This Dress Brand Only Launched During Lockdown and Already Has a Royal Fan

Welcome to our newest editorial initiative, Who What Wear Spotlight, where we'll be using our editorial platform, social following, and ad inventory to turn the spotlight on small businesses that need our support now more than ever. Each week, we'll be highlighting a new fashion or beauty company. If you own a small brand and would like to be considered for the program, please apply here.

This year has been challenging for the most established of fashion brands, and so small emerging labels have understandably taken a big hit, hence why we established our Spotlight series. The brands that launched during lockdown faced a situation they could have never imagined when planning for their launch, however, Tacita Brown decided to go ahead and open her clothing brand Cro-Che in the middle of lockdown. It might be very much in its infancy, but the brand has already had a royal endorsement, as Lady Amelia Windsor has worn one of the signature crochet minidresses. The brand also has a sustainable positioning and aims to create little to no waste. Keep scrolling to see Cro-Che's playful dresses and find out more about the brand's ethos from the founder. 

How has social distancing and stay at home orders affected your business? How have your priorities shifted? 

I did initially feel anxious to launch Cro-Che as originally planned this spring due to obvious reasons. However, I'm extremely happy I stuck to my guns. In fact, it made me be more creative. My whole narrative for the first photoshoot changed. Our first collection, "Sally Go Round the Roses" (named after an amazing pop song, released in 1966), was shot in Hackney during lockdown—adhering to social distancing, of course! I had many friends wishing they lived in England's rolling countryside and began to hate the city. I wanted the shoot in Hackney to show that nature’s beauty can also be found in the city, and in those small pockets of nature, one can always find solace. 

Some people have found joy this year in getting dressed and doing their beauty routine, even if they have nowhere to go. What do you think fashion and beauty can offer people right now? What has it done for you?

Yes! I definitely believe in dressing up for yourself. It makes you feel good, makes you feel sexy and changes your attitude to feeling a lot more optimistic and positive—especially if you're going through a tricky time due to the current climate. I believe fashion has the ability to lift people's spirits.

Tell us about the sustainable element of your production and business.

Ethics and sustainability are at the heart of Cro-Che. We started with the people who make the clothes and the process of creating garments before considering anything else. This is how the brand came about. Crochet is sustainable from the very beginning. You only use what you need. You create something from nothing. As a result, there is very little to zero waste. 

How do you create your crochet?

Each item is ethically produced by extremely skilled artisans in developing countries. They have often learned the trade from their mothers, who had learned from their mothers, with skills passed through the generations. Every piece is created in the safety of their own homes, mostly in small villages in rural areas, as opposed to garment factories in big cities. As a result of this, these skilled individuals do not have to leave their families for work and are able to be their own bosses in charge of their own time and workload.

Is there anything else about your brand you really want our readers to know about you?

Cro-Che is a brand for the fun-loving and the free-spirited, the sophisticated and the bold. For the girls who want to look good whilst simultaneously knowing the dress has had a positive impact on people and the planet. The designs are timeless, sexy and cute. Definitely nostalgic of the late 1960s and early 1970s. I was inspired by the fashion, the music and also the carefree attitude of that era. Cro-Che dresses are versatile. They have been designed to wear for any occasion, to be worn over and over, to be dressed up and to be dressed down. These dresses can take you from day to night—leave the house at breakfast and stay out all night dancing. I hope that Cro-Che dresses will make girls feel excited to dress up, even if it's just for a trip to the supermarket! Feel good, feel sexy! Have fun and laugh and try not to take life too seriously.

Keep scrolling to see the Cro-Che pieces we love. 

Shop Cro-Che

Next up, see our guide to the key trends for autumn/winter 2020.