Bristol ethical businesses Mabboo, which makes a range of bamboo clothing, and handmade leather goods retailer Aymo, have joined forces to open the city’s first pop-up shop dedicated to sustainable fashion.
E C O – standing for Ethical, Creative and Organic - is open until January 14 in The Galleries shopping centre, Broadmead.
Mabboo was launched by Edward Cheney from Southville in 2010 when he came across bamboo clothing while living in China. He saw huge potential for this wonder material to transform the clothing industry. Bamboo is more environmentally-friendly than cotton as it is 100% organic, grows incredibly fast (up to the height of a double decker bus in a week), and, unlike water-intensive cotton, requires no irrigation.
He started selling bamboo T-shirts at Bristol’s Tobacco Factory market and now after two years of hard graft selling at markets and music festivals across the UK, has expanded his range to include hoodies, vests, socks and underwear. Edward appeared on Sky One’s entrepreneurship programme The Angel earlier this year.
He has teamed up with Aymo, which sells handmade leather satchels and shoes, for his first shop – in a disused retail unit on The Galleries’ third floor.
If all goes to plan, Edward will look to open a dedicated store in Bristol towards the end of next year.
He said: “Bristol is probably the most forward-thinking city in the UK when it comes to ethical and eco retail. So it makes sense for Mabboo to open its first store in Bristol city centre.
“Sustainable retail is not just about the materials in the clothing, but also about helping to sustain our high streets, which are in real decline. It is for this reason that we decided to open in The Galleries to help reinvigorate and breathe new life into the area. It is such a sad sight to see empty stores and we hope that Bristolians appreciate our work and come by to check out our store.”
Pictured: Edward Cheney, far right, with E C O staff and supporters
