About Us 💚💪💫

About The Brand 

Bonjour cherished shoppers! We extend our heartfelt gratitude for choosing to explore our store.

Cherchez la Femme stands as an independent clothing brand rooted in North London, offering a delightful assortment of trendy graphic t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, and carefully curated vintage pieces. Our mission is to cater to fashion enthusiasts seeking distinctive, uplifting, and ethically produced garments.

Our passion lies in the fusion of graphic whimsical slogans with the latest fashion trends, all crafted from ethically sourced, high-quality fabrics. The result? A delightful collection of playful, incredibly soft, and long-lasting apparel.

At Cherchez la Femme, we take pride in our commitment to sustainability. Our items are meticulously created on a made-to-order basis, utilising cutting-edge digital printing technology to minimise waste. What's more, we employ water-based, eco-friendly inks for our prints. We wholeheartedly embrace the responsibility of contributing to a more sustainable future for fashion.

Every Cherchez la Femme, product is crafted with care, from design to printing and packaging, right here in the UK. In addition to our commitment to sustainability, we also prioritise supporting ethical organisations. For example, our Liberté Collection is made from certified organic cotton and printed in the UK, and with each purchase, we donate 3% of profits or £1.00 (whichever is greater) to the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation. This organisation works towards ending the sex trafficking of children and provides assistance to street children who are often at risk of exploitation. We are proud to support such a worthy cause and invite you to learn more about it through our blog.

The Vintage denim and Lycra pieces were developed in the early 90s when I had a studio space on Brick Lane in London. The collections around this time sold in New York, Sydney, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Japan and of course in the UK to independent boutiques. These pieces were extra stock from my own shop in London and Manchester and have never been worn. The clothes were featured in Elle (UK and US), The Face, ID, W and the Guardian as well as numerous trade publications including WWD and International Textiles.

Once again, thank you for gracing us with your presence, and we wish you a joyful shopping experience! 😊

 

 

About Our Founder

 

 

When Vivienne Austin graduated from St. Martins, her first priority was to gain commercial experience. To that end, she worked in a number of mass market high street manufacturing and retailing companies, before developing a taste for independent control of her designs and production.
With her first collections, inspiration was drawn from 1930s and 40s clothes, but they were given the 1980s treatment - new fabrics and an adapted cut to fit the modern physique resulted in a variety of avant-garde styles. For 1990, Vivienne will show metal-studded bras, and big jackets - again with lots of studs. Fabrics will include printed Lycra and printed rubber. Some of these Club Wear designs are still available to buy here.
"I like clothes which make a bold statement" - at the time, she had already designed a range of T-shirts to help animal conservation, and was exploring the possibilities for the future of "The Green Collection' which used only up-cycled materials.
As well as running her own business, Vivienne lectured at the Royal College of Art on pattern cutting, and at the American College on Computer Aided Design. She had also been presented with the Cosmopolitan Woman of Tomorrow' award.
Today, Vivienne remains a truly entrepreneurial spirit and enjoys collaborating and consulting with start-up businesses whether as a design consultant or as a business advisor, as featured on Discovering Tottenham.

She is intrigued by the new, the experimental and the undiscovered, which is why she started Cherchez La Femme, with the goal of putting everyday quality products on the market without straining landfills.

Our Mission & Sustainability