The latest brand to drop at The Norah Store is Manchester made Grey Milk.  We chatted to designer and founder Gwen Harris to find out all about the brand and the process of idea to reality.

Meet the Designer

Grey Milk is the brainchild of designer and maker Gwen Harris.  Gwen studied Fashion Design in Nottingham and after stints at working for various companies, decided to start her own venture of curated collections of sustainably made gorgeous garments.

We chatted to Gwen about how Grey Milk came about.  

Her answer? 'I always wanted to do something creative but I wasn't sure what, I was equally interested in music and fashion, and they still go hand in hand when i design now. I grew up around loads of friends who were in bands. We were learning how to express ourselves and i think fashion & music were both really fun ways to do that. I had a go at both, I made a cool track for Girlboss on netflix, then I really went on to find my own fashion design aesthetic and haven't stopped since. i worked as a print designer for a while after graduating from BA fashion design at NTU and then started working on Grey Milk, and then launched around a month ago. 

And when asked about her style icons?

'I try to create for comfort and fun, rather than following trends too closely/using a muse! But I adore Hannah Weiland's (of cult brand and Norah Store fave Shrimps) style and I'm also obsessed with Jeanette Madsen.

Grey Milk muse Jeanette Masden

Sustainable practice 

Sustainability and ethical practice is sewn into the ethos of Grey Milk.  When we saw the launch of Grey Milk's first collection 'In Bloom' with its oversized shapes and 60s floral prints we knew it would be the perfect fit for The Norah Store.

Grey Milk incorporates sustainable practice into their design and manufacture process in multiple ways.  Grey Milk uses a made to order model, meaning that they only produce what the customer demand.  This means no surplus fabric or stock goes to waste, which is a huge issue in the fashion industry at large.

The Joanie Trousers - shop here

The Ella Dress - shop here

Furthermore, no animal products of any kind are used in Grey Milk garments (no fur, leather, wool, hair or silk, or fish derived glues). Grey Milk is 100% cruelty free and vegan.

The prints are all designed in house, so they won't be found anywhere else!  The printing process Grey Milk uses is water free, non toxic and eco friendly, compared to traditional dyeing processes which in order to dye 1 tonne of fabric, 200 tonnes of water is required.

Ella Dress Details 

Many of the fabrics Grey Milk use are natural, organic and recyclable — by next drop, they are committing to making all of their fabrics natural. They are trialling some new suppliers that are able to cater to my sustainable printing needs and can’t wait to roll this out next drop.

In addition, all Grey Milk packaging and branding are recyclable and all fabric waste is recycled into packaging, trims and small accessories.

Inspiration

A few of Gwen's inspirations for Grey Milks premier 'In Bloom' collection?

60s floral prints, Mary Quant and the floral pattern on the rear of a Nirvana LP - In Bloom. Gwen started with the prints and it grew from there.

The Orla Dress - shop here

 Looking to the future

'More more more!! I'm already thinking about the next drop (Autumn), and there are a couple more additions to the shop to come before that. I've committed to a 100% natural range next season, and because the brand is so young I'm really excited to see where I can take it. I'd also love to collaborate on some projects with some other local makers as an unexpected outcome from starting the brand has been discovering a tonne of other brands and makers who are absolutely changing the game.'

Grey Milk Polly Top

We couldn't think of a brand better suited to The Norah Store's aesthetic and principles.  We only hope you love it as much as we do!  Shop our favourite Grey Milk picks in store and online, and if you stop by the store, check out the gorgeous window display dedicated to launching Grey Milk.