Founding Story

Ever since I was 8 I’ve always been into fashion and business.

Georgie as a child

I loved textiles and chose to study fashion at college.

College

I got really depressed at college because I didn’t feel I was talented enough to be a designer.

Fashion designs

Over the next 3 years I dropped in and out of college, worked odd jobs and eventually ended up doing visual merchandising at John Lewis.

I saved up money to go on holiday to Asia.

Off to Asia

In a market in Bali I came across the most incredible fabric. 

Fabric samples

It wasn’t like any I’d seen before. I imagined how good my friends might look and feel wearing it. 

I could only afford to buy a small amount of fabric to take home with me.

When I got back I had the fabric made into some really nice clothes.

First item I sold

I tried to buy more material online but I couldn't find it anywhere.

I thought that might be the end of my idea.

To cheer myself up I went to a festival and wore the clothes I’d made.

Georgie at a festival

While I was there I met a man called Rohit who’d done a number of startups. He encouraged me to find the material and make a business out of it.

Georgie and friends at a festival

I’d always thought that to start a business you needed to be the type of person who had a lot of money or gone to a university like Oxford.

Oxford startup bro

I didn’t think someone like me could do it.

But Rohit said “This is your opportunity Georgie, you can do this.”

I realised he was right and decided to make a business selling these clothes.

I spent 8 months trying every possible angle to find the fabrics and started to wonder if I would ever succeed.

After searching well beyond the 10th page of Google, to the farthest reaches of the internet…

10th page of Google search results

I eventually found a mysterious man in Indonesia who said he could take me to the source. I emailed him asking if he could send samples or images of the fabrics.

He said he couldn’t send me any but if I came out to meet him in Indonesia he would take me to the source.

Part of me thought “Can I do this?” Can I meet this stranger on my own?

Indonesia at night

But there was something so exceptional about these fabrics.

Fabric

I knew I had to take the chance. I flew out to meet the man.

Airplane

Within 5 minutes of meeting Agung in Bali I trusted him. 

Georgie and Agung

We got in a car to drive to a remote place, far from the tourist trail.

Agung introduced me to the wonderful ladies from Denpasar, the seamstresses who now make our clothes.

In 2019 we started with 100 items.

Since then we've sold more than 7000.

We’ve supported our ladies through the Covid crisis.

And contribute 5% of our profits to charities in their communities.

It’s meant the world to me to hear how so many young women here in the UK love the clothes our ladies make.

That wearing our brand has helped you express joy in your lives with colour and style.

Esther and her boyfriend

Which in turn has helped bring joy to our ladies of Denpasar, knowing their skills are being appreciated.

If you like the look of what our ladies make we hope you’ll consider buying from Wear the World.