About Conscious Apparel – our story

A shared passion for ethical fashion led to the reconnection of two friends, Sylvia Schroer and Karin Barter.  Both in our 50s and 60s we wanted to wear clothes that made us look and feel fabulous, and did not make us look invisible – as clothing for women of our age can so often do. Sylvia’s mother, Irmgard Chapman, was a fashion entrepreneur in the 1960s and 70s. When she passed away in 2013, Sylvia found herself drawn to fashion herself and she started working at a much loved ethical fashion boutique in York (Maude & Tommy). Sylvia decided to branch out herself after the boutique closed and invited Karin, who had recently retired from teaching, to join her to take Conscious Apparel forwards. The company started in 2018.

The two friends initially met many years ago when travelling on a bus to India and enjoyed more travelling adventures together – in the days before this became a popular thing to do in a gap year. We were lucky and travelled through Iran and Pakistan – as well as seeing beautiful Syria. We lost touch over the years as our lives went in different directions but through re-connecting recently we found we shared so many interests and values in common.

Conscious Apparel is value driven company, based on the principle of kindness to both garment workers and the environment. We celebrate the amazing work of skilled artisans who make our clothes.

We absolutely need to start to think more about wearing more sustainable fabrics – and clothing that is manufactured ethically, with workers rights being respected.

Five years on from when we started, we are greatly enjoying collaborating creatively with designers, manufacturers, artisan makers, artists and photographers to bring you our unique look and style, which we hope you love!

So please join us and celebrate ethically made clothing that will make you feel fabulous and look amazing!

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