Built with the desire to create fashion that’s fit for every woman, Tallulah & Hope design timeless styles that transcend age, trends, and differences. Turning a once-dream into reality, founders Lisa Ispani and Zoe Stevenson began the journey in 2010, and conquered the fashion industry with exceptional designs that are artfully quaint.
Read on for Lisa’s story on how herself and Zoe accomplished it…
Zoe and I met many years ago through my husband and we instantly became friends. I was working in fashion PR and Zoe’s background was Fine Art, before attending Central St Martins, and then becoming a stylist and costume designer. In 2010, we decided to launch Tallulah & Hope. It was initially a resortwear brand focusing on holiday styles, but we evolved into focusing on pieces that are ready-to-wear, that are versatile, hardworking and precious.
We’re known for our prints and embroideries. Zoe hand-draws all the prints and embroidery motifs every season, giving our aesthetic a more organic feel (as opposed to artwork being created digitally). Our signature bird motif represents freedom – with nature and the bird kingdom being a key inspiration for us each season. Zoe also takes inspiration from various artists particularly for new colour palettes.
Our fascination doesn’t lie in following trends, but rather in creating beautiful clothing that helps you express yourself. Items that you’ll cherish through the seasons. A lot of creativity goes into creating the pieces, the prints and embroideries –
they’re truly unique. We work with a leading embroidery workspace in Mumbai and produce in small quantities using premium fabrics. Some styles like this season’s ‘bell print’ are created in Jaipur using a traditional hand-screen print method, which is a much more artisanal way of producing clothing. We also use other artisan methods like ‘appliqué’. For SS24 we will be weaving our own cotton fabrics, too!
Art-inspired prints and embroidered clothes for women with considered style.
We produce limited runs using high-quality natural fabrics (and sustainable where possible) to minimise waste. We work with small production partners in India, and in Mumbai we work with a family run factory that prioritises fair pay and a safe working environment. In 2021 we set up our own workspace in Jaipur so we could work directly with local artisans. This season’s Gloria wrap dress and jumpsuit is made using Bemberg Satin, a sustainable cupro fibre which is biodegradable – it has a stunning, unique luster and drape, and feels incredible to wear!
In a world that has enough, we always strive to make must-have pieces that make you feel good and pieces that will last in your wardrobe now and forever.
We’re a small team of women and the Tallulah & Hope studio is based in creative quarter of Folkestone. Tracy is our studio manager overseeing customer shipping and stock. Kaylee is a design assistant to Zoe. Janet recently joined our team as garment technologist, specialising in fit. Amala is our dynamo production manager who is based between London and Mumbai, she liaises with our factory, runs our workspace in Jaipur and helps organise our trips to India to touch base with all our production partners.
We would like to see the brand continue to flourish and grow. Our goals are to keep creating clothing that really resonates with our customer and keep moving the brand in an ethical direction.
Shop Tallulah & Hope now on Monsoon Bazaar.
