Sustainability - from the clothes we sell to our interior.
Meet Beira and Mardy Bum Active Club, two female led businesses that will be popping up in Bruntsfield for six months. Designers Antoinette and Anna both wanted to create a dynamic and exciting shopping experience, including the community and proudly presenting their own designs and products. Inside this beautiful new store you will discover two amazing brands. Beira offers luxury womenswear designed by Antoinette co-founder of Beira (as seen in Channel 4’s Luxury for Less and on the catwalks of New York this summer). All of Beira’s products are ethically produced in Italy using luxury fabrics left over by top end designers. Mardy Bum Active Club’s premium activewear is designed by Anna who invests in on-shoring, as her products are made in the U.K. When doing up the store the founders to both brands not only wanted to remain sustainable but in the midst of a cost of living crisis, eco-friendly also means spending less money. They hope the store is an example of how to make a space feel luxe without spending the big bucks.
Upcycled, leather horse tack.
When transforming the space, the brands needed a solution to lower the rails as the shop previously sold prom gowns. The answer was hanging rails, but rather than sourcing and buying new, they decided to repurpose existing materials in line with their sustainable ethos. Beira’s Sales and Marketing Manager Arianne provided some old horse tack from her family home, such as bridles, headcollars and stirrup leathers. They got busy to work cutting and riveting the tack to create gorgeous leather straps you see above. Horse bits were also used as decorative hanging features along the hallway. Not only is there a story behind the clothes but a story behind the interesting details of their store.
Dust sheets turned glamorous curtains.
Beira and MBAC had a desire to create a luxurious space and rather than seeking new wallpaper, decided to use dust sheets to transform the walls. Beira’s designer Antoinette hand sewed several sheets together to create beautiful curtains before attaching them to two of the main walls which added texture and created a feature. The remaining dust sheets were stapled flat onto other walls and then steamed to make the unique fabric walls. This simple yet effective trick completely changed the feel of the space.
Old furniture converted into desk, storage and displays.
Anna and Antoinette added tables from around their own homes to create a beautiful two-tiered display area for their knitwear. Old shelving units were fastened together to create a standing desk – completed with a painted canvas for its worktop. Old benches were sourced and with a simple throw created our seating area. Anna upholstered a stool for the changing room and used branches for rails.
Find our transformation video on our Instagram!
