Judith Cutting, designer and founder of luxury clothing brand Guinea London, talks equestrian inspiration, dopamine dressing and creating lifetime investment pieces
You founded Guinea with the aim of creating a women’s clothing brand with a distinctly British feel. How would you define the way that comes across in the clothing?
Above all the brand ethos at Guinea is to make women feel confident and good about themselves. We use classic lines and cuts, but with a contemporary look and feel.
Equestrian-inspired pieces have reappeared on the runway over the past two seasons – what makes it such an enduring trend?
I think equestrian style embodies style and elegance – traditionally clothes were cut to ensure the wearer looked fantastic both on and off the horse! All our wool coats have an equestrian or military inspiration to the design and overall line of the garment. The long wool trench coats are always so popular. We know from customers that they flatter and fit so beautifully. We only make them in small quantities and use a 100% British produced cloth.
What led your approach to the latest collection?
For SS22 we focused on feminine and flattering dresses in pure silk. These have been so successful and we are expanding the range for AW22.
How do you make sure the brand’s tailoring stays at the highest level?
Simply put, we won’t compromise on the cost of manufacture. We work with a fantastic family-run factory with excellent tailoring skills and this ensures that the coats and jackets are lifetime investment pieces.
How important is slow fashion and sustainability to the brand?
Slow fashion is very important – we firmly subscribe to the less is more ethos. That is why our designs are enduring. Classic cuts and styles that will work season after season, looking as good on day one as they will in 10 years’ time.
You mentioned ‘dopamine dressing’ in one of your Instagram posts – what does that look like for you?
If every time you put an item on, you feel absolutely fantastic and flattered – that is dopamine dressing. So many of our customers tell us they get compliments when wearing their coat or dress, etc – so someone has made their day and in turn, they’ve made ours!
What do you love most about being a brand owner and designer?
Definitely customer feedback. Hearing from customers and listening to their stories and experiences when wearing Guinea is always quite humbling and makes it all worthwhile.
Go to guinealondon.com for more info
