6/05/2014

The Cashmere Queen


QUEENE AND BELLE may have been established in 2000, but for those who haven't heard of it, never fear as it is enjoying something of a renaissance. Specialising in the finest cashmere yarns woven into chic, must-have-now designs, the label's look is effortless and comfortable with an irresistibly quirky touch.

For founder Angela Bell, however, the relationship with fashion dates back further than 14 years. Formerly a senior designer for the European and Asian markets at Pringle, Bell grew up on the Scottish borders, surrounded by local mills producing the finest wool and tweeds for the likes of Chanel and Hermés, and thanks to two sartorially savvy grandmothers she was immersed in the local trade from a young age.

"It was hard not to get into it. One granny had a closet full of tweeds and woollens from the local mills - including from Holland & Sherry, which typically makes Savile Row suiting, and Lochcarron which made tweeds for Jean Muir - and my other granny taught me the very practical skills of using a sewing machine and knitting with pins. There was no stopping me after that!" Bell told us.

Having started the brand in a mansion - rather romantically - overlooking a loch ("It was the perfect setting for the brand, helping us create our lifestyle vision for our customer as we imagined her"), Bell has always insisted on using local factories and yarn - a crucial selling point of the label.

"I use only the very best Scottish-spun yarns from local supplier Todd & Duncan. It's a long staple yarn combed from the under-belly of a cashmere goat - a superior yarn that lasts longer and has an inherent light, lofty hand-feel once knitted that is the mark of a quality product," Bell explains. "And I produce all my cashmere in a small factory in Hawick in the Scottish Borders, this is absolutely key to my business as I know my technicians personally and together we can execute any vision directly and maintain the highest standards."

It's a vision that involves boyfriend cardigans and oversized sweaters being reworked into luxurious investment pieces with, as Bell puts it, "an optimistic and graphic" touch, a vision that no doubt you will be seeing on the backs of many a fashion editor right about now.

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