Karen Radley meets sustainable brand: Story-Wear’s

Tell me about Story Wear:

Upcycle design with social impact

Story Wear is a Taiwanese sustainable fashion company using 100% upcycled jeans, fabric waste, and functional textiles, to manufacture our entire collection. We are known for our one-size and unisex trench coats, jackets, and blazers, as well as bags and accessories.

Our makers are skilled women from disadvantaged backgrounds, including unemployed tailoresses and mothers of severely disabled children, who operate from purpose-designed workshops offering a safe, respectable, and flexible working environment.

Story Wear has been awarded the Positive Luxury brand, Winner of Asia Pacific Social Innovation and has showcased at Taipei Fashion Week for 4 years.

Favourite neighbourhood in Taipei:  

Tianmu - Close to Yangmingshan National Park, the area is combination of both local and foreign cultures. Here residents can find everything from decent wine shop to local street food. Only twenty minutes drive to the National Park, where you can takie in a view overlooking Taipei City.

Favourite place for brunch: 

HOME is where I prepare my favoure brunch with a great book

Best coffee or tea in Taipei:  

Bubble Tea. This world reknown bubble tea was first established in Taiwan! It is a daily delight for Taiwanese people. Karen you must try one to be part of the community!

Favourite gallery or museum:  

I love the National Palace Museum where there is a permanent collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of Chinese artifacts and artworks.

Tell us a secret: 

This year Story Wear has recycled 14,000 pairs of jean and we glad we have achieved this goal as it equivalent to 96,160,330 litres of water we have saved this year!

Favourite place to shop: 

Nottingham- I don’t shop for clothing because I can make them myself. But I have passion for antiques and works of art.

Favourite place to find inspiration: 

Hualien Taroko Mountain in Taiwan as nature will always find the answer for you. The V&A Museum in London is where you can take inspiration from history.

Best Taipei destination for a date: 

Smith and Wollensky Taipei – Located on the 47^th floor of the 101 Tower, the most iconic building in Taiwan. Nothing can happen when there is a great bottle of wine or a martini cocktail!

Your sanctuary in your neighbourhood : 

WoolloomoolooTaipei - Woolloomooloo Xin Yi 信義From Hotel, decent café to handmade deli. Everything you need for a fresh day its here.

What inspires you?

Mother Nature, the Cosmos, Surrealism. Many pieces in our collection are inspired by nature as we want to represent its’ importance and relevance. I personally love everything about the cosmos and surrealist artwork. This has inspired our patch work design

This season I’m loving:

Fall – a poetic season that allows ideas flow.