CWB’s Laura Turner speaks to Josefa Buckland, founder of Edinburgh-based Graceful Changes, a new eco-friendly subscription company delivering sustainably sourced childrenswear parcels across the UK.

 

Laura Turner: What’s the story behind Graceful Changes?

Josefa Buckland: Graceful Changes launched in March 2019. I came up with the idea for the business when my daughter, Grace, was one; having Grace introduced me to the world of all things baby. I have always been an environmentally conscious person, so we set about buying many of the things we needed preloved. We started using cloth nappies too. When it came to clothes, it was a shock how quickly they were grown out of. Also, how some brands just didn’t fit properly or weren’t well designed.

I then discovered the organic brands, which are cut for cloth nappies, ethically made, and lovely to look at. I was aware of the concept of renting clothes and suddenly it made a lot of sense to me. Renting for babies and toddlers cuts out expensive mistakes. It also solves the problem of what to do with piles of clothing when you no longer need them.

LT: What inspired you to turn your business idea into reality?

JB: I returned to the job I had been doing before I had my daughter and although I went part-time, I still found the balance of work and life difficult to strike. In particular, I wanted more flexibility to meet my new caregiving responsibilities. The idea for the service and the desire to ‘do my own thing’ came together at just the right time. I went ahead and established Graceful Changes, naming it after my daughter, Grace, who was my inspiration.

LT: Can you explain how Graceful Changes works?

JB: Graceful Changes is hugely customer-focused, with a personal and friendly service. We offer a 15-item signature package that costs £30 a month paid for by direct debit. For this, the customer gets to choose 15 high-quality items of clothing from a wide range on our online inventory.

Courier delivery is included in the service, as is an exchange every three months. Each package of clothes retails at £300 to £400. Over the year the clothes received would retail at £1,200 to £1,600. Our subscribers pay less than one-third of the equivalent of buying new as well as accessing a service that saves time and hassle.

When new clothes are required the customer makes another selection that is sent out to them, and they return the clothes that are no longer needed. Normal wear and tear of the clothes are included in the subscription price too.

LT: Which brands do you work with?

JB: The main brands we stock are Kite Clothing, Pigeon Organics, Frugi, Little Green Radicals, Piccalilly and Toby Tiger. We also stock handmade clothes from biau-biau.

LT: How do you select brands?

JB: The ethical and environmental aspect of the brands is very important. The organic clothes we stock are all GOTS certified. We also want to stock brands that are working to be as sustainable as possible; slow fashion as opposed to fast fashion.

We particularly enjoy working with small, independent, family-owned businesses. We are open to stocking additional brands. However, we would rather have a depth in stock from the great brands we work closely with than a vast number of suppliers.

LT: What age range do you cover?

JB: We cater for newborns up to age three years. We also stock age 3 to 4 years to allow our older subscribers to stay with us longer.

LT: How are your clothing parcels presented?

JB: They come in a funky, reusable storage bag. The clothes are returned to us in the bags too. We are keen to develop customised, fully reusable packaging, and reduce our cardboard use too. We continue to look for business partners who can help us with this.

LT: Can clothing parcels be gifted?

JB: Absolutely. Friends and family can choose to gift a subscription by paying the monthly direct debit. Alternatively, they can buy gift vouchers on our website.

 

 

LT: Who is your target customer?

JB: Our target customer is a parent (usually mum) either expecting a baby or with a child or children under three years. Our target customer likes to make environmentally sound purchases and appreciates quality and beautiful designs. They also value the time, hassle, and space-saving benefits of renting.

LT: Do you trade internationally?

JB: No, although we do get enquiries about whether we can offer the subscription service outside the UK. However, primarily due to shipping costs, this is not something we provide.

LT: Is it just clothing you offer?

JB: We cover the full range of baby and toddler clothing including outerwear, hats, gloves, swimwear and even underwear. We don’t currently offer footwear.

LT: Do you have plans to expand into any other product categories?

JB: We don’t intend to introduce many new product categories. We have discussed adding wellies, slings and cloth nappies in the future to complement our offering.

LT: What’s next for Graceful Changes?

JB: This is an exciting time for the business. We recently received grant funding from Zero Waste Scotland to help us expand. The grant is provided from Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Economy Investment Fund, which is supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

This funding will help us fulfil our true potential as a business. Working with Zero Waste Scotland has been a pleasure and we are so grateful for their support. Fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world and we must change the way we shop and dress ourselves and our children to make it sustainable. At the same time, we want to ensure our service is enjoyable, convenient and cost-effective for parents.

We are also growing the number of subscribers every month; getting the word out to more parents that clothing rental is a cool and sustainable option. We want to keep on doing what we’re doing, grow, and improve while staying true to our values.

For further information on Graceful Changes, please click here.