Hampshire-based small business, The Princess and The Pickle launches vibrant eco t-shirt range and gets a Twitter boost from Theo Paphitis.

A Hampshire based designer has received a business boost from Retail Entrepreneur Theo Paphitis. Last week, Helen Clarke, owner of The Princess and The Pickle tweeted Theo about her business during ‘Small Business Sunday’ and was one of six weekly winners to gain a retweet by Theo to his 500,000 Twitter followers. The weekly initiative, set up by Theo in 2010, now has over 2500 #SBS winners and supports small businesses in the UK.

The Princess and The Pickle create eco-friendly greeting cards, prints and now a clothing range, all featuring original photography and photo-based designs. The greeting cards are printed on recycled card and packaged in biodegradable and compostable plastic-free display sleeves. The Princess and The Pickle’s t-shirts, hoodies and tote bags are all made from certified organic cotton and printed in the UK in a renewable energy-powered factory.

The product which captured Theo’s attention was the Circular T-shirt, manufactured in partnership with Teemill, from 50% post-consumer remanufactured organic cotton / 50% organic cotton. Due to the natural materials, the products can be returned and recycled again and again when they’re worn out, making the production cycle itself renewable. Helen has created a range of vibrant funky designs which fit in with her brand’s ethos that ‘being green doesn’t have to be grey’!

Helen said “After six months of creating eco-friendly greeting cards, I discovered the Teemill circular supply chain which is based on the Isle of Wight and decided to put some of my designs on their sustainable t-shirts. The clothing is printed on demand, rather than having large amounts in stock, so there is no waste inventory, plus I love the fact their system is circular and whatever gets returned goes back into the cycle, rather than going to landfill. It is great to have someone like Theo Paphitis helping to spread the word about my brand and introducing more people to sustainable fashion and eco-friendly products.”

Sustainable fashion bloggers and influencers have also backed The Princess and The Pickle’s eco-friendly approach to design, with @restylethemother commenting “I have been very impressed by Helen’s company ethos. These types of initiatives are very exciting and should be used more widely in the fashion and craft industry. I firmly believe in a more sustainable future in fashion and seeing small brands pushing through to make a difference is fantastic. Helen’s products are vibrant and innovative and I wish her every success.”

Small business champion and Ryman Stationery, Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue Chairman, Theo Paphitis, said: “We are thrilled to welcome new #SBS members every week and highlight just how important it is to support our small businesses here in the UK. My vision is that everyone who has ever won an #SBS re-tweet from me becomes part of a friendly club; like-minded individuals who can share successes and learnings. The website will also give a valuable profile to the winners chosen and I wish The Princess and The Pickle every success.”

The Princess and the Pickle
theprincessandthepickle.teemill.com

The Princess and The Pickle’s products are made from organic cotton and printed in the UK in a renewable energy powered factory.

All images courtesy of The Princess and The Pickle.