An Interview With... Cub & Pudding
This indie brand is paving the way with gender neutral abstract prints that inject some joy into the wardrobes of both big and small.
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey and how you came to start your brand?
I had been working full-time at a very corporate (translated, boring..) job in the City and was vying for a creative spark in my life. My kids were 4 and 1 at that point - a boy & a girl - and I knew I needed to make an escape plan to do something more thrilling and fulfilling with my work time. I had a chance meeting with a life coach who had a similar set-up (building up her business to allow her to leave a well-paid corporate job) and she opened my eyes to what really made me tick away from my 9-5 - and a huge joy was dressing my kids in unique, fun, quirky clothes. I’d struggled to find what I wanted for my son after he reached toddler age - it all transformed into very uniform stereotypical ‘boy’ wear - diggers, dinos, navy... So I had the mad idea to just design for him and his sister myself..
We love how well your pieces translate from kidswear to adult wear, and that both boys and girls can match with their Mums. How important do you think it is to make step towards ageless and genderless design?
Thank you. It’s so important to me. I want my designs to be inclusive for both genders without the question lingering of “is this a girl’s/boy’s piece of clothing?” not only to encourage diversity and equality but also to ensure clothes can be passed down and on when outgrown and live for all kids to enjoy. Equally for adults to have the chance to match with their kids but also wear clothes from a small business that are created with care and ethical practice in small batches that you won’t see on every other person walking down the high street..
Your clothes feature wonderful hand drawn geos and abstract designs - what inspires you to create these bold fun prints?
I adore children’s books illustrations - I could fill our entire house with all the wonderful choices there are for children to read and the brilliant designs to accompany them. I’ve always been a fan of a very naive, child-like style - perfectionism and tiny detail isn’t what I’m drawn to so creating big, bold, shapes and prints just sits perfectly with my design taste. I’m also married to a graphic designer who over the course of 15 years has drip fed super typography style, colour ways and design into my psyche so it’s something I’m very passionate about.
Sustainability is an important issue in the fashion industry, which is reflected in your brand ethos. What considerations do you make when putting a new collection together and how does your ideology help combat waste?
I’ve just started to transition design and production to UK entirely. (Currently produce in Portugal). The aim is that the majority of my collections will be made on a pre-order window so that I only produce what is sold without having excess stock sitting about for months - it can be so hard to predict what sells fastest and which sizes. I promote a season-less style so that my designs can be layered up or down as the weather changes and deliberately eschew creating ‘spring/summer’ / ‘autumn/winter’ collections based solely on a fashion calendar. I only want to design new items when it’s the right time, not when the fast fashion world dictates. I ensure all excess fabric is used in creative ways too - bags, lavender-filled hearts, keyrings. Plus using high quality fabric that will last and last is so important so I’m confident my pieces will stand tons of washing and wear.
What’s next for Cub and Pudding?
Ooh I tend not to plan too far ahead as I’m quite impulsive when it comes to new ideas but I’m hoping to bring out a gingham top for the kids and adults to match my first dress I made in London recently. And a new print and colour way of my original design kids’ dungarees. Plus there’s a couple of little collaborations with other artists brewing away that I’m excited by.
You can find more from Cub & Pudding and shop their collections at cubandpudding.com
