Palava Launches Sustainability Platform ‘Palava Lab'

Palava celebrates the launch of 'Palava Lab', a pioneering platform to foster a regenerative and circular fashion industry, alongside a new film series and innovative upcycled collection

May 2025 | Palava, a female founded British brand announces the launch of Palava Lab with activations, events and launches to showcase the brand’s considerable efforts alongside the challenges of operating as a transparent and impact aware modern clothing brand. 

Palava Lab ‘The Hatchery’

Palava Lab is a groundbreaking initiative to foster a truly regenerative and circular fashion model via multiple projects and activities. Known as The Hatchery, Palava Lab is a physical space situated in North Yorkshire, an area known historically for textile production. 

The mission of Palava Lab is to become the platform for tackling the UK’s landfill waste of 300,000 tonnes of clothing per year. Palava Lab will create jobs as well as boosting a creative industry that engages with the local community. The space holds an equipped sewing room, including a digital printer, and provides employment opportunities for young creatives and local skilled makers who can teach and provide tangible skills for those who want to learn. The Hatchery will run short courses and learning opportunities led by artisans as well as support the production of Palava collections. In the future the brand plans for the facilities to be available for small creative brands, providing production capabilities. The slick and efficient technology and systems at the Lab also enables Palava and other brands to produce one off items easily, minimising waste and the industry wide problem of over-stock.

“Palava Lab embodies the essence of innovation, sustainability, and economic growth of a transformative experience for the fashion industry.” 

(Bryony Richardson, Founder, Palava)

Courses and learning at Palava Lab will concentrate on the making and producing of cloth, helping people to understand about fibers, where they come from and how they turn into yarn. Other courses focus on making and whole garment production, from printing to the final product and Palava Lab will also produce flat pack clothing, encouraging people to make their own garments. In addition, Palava upholstery courses, which are already run at the brand’s London store in Kings Cross, will show how people can renew their furniture without the need for foam or chemicals.

The Wool Blanket Project

The kick starter for Palava Lab is The Wool Blanket Project, an inaugural project that focuses on repurposing old and dismissed wool blankets that are no longer used, into new, modern, high-quality and valued one-off garments. The collection of jackets and coats have been made at Palava Lab, supporting the development of local creative talent, providing opportunities to learn and engaging local communities.

This initiative illustrates the shift towards environmentally conscious fashion production models, with the repurposed wool blankets project addressing the issue of over production. The transformation of blankets into garments not only mitigates landfill waste but also creates new standards for sustainable fashion.

The collection of one-off jackets, waistcoats and pullovers launch in May in a variety of sizes from small to large, and priced from £125.

Film Screening and Launch Event

A new film series will document the process of launching Palava Lab and the creative process behind The Wool Blanket Project. Part 1 of the documentary style film will be showcased at a screening and launch event on 21st May at the Palava London store from 7:30pm. The event will also include a discussion and debate about how Palava can do better in a complex industry.

Location: Palava, 98 Caledonian Road, London, N1 9DN

Time: 7:30pm live screening, 7:45pm Q&A

Palava Founder Bryony Richardson will also be available to meet with press at the event, invite to follow.

On 22nd May an online event will screen the film at 7:30pm, followed by a digital debate and Q&A session at 7:45pm

About Palava

Palava is an independent, women-founded British brand, making unique clothes and homewares, full of colour and prints which tell a story. Palava takes great care making its clothes - consciously considering who makes them, how many they make and what they make them from. The brand was started 15 years ago by founder and designer Bryony Richardon who takes her inspiration from many things including childhood memories, memorable moments spent in Yorkshire and the natural world around us. 

Working almost exclusively with British manufacturers, Palava has open and transparent communications with its production and can continue to support jobs and help British companies thrive. From fabric merchants to button suppliers, Palava helps to keep the UK textile / clothing industry and delicate eco system healthy. For a very long time, Palava has only used fabrics made from natural fibres such as cotton, wool and linen and absolutely no plastic based materials. Even the buttons on the dresses and shirts are made from Corozo nuts.

Palava manufactures almost everything in a small factory just outside of London, near the Palava HQ, enabling the team to help if ever anything goes wrong, and ensuring the product is made to a high quality. Palava values its makers and their hard work, and visits the factory regularly to oversee production and support the working environment. The Heritage knitwear range is made in the UK from British wool and the summer knits are made ethically in a small workshop in Turkey.

Customers love the unusual, unique and joyful clothes and buy them to wear always and keep forever - both for everyday and dressing up. Palava is adored by those seeking confidence or a desire to stand out from the crowd and also those that say no to boring, to get noticed for all the right reasons.

As well as the online shop, Palava has a shop in London’s Kings Cross and is stocked at a number of boutiques across Europe, the USA and Japan.

For more information please contact:

Press - harriet@whitehair.co

07790003417

VIP & Influencer Relations - laura@whitehair.co

07917694953

www.whitehair.co