Instore with NOLA

Nestled in the heart of Manchester city centre, the charming NOLA is a haven for those who cherish sustainable and ethical fashion. Recently, our team had the pleasure of visiting this unique store and engaging in an insightful Q&A with the passionate minds behind it. We delved into what makes NOLA Boutique stand out in the realm of sustainable fashion, their journey, and their vision for the future.

1. What makes Nola Boutique sustainable & ethical?  

We are not claiming to be 100% sustainable – but we are trying!  Our own brand range is almost all made from deadstock fabrics sourced in the UK and every piece is made here in Manchester in a comfortable studio under good working conditions.  We try to maximise the use of every bit of fabric we buy, creating accessories such as scrunchies, bags and bandanas with our trimmings. The brands we bring in are aligned to our values – KLOKE, for example, use exceptional fabrics like recycled nylons and organic cottons and have strict controls around their collections production.

2. Why is it important to you that Nola is sustainably focused?

Sustainability has been a development from our love of quality and individuality. The poor quality, cheaply made clothing that is clogging up landfill sites has always been the antithesis of what we do and we are firm believers in the mantra of ‘buy less, buy better’. We have always tried to stock clothing that will last years, not months and when we started our own label we felt that small-scale, high quality manufacturing was the best way to do this. Using deadstock fabrics - essentially waste products from the fashion industry - is not only good for the environment but allows us to sell clothing made with incredible materials at reasonable prices.

3. Please tell us a little about Nola Boutique and how you came to be?

We opened our Brighton shop over twenty years ago, with the idea of bringing the labels we loved together in one place. We wanted a second shop and, with family connections to the city, Manchester seemed the obvious choice. Our first store in the Northern Quarter, and the manufacturing studio above it, were still establishing themselves when Covid brought us to a halt, and we took the decision to close the store and move the studio elsewhere. We’d been looking for the right location for a new shop for a long time before we found the Barton Arcade site, and we opened in October 2023.

4. Are you also available to shop online?  

Yes – at nolaboutique.co.uk

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5. What are your current favourite pieces in the shop? (Please include pictures or screenshots if possible).

My favorite Nola piece at the moment is our gingham Tariff pants (in thumbnail)- our Tariff pants are such an easy to wear shape and we usually make them in linen as a staple, but this red ginham cotton is so fun and summery. We couldn't resist making shorts and matching scrunchies too!

As soon as Arcs bags came in I fell in love. As a brand, they seek to redefine the use of synthetic fabrics - elevationg their manufacturing techniques and purposely using them for their lightweight and water resistant properties. This results in well made, functional products. This particular bag is produced with scraps of recycled pollyester that would otherwise go to waste.

Amente is a very small brand who have sustainability at their heart. Their garments are as ethically made as possible and they choose natural fabrics for all their collections. This dress is made from a lovely, tactile cotton and I love the timeless shape. Its the kind of thing that looks great worn as it is in summer, but can also be layered up in winter.

6. Besides Nola, what other sustainable businesses would you recommend to a friend?

In terms of sustainable fashion, we have always loved Beaumont Organic – we were stockists long before we became Northern Quarter neighbours. We are big fans of THE:REDIRECTORY (@the_redirectory) on Instagram, a great source for sustainable, ethical fashion and advice.  

7. What is your best memory & or proudest moment of the business?

We are proud to have survived for over 20 years through the trials and tribulations of recessions, Covid and Brexit! We’re always proud to see anybody looking great in something they’ve bought from us. Designing and producing all the bridesmaids’ outfits for our dear friend’s wedding will always stand out as a very special moment for us.  

8. & Finally, What would you like to see happen in the future of fashion?

Sadly, fast fashion is here to stay, but we’d love to see people make more informed decisions about what they wear. An end to greenwashing in the industry would be nice – clothing made in the third world for pennies and shipped halfway across the globe is not ethical nor sustainable, even if the cotton is organic. We’d love to see more manufacturing in the UK. There’s a long, proud tradition of producing fabric, designing and making clothes in this country and it would be a tragedy to lose it.

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