Mononoko – the sustainable fashion label

Where is it?
The General Store
7 Barton Arcade
Deansgate
M3 2BW

History:
The General Store on Deansgate has done well to find this one. Rather different from their usual range of brands, Mononoko is the cure for their conscience. And it also looks great.

The concept of ‘Global Alchemy’ has been sewn up in this beautifully designed collection from seamstress turned business woman, Mary Ononokpono.

She said: “The idea for Mononoko began whilst studying at London College of Fashion. Prior to starting my course I knew I wanted my own label but the idea of a sustainable label began taking shape whilst studying. I moved back to Manchester when I had my daughter and when she was one, I was selected to participate in a high profile show at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the rest, as they say, is history.

  “The partnership with the General Store came about through the Brands of Manchester competition facilitated by The General Store and Manchester Fashion Network.”

Already stocked in Shoreditch, East London, the General Store is Mononoko’s first Northern outlet.

What does it sell?
Monononko is high-end ethical clothing. The range includes dresses, jumpsuits, trousers and huge bauble inspired earrings – each with its own defined style, straight from Mary’s imagination. From African prints to Everton mint stripes, it’s hard to categorise the collection.

Mary said: “My AW2010 collection was inspired by Alice in Wonderland. I took elements from the classic tale in terms of silhouettes and detailing, but the colour palette is very restrained; black and white with hints of red and yellow.

“There are a few north African influences which naturally seeped in due to me currently finalising my spring summer 2011 collection which has a lot of north African influences too.”

Mary’s venture as a General Store outlet means she has had to reconsider her customer base and adapt her designs.

She said: “The collections I've designed to date have been slightly more formal which I didn't necessarily feel would work in the General Store alongside brands such as Religion and Ringspun.

“I decided to go for a slightly more casual feel but that can still be dressed up with heels and accessories.”

Who goes there?
Mononoko designs aren’t for everyone, but everyone will want to take a closer look at them as they are so different.

Mary said: “I think fundamentally people are drawn by my use of colour and print – or so I've been told.

“I've had interest from a wide range of people from students to young professionals and also a slightly more mature customer.”

Why go there?ored of what the high street has to offer? Looking for a stand-out, one-off piece? Rather than look at the high street and sigh, Mary has instead looked at the wide array of people from different cultures in the shops, and incorporated the sights of the city into her designs.

She said: “I get inspiration from all over the place. We live in such a melting pot of cultural ideas that it's difficult not to be inspired upon stepping outside.

“The concept was created to fuse together different elements of the cultures that have heavily influenced me in order to highlight our similarities rather than our differences.”

The result is a completely unique range of clothes that are durable and fashionable. Mary’s personal story has also had a big impact on the types of clothes she makes. She upcycles and recycles clothes from charity shops, end of line fabrics and slightly blemished rolls from UK manufacturers and uses sustainable fabric blends such as hemp and soy.

Mononoko only uses fabrics with a minimum of 55 per cent organic or recycled content and sources fabrics coloured using Azo-free dyes. Each new collection contains a greater proportion of 100 per cent certified organic materials and Mononoko continues to strive to use the most sustainable fabrics every year. The eco-friendly Earth Mother approach seems a dutiful consideration for Mary who is, first and foremost, a mother to her four-year-old daughter.

Future
Mary aims to continue to expand her brand and stick to her guns on ethical clothing. With her four-year-old by her side, she has a lot on her plate but is determined to make a success of it, and that starts with the General Store collection this year.

She said: “As Anita Roddick said ‘any female entrepreneur with children knows that kids are the weak link in the chain of juggling work and family.’ I'm lucky in that I have a tight network of family and close friends that help make the responsibility that little bit easier. On days when it's just my daughter and I, I try to get her involved in what I'm doing as much as possible.”