream!

So, you can imagine my horror when I decide to whack on a documentary one evening - "The True Cost” - exposing the grim truth behind the fashion industry, and very abruptly learnt that nothing is at all as it seems when you see behind the curtain of those glossy images of beaming models wearing this season’s latest trend.

Nothing could have quite prepared me for the proverbial slap in the face I was about to receive. Frightening exploitation, unprecedented pollution - the price of clothing has been decreasing for decades - but people, and our planet are paying the price.

Failing to hold back the tears - it became clear to me that now I knew the truth, I couldn’t ignore it. I had to make some deliberate changes to the way that I shopped.

I needed to find brands I could trust - not only focused on earth-conscious fabrics - but also transparent about the working conditions of their tailors.

But, for all my searching I kept drawing blank, after blank.

Any brands I could find all fit into one of two categories - earthy-toned linen culottes, OR rainbow dungarees.

There was nothing out there for someone like me.

To my disappointment, I resolved that for the time being - second-hand was my only way forward.

Chapter 3 : Girl on a Train

A few months passed, and while my shopping habits had adjusted quite significantly - I was irritated. Irritated that I lived in a world where it felt like very little could be done, and for all my trying - my efforts were futile. (And of course, during that time some of the coolest clothes I’ve ever seen came into the same high street stores that I’d vowed to stay away from.)

It was around this time that I randomly stumbled across a beaten up copy of the book ‘Shoe Dog’ written by the creator of Nike. Now, I’m not the kind of gal to curl up with a book and get lost in the world within its pages - but THIS book gripped me from page 1.

At every opportunity - I’d whip it out of my bag and read another page - on flights, in between meetings, over lunch - and every time I closed it I felt this wave of anticipation come over me - like something was about to happen.

But it didn’t make sense.

This book was about the life story of a guy who loved running. I don’t run - unless there’s cake. Surely whatever was inspiring about this guy’s story didn’t apply to me - I was just a photographer.

Chapter by chapter I devoured this book, as though it was going to spontaneously combust at any moment. But, it wasn’t until I curled over the final page of the book and set it down on the table that the penny finally dropped.

This guy changed the way the world wore trainers, and he was just as unqualified as me.

So, why the hell not? If Britney made it through 2007 - anything was possible.

As I began to give in to the excitement, my mind was racing...

Maybe ethical, sustainable fashion didn’t have to be just for the vegans?

Maybe it could be inspiring, and painfully cool, and ahead of the trends - made from organic fabrics - without compromising on design.

What if it could actually be a part of the solution, instead of adding to the global fashion problem?

Maybe I could educate people in a non-judgmental, non-preachy way about why they should value themselves enough to buy clothing that won’t one day give them cancer. Or why it shouldn’t cost someone’s life for them to benefit from a £3 t-shirt from Primark.

Wouldn’t that be frickin' cool?

A fashion brand, but with good intentions.

Chapter 4 : Wait so... how do you do this?!

While the book had given me a fascinating insight into a world I knew very little about - it sadly didn’t serve as a step by step guide to starting your own fashion label. Bummer.

I still had a LOT to learn.

I needed someone to digitise my designs.
I needed quality, sustainable fabric.
I needed people to make the clothes.

Here’s what I did know.

To minimise environmental impact as much as possible - I wanted the collection to be #MadeinBritain.
I wanted to handpick my manufacturers and personally ensure that every worker is paid the living wage or above.
For all the pieces I’d envisioned for the first collection - I needed Jersey - a knitted fabric - and I wanted it woven from 100% organic cotton. No GM, no pesticides. Final.

Then I met Simon.

I’d heard great things about Discovery Knitting - one of the country’s most prestigious, high-end, boutique mills - and like any total newbie to the game - I just showed up on their doorstep thinking it’d be like a trip to Tesco. I even brought my mate Leah.

Embarrassingly… it seems you make appointments in this game.

Now we know.

However, we were graciously invited in and given a quick rundown of the of types fabrics that they could offer.

Now, Simon is one of those people you can’t help but get on board with. His passion for sustainability, ethics, the business of fashion - it’s contagious (plus he teaches to fashion students at universities across the country on the topic).

This was a guy who knows what he’s talking about, and someone I instinctively trusted wholeheartedly.

Once again, that wave of anticipation came over me. Something was about to begin. How lucky was I? First hurdle - and I’d found the perfect partner.

I went away with a few notes, trying to absorb as much as I could from Simon’s wealth of knowledge - and placed an order for a few fabric swatches to be sent my way.

Chapter 5 - Baby steps.

Now I’d made a little headway on fabric - I just needed to find a factory that could manufacture the garments for me.

After a trip to the capital to visit a couple of London-based factories, and a couple of embarrassing phone calls where I fumbled over some of my new fashion vocab - I hadn’t found the right fit. Yet.

I had been given the contact details for a factory in Leicester - just down the road from Discovery Knitting - but I hadn’t found a website for them and had decided I was too scarred from my previous phone calls to call anyone ever again.

But as I pulled out this little scrap of paper with their contact details scrawled across it - I plucked up the courage to give it one more shot (as I type this I realise just how millennial I’ve become).

Chapter 6 : Enter Donovan

After an hour long chat with my new friend Donovan, I put the phone down - and that same feeling I’d had on the train, and later with Simon - washed over me once more. Something just fit. I’d found my makers.

Maybe it was because Donovan lives in a village just next door to mine, or maybe it was his belief in what I was trying to do - but either way - this bossman wasn’t trying to mug me off, or take me for a ride. He wanted to help a newbie out.

He’d advised me to get the ball rolling as soon as possible if I was hoping to launch anytime soon - and I’d arranged to visit the factory a few days later.

The following Monday I drove the 2 hour journey to Leicester in the rain - wearing my most grown-up pink boilersuit.

I met sweet Sveta & the team of lovely ladies at the factory - and we talked through all the pieces I’d envisioned as part of the collection. As I chatted away, Sveta drew each piece up as I’d described them.

Whatever it was that had felt like it was ‘about to begin’ had… begun.

The wheels were in motion.

This thing was happening.

I drove straight from the factory over to Simon and placed my official order for fabric, right there and then.

Chapter 7 - That’s where you come in…

As I write this… the most exciting chapter begins.

The collection is in production. I’m on the phone daily to the factory (much to their disdain, I imagine 😂) and preparations for launch are well underway.

By the time you read this - this fashion baby will have been born.

But what I hope is this - when you stumbled across Church of Antioch - I hope you didn't see just another fashion brand.

I hope you didn’t see ‘sustainable’ or ‘ethical’.

I hope you saw some outstanding, sick-as garms that … *SURPRISE!!!* - just happened to be both.

And now you know the story behind it too - including some of the wonderful people involved in the making of your COA piece.

Rest assured that SO. MUCH. LOVE. went into the designing, and making of every single garment.

Why wouldn’t you buy it? You wanted it anyway. But NOW - you get to be a part of this story.