Be green and gorgeous: Now you can be eco-chic with a striking collaboration at John Lewis

To say Amy Powney, creative director of Mother of Pearl, is ahead of the curve is an understatement.

As a student in the early 2000s, her graduate collection focused on ethics at a time when ethical fashion was still synonymous with hippies in hemp. As Powney put it, the industry she wanted to find a job in just didn’t exist.

Fast forward to 2020, however, and everybody cares about ethics and sustainability. We want to know who has made our clothes, where the fabrics have come from and how many miles the garments have travelled during the manufacturing process.

Not only do Powney’s designs feature ‘peace silk’ (produced without killing the worm inside the silk cocoon) and eco-friendly dyes, but she also puts emphasis on the transparency of the supply chain. 

Despite all its attractions, however, the brand’s main line is expensive, with dresses often hitting the £500 mark. But the good news is that Powney has created a collection for John Lewis — her first collaboration with a High Street retailer. We can expect shirts, tops, dresses, trousers and blazers made from organic wool, organic cotton and Tencel (derived from wood pulp) at far more affordable prices than her main line.

Despite doing no harm at all to John Lewis’s eco-credentials, Powney is keen the endeavour doesn’t get mired in worthiness. As she puts it, this is ‘serious fashion, not to be worn too seriously’.

Mother of Pearl’s ‘thing’ is oversized silhouettes. Fashion insiders are particularly excited about the baggy shirts with statement gold cuff detail (above), and the loose-fit beige suit (above left). Both are almost identical to pieces in Mother of Pearl’s main collection but, at £99 and £278 respectively, are something of a bargain. For anyone who is a little hesitant about volume or bold pattern, then the dresses in this collection are a good option. The pale stripe and leopard print dresses, both above, are particularly easy to wear.

Powney makes no apologies for her big, bold, comfortable silhouettes, saying they are about women dressing for themselves.

And there is something undeniably comforting about seeing John Lewis launching a collection against a backdrop of deep uncertainty on the High Street. Somehow, if John Lewis is looking forward, then so can we all.