An Interview with LEM – the slow fashion brand with sustainability at its core.
As the excitement of London Fashion Week 2025 draws to a close, The Real Magazine sat down with fashion designer Pridon, the curator of LEM.
What was the inspiration behind this year’s collection?
When I was growing up my grandmother would weave blankets, pulling on small pieces of fabric to create a gorgeous, big blanket. I still remember that. Our grandparents would wrap us up in these blankets. I wanted to pay tribute to this memory by curating this collection, Blanket.
How does Blanket tell your story as a designer?
Fashion has an unbelievable ability to convey a story. One of my designs in Blanket focuses around an oversized jacket, so big that two of the models could fit inside. I still have memories of childhood, of wearing clothes that would fit two children. It was very common to wear each other’s clothes within the family, because there wasn’t much available at the time. I like my pieces to be unisex because that’s the kind of clothing I was raised in.
You’re a big believer in sustainability – how do you incorporate low waste into your designs?
I like to use patchwork in my designs, because it speaks to my ethics as a designer. I believe fashion should be sustainable, which is why I reuse small pieces of leftover fabric from previous designs. Normally these small pieces would end up in waste, but I like to maximise their potential. For example, my hats and shoe bags have all incorporated these leftover fabrics. Sustainability really is at the heart of all my collections.
But what about entirely new pieces – is it difficult to find sustainable materials for the large hats and coats that characterised this year’s London Fashion Week show?
Even if I have to buy new pieces of fabric, I make sure to find the smaller offcuts fabric shops would have otherwise thrown away. Whenever I travel I make sure to visit a different fabric shop – the diversity in patterns is what makes my collections unique. Sustainability is a must when working in fashion – it should never be difficult as it should always be at the front of your mind when designing.
How has fashion changed the way you view the world?
We should always value our roots, where we came from. Alongside that comes with valuing the planet we were born into. It’s not the quantity of clothes that matters, but the quality – I want to make something that lasts for a long time. Slow fashion has become integral to everything I do.
