Hackney local shirt maker, A State of Nature, brings handmade artisanal standard to everyone

A State of Nature is the creation of the talented Barbara Fidler, who is determined to bring handmade artisanal standards to practical every day clothes. Unagi spoke with Barbara on her background, from a family of tailors, to creating her own brand based in Hackney, East London. A State of Nature focusses on providing unisex pieces with a polished oversized simple silhouette.

For anyone that hasn’t seen A State of Nature or your products, how would you describe them?

Barbara Fidler: Bringing handmade artisanal standard to practical workwear. When normally only people who by business shirts enjoy the craftsmanship associated with bespoke tailoring.
I am designing for practical, everyday look keeping the silhouettes simple and elegant. All the pieces are unisex and made to look oversized. By using premium fabrics, the shirts feel better against your skin, age beautifully and gain more character with time. “Fran” shirt dyed with genuine indigo plant is an excellent example of this philosophy. With every wash its colour changes slightly and becomes very unique as no other.

What currently inspires your work and how do you decide on what avenue to go down?

One of my starting points is to design clothes relevant in my household. Since me and my husband are both crafts people I try to think about things we need from a shirt or a jacket. My main priority when designing and making a new piece of garment is comfort. I also love to look at what people enjoy wearing and take inspiration from every day. Keeping every and each piece unisex makes it so versatile... the idea of being able to share your wardrobe with your partner no matter what gender he or she is, makes a lot of sense. It also limits the amount of clothes needed.

Many of your items are inspired by Japanese aesthetic - what was the catalyst for this?

I didn’t look at any fashion as an inspiration. I started from simple utilitarian design principles which resulted in quite Japanese feeling. I suppose many brands in Japan have a similar philosophy.

How long does it usually take to create one piece? Are each one hand made?

All the pieces sold under “a state of nature” are made by hand in my Hackney based workshop. Depending on a style and fabric it can take from 6h to 8h of work to finish the piece. I feel very lucky to be working on a production line from beginning to finish including packing and posting the items to customers.

How have you been affected by coronavirus and the lockdown?

It is a big emotional roller-coaster to adjust to this new situation. I’m great full for given me time to process and rethink my work and direction I’m headed to. I have been enjoying extra time to meditate and do more yoga. I have been also connecting with other makers and artists to plan on joining our skill and work on some new collaborations.

Do you have any projects coming up in 2020?

I’m planning on introducing new products including shirts and outerwear pieces but also some accessories such as braces and cardholders.

Where can people purchase any of your products?

At the present time they are available on my website astateofnature.com but also my Instagram page is a good platform to follow my sewing and designing adventures.

What is your background and what prompted you to start your own business?

My love for sewing started in my early childhood. I use to make all my toys and spent days on creating and fixing clothes. This early discovered passion turned into my career path. I graduated as Student of the year in whole of UK from London Collage of Fashion – Cordwainers. I also won an Excellence in Handcraft from University arts of London. My internship at Jimmy Choo turned into a full time Assistant designer role straight after my graduation. My curiosity and passion for handcraft got me a place at one the best shirt makers in Mayfair where I had an opportunity to learn bespoke way of making shirts and outerwear. Promptly after that I decided to accept a roll on the design team at the menswear brand Dunhill where I gained a further inside into the traditional luxury market. Now I run my own business called “a state of nature” where I marry all the skills and ideas I developed through these fantastic experiences.

What would you recommend to our readers?

One of the big lessons I have learned through building my own brand is to have patience. Enjoy your journey and believe in yourself... the rest will come with time.

Thanks to Barbara for her time for the interview!

For more information visit - astateofnature.com