Gem The Label was born from a desire to connect whimsical, feminine fashion with sustainable, transparent making. Since I launched my label nearly three and a half years ago a lot has changed but the core of GTL has always remained. For a long time I’ve wanted to be able to share more and more about my process and journey starting my fashion label straight after studying and how I turned it into my full time job. 

I think its about time that a journal page existed on here (and I’m kind of surprised it took me this long!) sharing my story and bits and pieces about GTL for complete transparency and to inspire. 

You’ll find longer form content and reflections, small business wins and failings, and also sustainability deep dives and things e’ve learnt/ implemented here in the studio. As we grow and evolve, I am hoping this journal page will reflect that too. 

For my very first journal piece I wanted to elaborate more on a reel I posted the other day on instagram as I feel like it ties into a lot of things Ive been thinking about with GTL at the moment. 

The Best Investments I’ve Made For My Small Business (and its not just about money…) 

With some huge changes happening in the studio, I’ve been reflecting about what got me to this place. It’s been more than a series of well timed opportunities, money coming in at the right time, good ideas and designs. Its been a lot of work, but mostly all of what makes GTL what it is, is the values and attitude I’ve had since the very beginning. I invested in a few key things at the very start which changed the trajectory for my fashion label and led me ultimately, here. 

1. Invested in sustainability as the core value of my fashion label 

Sustainable making is expensive, sometimes hard to wrap out heads around and often takes way longer to do than to do the quick, easy and unethical. So why do it? 

Learning about the fashion industry while studying really opened my eyes to what the real cost of fast fashion and overconsumption is. To break it down for you with a few digestible statistics 

Around 12% of fibres are wasted in clothing production 

It is estimated that 25-30% of garments remain unsold and don’t even make it to a consumer 

And on top of that we are throwing away 90 million tons of textile items every single year. 

So GTL just had to be different. I couldn’t create a fashion label which didn’t prioritise sustainability. At GTL we established ourselves as different and an ethical fashion label by our pieces being made of the good stuff.  We love using only fabrics which can be recycled or are biodegradable or dead-stock. If it’s not either or those, we’re using something thats also been recycled. We are committed to being circular, making pieces to last and when they make their way out of your wardrobe you know they were made with the planet in mind and their end of life will be climate positive. Using dead-stock, recycled fabrics and natural fibres means they have a clear path to their end of life. 

This is just one of the many aspects of our sustainable practices at GTL, you can read a lot more on our dedicated sustainability page. 

2. We said ‘yes’ to opportunities, investing in growth even when it seemed daunting 

If I didn’t say ‘yes’ to half of the things that scared me in the last three years of running GTL I don’t know if the label would’ve survived. With a lot of growing pains, I stepped out of my comfort zone time and time again in order to seize opportunities which were chances to learn and grow as a person and for my business. 

This was really and investment in myself, as a founder, creative and woman in my early 20’s. I certainly have learned some great lessons and ultimately its through the good and bad that I have grown so much and led me to where I am today with GTL. 

 

3. Invested (as soon as I could) in my space 

Did you know GTL started in my bedroom? Very humble beginnings and I had no work life balance. It was hard to be motivated to go to “work” however I did get to have pj days, every day! 

As soon as I could, I moved into my first studio. This was a game changer for GTL and the growth of my label. I was able to take my business more seriously. I celebrated my 1st business birthday there and sent off hundreds of orders. Being able to “go to work” allowed me to have balance in my life and learn how to run my label as a founder and take GTL full time. 

Investing in my space allowed me to really feel like a fashion designer and continue to grow. Now in my second (and dream!) studio, I’ve seen even from the last 6 months being in my new space how its changed how I’ve worked and the growth I’ve been since then! It makes me excited for the next part of the year, and years to come after that. 

These key areas upon reflection did so much for GTL. Whether you have a small business or not, investing in things for YOU mean that you build what’s important to you on a foundation that actually means something and can measure growth. 

Gem