ImagesMagUK_October_2020

IS DECORATOR PROFILE www.images-magazine.com 32 images OCTOBER 2020 There’s a lot of manufacturing coming back to the UK for ways to produce high-quality vegan textiles, part of a broader industry trend in ethical sourcing. “People are more conscious about what they are buying. They are asking more questions about where stuff comes from.” Concerned about every step and detail of the supply chain, he uses Madeira’s 100% natural Classic threads and has even been exploring whether it is possible to recycle used embroidery needles. Sequins generally are making another comeback so Pete has been working with The Sustainable Sequin Company, which specialises in recycled sequins. At present, sequins made from recycled plastic tend to be matt, but Pete hopes shinier ethical sequins will soon become available as well as biodegradable ones. He plans to officially launch True Vegan Tees by the start of October although the website is already receiving orders from around the world. After establishing it with help from Dean Roscoe of Paramount Embroidery, sales have been small pre-launch, but Pete suspects demand will rise quickly. “Vegan clothing is going to be huge,” he predicts, but adds that he does not want the new venture to stop him doing his other work. “I’ve done the big business and I’m not going back down that route.” True Vegan Tees’ selection currently features men’s, women’s and youth T-shirts from Neutral in a range of sizes, in six colours, with a choice of slogans such as ‘100% vegan’ and ‘Certified plant based’. They can be personalised with logos or initials in different colours and fonts, with further customisation possible on request. Using no animal derivatives, the finished garments are made from Fairtrade-certified organic cotton and are delivered in recycled cardboard packaging. Sales are via the website at truevegantees.com which showcases the range, modelled by freelance designer Sara, who is an intern at Digitek, and Pete’s 20-year- old son Callum – a professional fashion model with Select Model Management. Pete has already produced a range of customised hoodies for vegan Asian restaurant group CookDaily. He hopes that championing ethical production in embroidery will inspire other decorators. “I’m trying to change the industry. It’s amazing how much animal product there is and how much damage we are doing to this lovely planet that we live on.” He services all orders, alongside other projects, from the workshop in the garden of his home in Neasden in north-west London, where he lives with his partner and their two cats, Oscar and Ziggy – regular companions while he works. He currently uses a single-head ZSK Sprint machine and is planning to invest in a second single-head to replace a Happy machine he had until recently. “I grew up on Barudans so I like using them. Barudan, ZSK and Happy are my three favourites.” As part of his consultancy and software support, he has worked not just with those three but other manufacturers including Brother and Tajima. With this experience, he is able to provide advice on all kinds of makes, and provide new or used digital machines, from starter to professional. “When you get someone in with expertise, it can open up doors,” he points out. “A lot of the companies are probably using only 10% of the software. A lot of people know the software but don’t know embroidery machines. They can get in engineers from the manufacturers, or people from thread suppliers, but they don’t do embroidery. I’ve been doing it all my life.” www.digitek.me.uk A design for Fashion Rebellion Callum Tarrant models True Vegan Tees Vegan hoodies for CookDaily Digitek’s office and workshop