Meet Steph, founder of Ambridge Studio

“My favourite part of working with second-hand materials is giving them a whole new chapter.”

Meet Steph, the creative force behind Ambridge Studio, a slow fashion brand with sustainability stitched into every seam.  

Steph designs and creates one-of-a-kind garments using second-hand fabrics – many sourced from St Oswald’s Hospice charity shops. Her mission? To reduce waste, reimagine pre-loved textiles, and help women find clothing that makes them feel confident, year after year. 

At Christmas, Steph generously donated a portion of profits from Ambridge Studio’s Festive Drop to support the work of St Oswald’s Hospice.  

We caught up with the designer to talk about her journey, her passion for slow fashion and how second-hand can be seriously stylish. 

 What were you doing before Ambridge Studio? 

I’ve always loved design and making art. I worked in the fashion industry for 6 years, working for fashion retailers such as Abercrombie and Fitch, Next and New Look. It was my visits to overseas factories and fabric mills that really made me see the overconsumption issue we have as a global population.  

I knew I wanted to create a brand that counteracted that and made women feel confident and empowered through their clothing choices, without constantly feeling like you’re behind whatever is trending. 

Do you have a favourite garment created from St Oswald’s Hospice materials?  

I have two. The first is a one-off dress from a beautiful pair of pink and orange retro curtains. I made it to celebrate my website launch back in October and it was snapped up by one of my wonderful customers in Switzerland.  

I also love the items I made from some amazing turquoise and purple vintage curtains, which formed part of my Festive Drop. I made a scrunchie which went to Qatar, a bag which went to Ramsgate and a dress which went to Canada.  

My favourite part of working with second-hand materials is giving them a whole new chapter. 

What advice would you give to shoppers who want to be more sustainable?  

Use the 48-hour rule – if you see something and you like it, revisit it in two days. If you still love it, think about what you’ll wear it with to make sure it has longevity. Reviewing your wardrobe is great too, try styling things differently and having a little ‘Wishlist’ of investment/second-hand pieces you feel you’re missing. Less impulse, more mindfulness. 

Why is slow fashion and shopping second-hand more important than ever?  

We all own too much stuff, and I think it’s genuinely as simple as that. The average person wears around half of their wardrobe, and the amount of textile waste being thrown away every year is increasing.  

100 years ago, as a society, we cherished and loved our clothes. I’d really like to help us get back to that – high quality, trendless garments that make people feel amazing, season after season, year after year. 

How can people shop with Ambridge Studio? 

You can follow me on Instagram and TikTok at @ambridgestudio, alternatively you can shop at my website. To reduce over-consumption, I work on a made to order basis in small batches, so should anyone have a question please drop me a DM, I’m always happy to hear from people! 

I also wanted to say a huge thank you to the team at St Oswald’s Hospice for championing small brands and makers. It’s been brilliant being able to shop second-hand with them and supporting the charity’s amazing work.