The affordable British cool-girl brand to know
We make no secret of our love for cool independent brands at Red, and the latest label dominating our wish list is British, affordable, and female-led too. Damson Madder has been on our radar for a while now – its cult popularity with celebrities, fashion editors and influencers alike means it never leaves our Instagram feeds – but its dominance of Copenhagen Fashion Week SS25 street style is sure to send it to new heights.
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Even if you haven't heard the name Damson Madder, you're bound to recognise its puff-sleeved Dakota bow midi dress; it was all over the FROW at London Fashion Week SS24, and the gingham version in particular is a real social media darling. Its statement front bows play right into the ongoing hyper-feminine 'coquette' trend, while its flowy cut makes it easy to throw on and blissfully comfy to wear.
Still no? Perhaps you've spied the brand in Anthropologie, where you'll currently find 42 of its pieces, as well as Urban Outfitters, ASOS and Harvey Nichols. Or, you might have admired Anya Taylor-Joy's outfit at Cannes Film Festival in May, when she wore Damson Madder's cream Lola blouse, £75, in a pretty blue bow print (see above).
If you're new to the label, this piece sums up its 'romantic but cool', modern vintage aesthetic nicely – clock the floaty balloon sleeves, frilly oversized collar and, of course, those signature bows again.
Damson Madder launched in 2020 (a week before lockdown!), so it's quite a young label. Founded and still based in Camden, north London, by Emma Hill, it's become the go-to for leopard print clothing – which also happens to be another key trend right now – with its leopard gilet and leopard cargo jeans always selling out (head this way for our Fashion Director's tips on styling them).
The very of-the-moment oversized scrunchies are another big draw, as is the white Edith nighty dress (another key micro trend that has taken off this summer). But truly, no matter what Damson Madder piece we put on, we feel instantly great and know we'll attract 'Where's it from?' compliments like a magnet.
Hill's focus is on creating timeless clothes that you'll want to keep in your wardrobe forever, at a cost that still feels accessible. She's big on responsible practices – she left the fashion industry after many years after becoming 'disillusioned by some of the bad practices' – so Damson Madder pieces are produced slowly in small batches from organic and recycled fabrics to minimise their environmental impact. Wondering about the name? When testing out natural dyes, two of her early favourites were called 'Damson' and 'Madder', and hence Damson Madder was born.
Though supportive of the brand's sustainable ethos, the limited collections of 15-35 styles per drop fly off the rails, meaning if it's love at first sight with something you know you'll live in, we recommend snapping it up before it goes. No, really: only about 100-350 pieces of each design hit the shelves at a time in a bid to save excess stock from landfill. It's hard to believe there'd be any excess stock with clothes this gorgeous, we know, but we admire the determined efforts to avoid it.
So, on that note, here are just a few of the Damson Madder pieces on our never-ending wish list, including some new-in pieces for autumn/winter. Sorry in advance to your bank balance...
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