At a glance
Summer is synonymous with Wimbledon. Tennis core is trending and you’ll be pushed to find any participating players in SW19 without their Christy Official Championship Towel to hand.
This year, Christy’s infamous soft towels weren’t only absorbing sweat and tension from the world’s most formidable tennis names – they were also reimagined and upcycled into a dedicated Heirloom Collection by upcoming designer Sam Nowell.
2023’s surplus stock has been reincarnated into chic, wearable pieces – including the all-important Heirloom Bag, an instant sell-out and head-turner in its own right.
Continue scrolling for a conversation with Sam, the talent behind the designs as well as a look at Christy’s evolving sustainability efforts.
Exploring Christy’s sustainability efforts
Christy was established in 1850 and has a rich heritage in textiles, hailing from Manchester. The company has had resource efficiency front of mind for centuries. For instance, Founder Henry Christy was stringent on water-saving measures at factories responsible for the production of the first terry towels. You can read more about the brand’s history here.
Today, the brand is focusing on factory compliance with the auditing of its factories on environmental and labour standards, the certification of fibres like cotton (including Oeko-Tex and Global Organic Textile Standard) and circular packaging solutions. Christy communicated that currently 80% of its products are manufactured in facilities using renewable energy sources and no fresh water.
The company’s supply chain strategy is configured towards made to order to avoid overproduction. 50% of its products are made in vertically owned factories, ensuring end to end traceability, shared the brand. Christy has the target to achieve full traceability in its owned factories by 2028 – a welcome goal, given the opacity of textile supply chains.
On the occasion when there is surplus stock – Christy has a charity scheme to repatriate products and is now exerting efforts into projects such as the Wimbledon 2024 Heirloom Collection by repurposing towels into functionable, fashion items.
Christy CEO, Vanshika Goenka Misra commented that, “For the last 35 years, Christy has proudly provided the Official Championship Towels for Wimbledon, which have now become an icon of the two-week tennis celebration. The new Heirloom Collection typifies this sentiment, repurposing and upcycling a time-stamped piece of memorabilia into something new, fun, and useful.”
In focus: The Heirloom Collection at Wimbledon 2024
Christy teamed up with Sam Nowell, a rising star and Central Saint Martins graduate who has created a name for himself through his playful approach to design. Quintessential Britishness is the common denominator of much of his work. Take for example the ‘Pillars of English Society Patchwork Jacket’, featuring offcuts from Royal Mail and Tesco fleece as well as a Gregg’s Apron – need I say more.
Be sure to follow Sam’s studio here. This partnership feels like the perfect fit – what could possibly be more British than Pimms, strawberries and cream on Henman Hill/Murray Mountain, all whilst enjoying a high- calibre Wimbledon tennis match.
For the Heirloom Collection, Nowell set to work reimagining how Christy’s super soft and lightweight Hygro Cotton towels could be put to use. The end result was a men’s Harrington jacket paired with shorts, and a women’s ensemble featuring a sleeveless Harrington jacket, a tennis skirt, and trousers.
Nowell’s processes began with research, sketches and the creation of toile patterns to create the final pieces, which were finalised by hand over several weeks.
If you don’t want to draw attention to yourself, don’t take the Heirloom tote bag out in public. So many people have commented and complimented this piece, which came in two different colour ways, Wimbledon’s signature purple and green and vibrant pink. My favourite thing about the bag is its capaciousness, perfect for sports, the gym and everyday errands. The bag was an instant sell out and retailed for £65 so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for next year.
In conservation with Sam Nowell
- What did you enjoy most about the process of creating this collection?
The most enjoyable part of creating the collection was slowly seeing the clothes come to life on the mannequin and working through the placement of certain panels. It’s always a process of designing whilst actually making and continuing to develop the design, rather than designing and then making.
- If you had to pick a favourite piece from the Christy X Wimbledon collection, what would it be and why?
It would have to be the Green Harrington Jacket. I was so pleased with how it fit and all the extra details that were added to it such as the epaulettes and the tennis ball pocket on the back!
- If you could select one tennis player to wear the collection, who would it be and why?
Always a soft spot for Roger Federer, however I think Emma Raducanu. I was lucky enough to watch her at Wimbledon and she was brilliant, such a talent and oozes style in both how she plays and acts.
- How has your Mancunian heritage influenced your approach to fashion design?
I think it’s more of a northern mindset that’s really influenced my approach to design, this idea of nothing happening unless you make it happen, or nothing being handed to you on a plate. You have to work at it. It’s a relentless journey and daunting to have to put yourself and your work out there. I’ve known many people who never bother because they don’t deem it good enough. I can look back on things I’ve made, and they make me wince because of how poorly made they are but I know that they were once the best thing I’d ever done, and had to be made and shared with people to get me here now. That’s an attitude of course not exclusive to the North, but I think it’s very prevalent in Manchester, especially looking at cultural landmarks like Factory Records, Umbro & Fred Perry.
- What advice would you give to young designers looking to start upcycling and using deadstock?
Young designers can be more conscious of their waste, and not be afraid of bringing past designs or patterns back in different forms for future seasons. I think there’s a real pressure for things to be fresh, young people want that freshness, that newness, but it still can be by using waste materials and upcycling.
- If you could improve one thing surrounding sustainability in the fashion industry, what would it be and why?
Burberry had a scheme where they gave excess fabric to fashion students, I’m not sure if they still do it. I think it was on the back of it coming out that they burnt excess nova check fabric. I’d like to see other bigger brands donate fabric to fashion colleges or students, especially in Northern universities.
- What advice would you give to people who are trying to upcycle or reinvent their clothes at home?
My advice is always not to be too precious. It’s a learning curve and always will be. Find something you don’t wear anymore or that you’re not too precious about and get cutting/ sewing. Upcycling can take many forms, from painting on old denim jackets, to creating completely new styles from old curtains or towels, build it up slowly and don’t be afraid to experiment.
- Which fashion designers, living and dead have inspired your work?
Very inspired by Margiela and his approach to upcycling and reinventing/ twisting how clothes are worn and seen. I am also a very big fan of John Galliano & Rei Kawakubo, for their longevity and genius.
- Why do you think it’s important for fashion brands and designers to increase their use of surplus stock/materials? How can this approach lend itself to creativity and innovation?
It’s so important, today more than ever as we look to really be conscious of our waste in a world that is so throw away. Clothes are meant to last, and this idea of buying something new from a fast fashion brand for £2 and throwing it away after 3 months is ridiculous.
Creativity is almost always born out of limitation, so when you set restrictions of only using Wimbledon Towels, or having a finite amount of material to use, very often you have to be creative with what’s made, and that is a wonderful position to be in.
Final thoughts
As a global sporting event, Wimbledon is often the subject of warranted criticism for receiving sponsorship from companies often linked to the oil and gas industry and its historic use of plastic, particularly single-use water bottles. It is initiatives like this brought to us by Christy and Nowell that spark hope, creativity and much-needed fun. I’m already looking forward to seeing what the 2024 towels will be transformed into for next year’s tournament.
This piece is written with a special thank you to the Peridot and Christy teams for inviting me to celebrate the collaboration and attend the Wimbledon Championships 2024. It was a day to remember.
You can watch my highlights via Instagram.
Be sure to follow Christy for their latest updates on home and lifestyle products and Peridot for their continued collaboration with Christy.
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