Quail was founded by partners, in life as well as in business, Shauna Chapman and Jason Clark in 2006. Fans of organic food in the late 1990’s the couple then started to seek organic soaps and cosmetics before the final transition of researching organic and fairtrade clothing. The decision to launch Quail was born from the idea that eco-friendly fashion was lacking in choice and sophistication. Plenty of green fashion was (and still is) imported from outside Europe and has a whiff of heavy manufacture about it. Choice was very much limited to t-shirts and yoga wear — and some argue, it still is. Shauna decided to tackle the problem herself.
As the driving force behind Quail, Shauna has scoured the UK and the rest of the globe to find ethical fabrics to design a collection of funky and interesting clothing for women. Shauna has had led the creative direction of the collection, working closely with their key friends who have helped them reach this point. She says, ‘I love colour, pattern, design and texture so I think don’t think I’ll get as bored with this kind of work as I did whilst working in the City’. Having spent many years in London, it was time to make a change.
Now based in the traditional fishing port of Brixham, south Devon, the live/work studio is a restored 19th century chandlery nestled in the conservation area. After their move from London the couple were keen to ‘green’ their lifestyle even further. Jason says, ‘The building was in need of a lot of TLC when we bought it. After essential repairs we decorated with eco-friendly paints from Exeter, exposed the wood floors and rolled jute rugs over the flagstones. Our kitchen is handmade in Devon using reclaimed timber. Curiously Shauna assembled a first class wormery in the courtyard garden even before we upacked the bedroom boxes’. Working side by side as partners, the move to Devon has been a decision the couple do not regret. ‘Here we have the space and the natural light to run a creative business. We made a conscious decision to live in Brixham’s active fishing harbour. The South West has a great artistic vibe. It didn’t take me long to turn into a mackerel-eating S’Wester.’ says Shauna whose maternal genes hail from south Dorset.
A lifetime student of fine art, Shauna’s passion lies in sourcing raw materials and creating garments that are unique and reflect their origins. ‘Impressions of Culture’ was the title of her British Columbian Fine Art Scholarship in 1989. Not one for spending time on the beach all travel opportunities have been about soaking up rural culture and traditional food of England, South Africa, the Greek Isles, eastern Australia, Morocco and the rest of Europe. ‘Sourcing fabrics for Quail is about understanding producers, preserving a way of life, taking care of the environment and traceability. Clothing design is about sitting at your drawing board and ploughing your own furrow. That way I can ensure diversity of Quail’s clothing products. For example, I’m mad about South African shweshwe fabric. It’s a national heritage item for them and rather than just use the fabric anonymously I highlight the significance of shweshwe. Nelson Mandela is rarely seen without his shweshwe shirt so I use it for funky women’s shirts’, says Shauna.
Jason didn’t think he knew anything about fashion. With his strong graphic design background he adapted quite quickly to the process. Now his input is put to use with designing silk screen artwork for Quail’s exclusive organic cotton range. ‘As a ‘60s kid I gravitate towards icons of my childhood. Quail’s upcoming print collections are heavily influenced by 1960s design. Jason’s other roles have been primarily been with the design of the brand, website development, photography and the Lookbooks.
