A WOKINGHAM mum has designs on a new career after launching a recycling fashion business during lockdown.
Sophie McKeown, 35, had started an events company last April but was forced to close it after covid restrictions cancelled all her bookings.
Instead, the enterprising mum began a new business designing and selling organic ethically made T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies.
Now Sophie has won praise from leading fashion influencers and celebrities from the hit show, Made in Chelsea.
She has also won an award from Dragon’s Den star and businessman, Theo Paphitis, and made the finals of a TikTok competition to find the UK’s next entrepreneur.
“It has been a whirlwind twelve months,” smiled Sophie whose seven-year-old son, Austin, helps model her designs.
“I’d bought a horse box which I’d transformed into a mobile gin bar. I had bookings for weddings and parties all round Berkshire but when lockdown happened, I had to return everyone’s deposits and close the business.
“Rather than just sit at home and moan, I began to think of another business that I could do. I’ve always loved fashion and recycling and have a background in marketing so I looked at the market to see if there was a gap I could fill.”
Sophie was shocked to discover around eighty-five per cent of all clothes bought in Britain ended up in landfill after they wore out.
She decided to launch Happi-inc.co which stresses the importance of shopping ethically and sustainably as well as recycling.
“All our clothes are made to order in the UK so there is less waste and our packaging contains no plastic. Our clothes are organic so no nasty chemicals and we are completely against animal testing. Customers can wear our clothes with confidence and once they wear out, just return them to us for recycling and receive a five pound voucher on the next purchase.”
Sophie was delighted when Made in Chelsea star, Tristan Phipps wore her t-shirt as part of a mental health campaign with all proceeds going to the charity Mind.
She has also teamed up with leading fashion influencer, Yasmin Hadfield and her sister Eden Harvey who have over two million followers on a new brand called Wolf Apparel.
Sophie now has her sights on the lucrative Christmas market: “I want to make a difference to how we buy our festive clothes.
“Millions of Christmas jumpers and t-shirts just get chucked away after a few uses and go to landfill. I have a wide range of fun and colourful clothes which will brighten up any party or dark night. They are all ethically and sustainably made and after Christmas, customers can return them to be recycled rather than end up in the bin.”
