Inspiring Fashion & Lifestyle Products you can feel good about
Hi there, lovely to meet you!
I'm Jan, the lady behind the AY Studio shop.
AY Studio is a brand driven by the desire to create stylish, sustainable, ethically sourced fashion accessories and lifestyle products you can feel good about.
Environmentally conscious and ethically produced.
Our aim is always to bring you fashionable, quality products with the most ethical and ecologically friendly credentials possible.
Most of our products are made from locally manufactured material, much of which is either organic, Oeko-Tex certified, sustainable or is crafted from redundant stock purchased from large fashion houses, which would otherwise go to landfill. We use local artisans to create our products so protecting skills handed down over generations and providing a fair wage for local people.
We are not quite 100% plastic free but are happy to be now using only a very small amount since we changed our packaging to a recyclable 115gsm and 170gsm paper envelope. We are presently trying out some eco mailing bags which will replace our plastic ones.
My background is in fashion design. I studied knitwear and textile design at college/University in the city of Leicester (UK), and as Leicester (back in the 1980s) was well known for its knitwear industry, I became a knitwear designer, designing for well known High Street retailers.
Later, I became very interested in bridalwear design and began designing bespoke gowns for private clients, and in 1996 I opened my first shop, Antonia York Bridalwear.
After many enjoyable years of designing bridal gowns and evening wear collections, I decided to sell my brick and mortar business and open an online shop selling fabrics and fashion accessories.
There's also a man behind the scenes! My husband and business partner, Robert. Rob has enjoyed a successful business career owning and managing several recruitment businesses and these days, also finds time to help me with, both the day-to-day running of our three Etsy shops, as well as leading on the management of much of the business administration and finances.
So, if you're looking for a special gift for a family member or friend, or just fancy treating yourself to something that is not available on the high street, then please take a few moments to wander through our shop and see what catches your eye.
Thank you so much for visiting AY Studio.
Jan
