HOW IT'S DONE

Our sourcing decisions are fuelled first and foremost by the desire to bring you the most beautiful product possible, while retaining and nurturing the artisanal techniques that make your favourite vintage pieces so special, but are sadly lacking from the majority of contemporary garments.

We want your PRISTINE pieces to hang in your wardrobe for decades to come. Our decisions around design, materials and manufacturing are made with this in mind.

For us, sustainability is as much about longevity and the preservation of craft as it is about materials and labour practices. We combine beautiful materials with heritage techniques and carefully selected specialist manufacturing partners to create pieces we are proud to make, and you are proud to own and wear.

MATERIALS

We choose our materials for beauty, handle, performance and longevity.

Where possible, we favour natural fibres, deadstock and materials with a proven history in dressmaking. Silk, wool, cotton, leather and specialist tailoring fabrics recur throughout our collections because they wear beautifully and, when cared for properly, can last for decades.

We also use carefully selected modern fibres where they genuinely make a garment better. Stretch, recovery, structure and durability matter, particularly in our jersey, lingerie and close-fitting pieces.

We do not believe that one material is inherently good or bad. We would rather choose the right material for the garment, use it thoughtfully and make something worth keeping.

Many of our fabrics, laces, trims, prints and hardware are developed specifically for us, or sourced in small quantities from specialist and deadstock suppliers.

THE PRISTINE STUDIO

Our made-to-order hero pieces are created by our small team in our London studio.

We prioritise deadstock textiles and traditional dressmaking and corsetry techniques, including coutil linings, waist stays, boning, hand beading and stud embellishment, applied to detail-heavy, exaggerated designs.

Because these pieces are made individually, we are also able to offer customisation and fully bespoke commissions.

READY-TO-WEAR

The majority of our ready-to-wear collection is produced in small quantities by our specialist manufacturing partner in Shenzhen, China.

China has an extraordinary history of textile production and particular expertise in silk. Combining that knowledge with our manufacturer's meticulous approach to construction allows us to make the intricate garments we love at a more attainable price.

Our collections are developed collaboratively. We work closely with our factory through fabric development, sampling, fitting, construction and finishing, often going through multiple rounds before a piece is approved for production.

PICOT-A-GO-GO!

PICOT-A-GO-GO! began in London, where our first runs are cut and made in very limited quantities from deadstock Ponte Milano jersey.

Inspired by the fit of vintage foundation garments and 1950s and 60s stretchwear, each piece is developed around the body, with an emphasis on structure, fit and specialist finishing.

As the collection grows, selected styles may also be produced with our specialist manufacturing partners, allowing us to retain the fit and construction while producing larger quantities.

FOOTWEAR

Our footwear is made in partnership with a small specialist manufacturer in São João da Madeira, Portugal, a region with generations of shoemaking knowledge.

Our shoes are developed with the factory from the ground up, from lasts, heels and soles to leathers, hardware and finishing. They are produced in small quantities using traditional shoemaking techniques and materials selected for beauty, durability and wear.

EMBROIDERY

Our hand-embroidered pieces are produced in Mumbai, India, by a specialist embroidery studio whose clients include some of the world's leading couture houses.

Each piece involves highly skilled handwork, with beading and embroidery applied by specialist craftspeople using techniques that cannot be replicated by mass production.

JERSEY

Our jersey garments are manufactured in limited quantities by our specialist manufacturer in Shenzhen, China, before selected styles are screen printed in small runs in London, UK.

Working this way gives us access to specialist garment construction while retaining the character of traditional screen printing and allowing us to produce graphics in smaller quantities.

Some of our jersey is also developed and made entirely in London when the piece or quantity calls for it.

WHY WE MAKE THINGS THIS WAY

For the first five years of PRISTINE, we tried to make almost everything in London. We truly believe in local manufacturing and in nurturing the skills and crafts that have historically existed here.

Unfortunately, we have also had to accept that the UK is no longer always the best place to make the things we want to make.

Different products require different expertise, and we have found exceptional specialist manufacturers in Shenzhen, Mumbai and São João da Madeira who allow us to achieve things we simply could not achieve locally, whether that is intricate silk construction, hand embroidery or traditional shoemaking.

We still make in London where it makes sense, and our studio remains at the heart of our development and made-to-order work. But we will not put a Made in UK label ahead of the quality of the finished piece.

The product will always come first.