The start of November kicked off with us having our very first pop-up boutique at The Spirit of Christmas Fair. Our founder, Roberta Lee curated the entire collection and used it as an opportunity to spread the message of a more ethical and sustainable Christmas; the idea of valuing quality, craftsmanship, people and the planet, showing that shopping ethical and sustainable can still be luxurious without having to compromise on quality or style. We were all very proud of the team effort that went into the pop-up
“Being able to see the EBD Pop-up come to fruition and not just a vision in my head has been better than I imagined. The 5-weeks of insane work that went in behind the scenes to be able to fly the flag for ethical and sustainable brands at Spirit of Christmas, London’s biggest Christmas shopping event of the year, was definitely worth it. I believe we achieved our goal of showing that ethical and sustainable doesn’t have to mean going without style or lifestyle luxuries – and a life less throwaway can be just as glamorous.” – Roberta Lee
The Ethical & Sustainable Edit Sponsored by Bulb 
Welcome to the EBD Boutique 
The EBD Boutique – Pop-Up Shop at Spirit of Christmas
The fair is one of the largest shopping events of the year and during the seven days, it is estimated that 55,000 people attended. Set across two floors with over 900 stalls, having a presence at London Olympia for The Spirit of Christmas fair was an amazing opportunity for Ethical Brand Directory and incredible brand exposure for all the brands that joined the boutique.
Over the course of the week, selected brand founders joined the team in the boutique to speak to customers directly about their products, and support the EBD team. We’ve featured all of the brands that took part below.
The Morphbag
The Morphbag was founded by Italian, London based designer Giovanna Sessi-Knott. Giovanna considers herself to be a fashionista who grew up with parents in the fashion industry. The Morphbag was born from the desire to create a bag that could meet the need of the everyday woman. The set includes a reversible tote, a crossbody bag and a clutch. All the bags can fit inside of one another and it comes in six colourways. While Giovanna wanted to create a collection that could adapt to the needs of women, it was important that it be done in an ethical way. Each bag is made from faux leather that is certified vegan. Their aim is to persuade non-vegans to choose cruelty-free bags over traditional leather.
DISCOUNT CODE: SOCEBD10
Visit their listing: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/the-morphbag-by-gsk/
Distinctively Me
Distinctively Me was born from a story that every woman can relate to. It’s founder, Jill White struggled to find her perfect fit. She wanted a pair of trousers that fit her perfectly but was unable to find them, so she turned to made to measure. Despite having no initial intention to start a brand, after speaking to tailors and fabric makers, Jill knew she had the opportunity to help other women find their perfect fit too. Distinctively Me creates made to measure clothes that can be altered in any way to suit the wearer. Unlike some of our other members, Distinctively Me didn’t start off as a brand that was aiming to be ethical. Their manufacturing process and brand values naturally made them ethical. At Distinctively Me they value slow fashion and believe in buying quality pieces that last. Like many of us, Jill soon realised the importance of responsible fashion and continues to ensure her brand is as ethical as and sustainable possible.
DISCOUNT CODE: N/A
Visit their listing: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/distinctively-me/
Roberta Style Lee
Roberta who actually founded EBD through her styling business, also had a presence at the show helping men and women to make their impact not only through their wardrobes but a more conscious way of living and shopping. She was also on hand during the show to do live colour draping demonstrations as well as help shoppers with personal shopping. Outside of her work with EBD she works with individuals on bespoke styling, personal branding and believes in empowering her clients to ‘wear their values’.
Roberta showcased the gift of personal style as a sustainable gift option presented in beautifully crafted boxes, with gold ribbons – it was definitely a great idea for a gift for a loved one who has everything!
DISCOUNT CODE: SOCEBD10
Visit Roberta’s listing: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/roberta-style-lee/
From Belo
From Belo is an award-winning accessory and handbag brand that uses decommissioned materials destined for landfill. Co-founded by Maria and Charlotte – they work together to design, create and sell handmade items made by a team of talented artisans in Belo Horizonte. For every item sold they help to feed those in need in Maria’s home town in Brazil.
Visit their listing: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/from-belo/
DISCOUNT CODE: SOCEBD10
Noah Italian Vegan Shoes
NOAH creates Italian footwear and accessories that are completely vegan. They are committed to using manufacturing processes that are friendly to the environment, human health and animals. They use vegan materials made from synthetic microfibres as an ethical alternative to leather. They sold their shoes for both men and women, as well as bags and accessories during the fair.
Visit their listing: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/noah-vegan-footwear/
DISCOUNT CODE: NOAH-London-19
Jewelled Buddha
Jewelled Buddha was founded by Harjit Sohotey-Khan after becoming inspired by her travels throughout Asia. Jewelled Buddha partners with social enterprises and ethical brands. They curate handmade collections that are sustainable and ethically made. Their products are handcrafted by artisans using age-old craft techniques and using upcycled, handloomed, organic and vegan fabrics. They showcased a range of colourful and distinct clothing and accessories during the fair.
Visit their listing: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/jewelled-buddha/
DISCOUNT CODE: SOCEBD10
THE White T-shirt coMPANY
The White T-shirt Co creates essential wardrobe staples for men and women that are made to last. Their products come in classic colours to suit any outfit and they offer an enhanced Tailor Your Tee service for a perfect fit. The White T-shirt Co was founded from the desire to create organic wardrobe necessities that were both ethical and sustainable.
Visit their listing: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/the-white-t-shirt-co/
DISCOUNT CODE: SOCEBD10
Ethiqana
Ethiqana is a social enterprise founded on the principles of ethical sourcing, sustainability & fair trade. They sell handmade earth friendly handicrafts made by artisans which helps them maintain a sustainable livelihood. Stocking a broad range of items such as greeting cards, children’s toys, decorations, gifts, necklaces and other items for the home.
Visit their listing: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/ethiqana/
DISCOUNT CODE: N/A
Bare Faced Skin
Bare Faced Skin is an organic, botanical, vegan skincare range. It was developed by Helen Taylor, someone who suffered from eczema and sensitive skin. Their products contain vital nutrients designed to care for and nurture the skin. They use clear labelling with no hidden ingredients and do not test on animals. If you came to the fair, you would have had the chance to try out their lotion for yourself.
Visit their listing: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/bare-faced-skin/
DISCOUNT CODE: SOCEBD10
Maha Loka
Maha Loka creates handmade totes and bags using eco-friendly and recyclable materials. They have a passion for the earth and its people that is reflected in their products. Each bag comes with a passport tag with a QR code that gives you access to information about where and how the bag was made.
Visit their listing: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/maha-loka/
DISCOUNT CODE: N/A
Tatum Diamond
Tatum Diamond was created by its namesake Tatum Diamond. Tatum Diamond are a brand that believe in slow fashion. They create luxury hand-crafted, environmentally responsible bags to provide a high-end experience to those who care about the world. Everything is made to order, to a meticulous standard.
Visit their listing: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/tatum-diamond-london/
DISCOUNT CODE: SOCEBD10
Artisan and Fox
Artisan and Fox sell jewellery, homeware and accessories for women crafted by artisans from around the world. They help small and independent artisans gain an international reach with their products and encourage you to #KnowYourArtisan on a personal level. they create profiles for all their artisans on their website so you can get to know them and be inspired by their stories.
Visit their listing: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/artisan-and-fox/
DISCOUNT CODE: SOCEBD2019
Oisin
Óisín (pronounced Ush-een) is a UK clothing brand that creates ethical and sustainable clothing using a minimalistic aesthetic. Their clothing is made from natural and organic materials. They take inspiration from a range of design disciplines including architecture, photography, art and more, with a focus on proportion and geometry.
Visit their listing: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/oisin/
DISCOUNT CODE: N/A
Belles of London
Belles of London is an ethical and contemporary British womenswear collective. They are real women across different ages, lifestyles and body shapes who have each designed a capsule collection of pieces they would wear, taking into consideration design, fit and fabric. Their factory is based in London and has an open-door policy, so you can see exactly who made your clothes.
Visit their listing: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/belles-of-london/
DISCOUNT CODE: N/A
Kirivoo
KiRiVOO is an exclusive and high-quality slow fashion label for women. KV uses sustainable fabrics to create elegant womenswear while considering the social and environmental impact. All their garments are handmade by professional seamstresses in Estonia. Their clothing is produced on demand to reduce waste. During the Spirit of Christmas Fair, they featured their beautiful upcoming jewellery collection.
Visit their listing: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/kirivoo/
DISCOUNT CODE: SOCEBD2019
THANK YOU
Ethical Brand Directory’s Ethical Edit was sponsored by Bulb, the UK’s biggest green energy supplier. We’d just like to take a moment to say thank you for giving us the platform to be able to put ethical brands front and centre at the show. Bulb is on a similar mission to help the planet, they aim to help their customers reduce their carbon impact, as well as their energy bills. To find out more about their green energy visit: https://bulb.co.uk/
Building the vision – Teamwork makes the dream work! 
The EBD family – We are #StrongerTogether 
Celebrating True Teamwork!
Our founder Roberta was full of gratitude and love for everyone that helped out, that she wanted to say a personal thank you some of the people involved:
“I want to give a big thanks to those who helped make this pop-up a reality: We must not forget to mention Bulb who sponsored us and enabled me the opportunity to curate the Ethical Edit, and of course Spirit of Christmas organisers who offered us partnership status. I can’t thank Charlotte Bingham-Wallis enough, she is the co-founder of From Belo who was instrumental in helping this pop-up come to life! Partnering with me to ensure that we had things built for the shop, that we had floor plans and enough furniture. I couldn’t have done this without her help and support.
I’d also like to thank Mark Lancton who helped us with our first official EBD photoshoot and has captured the Spirit of Christmas journey for us through his artful lens. A big shoutout to James Lim who shot behind the scenes to capture all the hard work and effort that has gone into making this Pop-Up opportunity happen. We are looking forward to seeing our mini-documentary soon! Huge appreciation for Tatum Diamond who stepped in last minute to help us with our graphic design needs! Big thanks for my newest interns Khadijat and Dayna for their work leading up to the event too.
I’d also like to say a huge thanks to everyone else who helped out with the build and the breakdown, which includes Char’s ‘dad’ Gavin for being our handyman, one of my oldest friends Jason who took time off from the Army to help us, and of course Arshad from Ethiqana who helped us get to and from the venue and helped us finish preparing the shop on the Sunday. It wouldn’t be right to not mention the wonderful Steve who built the directory, who also stepped in to help break down the shop on the final Sunday too.
This was a true team effort and I feel blessed to have such a great support network around me and this is why I am so proud to call myself the founder of Ethical Brand Directory.” – Roberta Lee