BLACKHORSE LANE ATELIERS: TAILORED TO FIT
Blackhorse Lane Ateliers founded in 2016 is a company specializing in manufacturing raw organic denim. The company has three main areas of focus, manufacturing denim, collaborations with similar brands, and offering production and sampling services for companies. Blackhorse Lane Ateliers also emphasizes on the importance of using high quality materials and garments, building a community around the brand by creating art restorations, and a pop-up restaurant. The use of organic cotton and offering lifetime repairs on its denim products has helped Blackhorse Lane become one of the most prominent eco-conscious companies in London. Blackhorse Lane Ateliers offers a product line of denim products with a careful tailoring focus and various accessories to their target market of eco-conscious consumers who value high quality products with a community feel and base.
After an interview was conducted with a representative of Blackhorse Lane a few central ideas about the brand and their core competencies became clear. A series of several open-ended questions were asked such as the circular waste initiatives Blackhorse Lane is conducting in their business practices. To elaborate, the company works with various local suppliers, focuses on creating supply chain transparency, and free repairs on jeans (personal sustainability). Furthermore, Blackhorse Lane workshops is a center that provides a small space for makers to use tools that they might not be able to afford to be a “hot desk for carpentry” it also allows them to build a community within their scope of expertise and gain knowledge from experts in the field. Additionally, the company is offering several design students material and denim waste to aid in their recycling strategies and create circularity in their waste management solutions. When asked whether or not Blackhorse Lane had adapted any waste management solutions from other companies it was mentioned that being a small company, they had the ability to implement strategies they see fit easily into their processes and day to day activities. Blackhorse Lane heavily emphasizes the importance of building a community and being open with the public about their business activities, for that reason it engages with local designers and members of the community. Such collaborations include strong partnerships with people they work with such as their leather suppliers from Hackney and instilling a strong open factory policy that encourages people to drop in and see how the company works. Also, Blackhorse Lane has its own pop-up restaurant which draws people in from the local community allowing it to diversify its target market. Participating in local community events, forums, and taking part in the East End Trade Guild, which, is a local Trade Union of East London allows Blackhorse Lane to build its core competence of community building.
Blackhorse Lane Ateliers could potentially collaborate with Fibrelab to create a series of workshops in Blackhorse Lane Workshops and also enable design students of various art schools in London to create long lasting connections and networks of people. Gathering students from different schools will enable Fibrelab to reach a wider audience and also build a strong position in the East London community.
The resilient efforts and substantial impact Blackhorse Lane has had in Walthamstow in East London not only proves its ongoing efforts to build a community but also the commitment of the community to enhance circularity solutions within East London. As emphasized by a representative of Blackhorse Lane during the interview “We want to keep going and improving to get better” all business processes are reliant on the strong values they have instilled in their day to day activities.