Profiling Business
PARTIMI
PARTIMI was founded by London-based designer Eleanor Dorrien-Smith. Eleanor graduated from Central Saint Martins with a BA in Fashion and Print in June 2008 and she worked for Mary Katrantzou, John Galliano, Eley Kishimoto and Tata-Naka before setting up PARTIMI.
Stemming from the architectural term parti (being the conceptual starting point of a design project) the PARTIMI label was formed to create striking, uncontrived designs, defined by intriguing concepts and an inherent environmental edge.
The label has been slowly building up its sustainable identity, with projects as diverse as developing a range of printed t-shirts raising awareness of the international decline in fish stocks and the destruction of our marine habitats, to the more direct challenges of constantly searching for eco-friendly fabrics.
PARTIMI has been part of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion’s business scheme since 2009, the label has hosted an ethical pop-up shop and Eleanor has also spoken at a sustainability seminar at Central Saint Martins. Recently the PARTIMI collection has captured the attention of Caroline Issa, Executive Fashion Director of Tank Magazine:
“I think what Eleanor is doing at PARTIMI shows that great clothes can come with great, sustainable processes and materials – you can feel great wearing one of her t-shirt dresses not only because of how it was made, but because of how it makes you look!”
After exhibiting a preview collection at Estethica on the Centre for Sustainable Fashion stand the new Spring/Summer 2011 was launched. The collection was
designed in homage to costumes that the designer’s grandmother collected from a sale of Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes costumes at Sotheby’s in 1969. Inspiration was drawn from bold graphics married with the textures of hurried repairs, patching and repeated darning that mark the signs of wear-and-tear from over a century.
Eleanor received a prize in the Design for a Thriving Fashion Industry category at the Fashioning the Future Awards 2009.
“The CSF Business Support program has been a wonderful opportunity for me to get advice on setting myself up as a sustainable business. Everyone at CSF are knowledgeable, friendly and incredibly supportive and more than willing to give tailored advice. The chance to exhibit on the CSF stand at Estethica as part of London Fashion Week was a great introduction to the exhibition and it gave me the experience and confidence to debut as a stand-alone exhibitor this season.”
- Visit PARTIMI
