Ivy and Rigg
Meet Amie and Mike who own sustainable lifestyle British clothing brand Ivy & Rigg, based in Newbrough near Hexham.
We met whilst working as wildlife consultants in Northumberland National Park and decided we wanted to start something which combined our passion for the environment as well as a love of fashion and style.
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Being based out near Hadrian’s Wall also gave us the opportunity to develop something which was inspired by the heritage of the area. We have created a classic range of clothing which is also sustainable, ethical and environmentally friendly. As much as possible we try to use UK suppliers, for example the wool for our Cheviot range comes from Northern wool. We also make a range of sweatshirts which are produced using recycled plastic. All of the premises we operate with outside of the UK are certified by a number of internationally renowned bodies ensuring they adhere to the highest environmental and social standards from the field to their arrival with us.
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The name Ivy & Rigg combines our environmental and natural passions and interests with our Northumbrian heritage. Rigg comes from Steel Rigg on Hadrian’s Wall, and when we researched Rigg further, it meant to clothe, which fitted perfectly. Ivy then stood out for us, as being classic and also natural evergreen plant which fitted with the brand.
Our customers are people who are looking to live a more environmentally conscious lifestyle, which is sustainable and accessible. We also make a number of charitable donations for the sale of our clothing, for every order made a tree is planted in the Ivy & Rigg forest in Northern Madagascar and for every item of clothing sold £1 is donated to a wildlife charity, which this year is the Red Squirrel Survival Trust.
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"Sometimes people underestimate what is on their doorstep and from an environmental and sustainable perspective shopping local is invaluable."
How can shopping local help?​
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During the pandemic we have seen a change on where and how people shop, with more of a focus on their local area. Sometimes people underestimate what is on their doorstep and from an environmental and sustainable perspective shopping local is invaluable.
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More and more people are becoming conscious of where they buy from and want to support local and UK suppliers. We have definitely experienced that through the pandemic as we focused more on our online offering the demand for our products grew. We have missed that face-to-face contact with our customers at the many markets and outdoor events we attended and we can’t wait to get back out there.
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As people have been staying at home and enjoying their local areas more there has also been a positive impact on the environment with wildlife bouncing back and areas starting to thrive again, something that we at Ivy & Rigg want to continue to promote through our products.