About us
OUR STORY
Simple Sophie was a dream which was realised through a collaboration of 3 friends Guillaume Heller, Teresa Fraley-Nel and Alain Kirsch who through their shared passion and many years of experience in the clothing industry created Simple Sophie in September 2016.
BRAND ETHOS
To produce a truly luxurious product that will make the person who wears it feel soft and sensual whilst being comforted by the fact that all our products are ethically sourced and have ecological integrity.
Hence our slogan:
“RESPECTIVELY MADE FOR BEAUTIFUL SOULS"
Hence our slogan:
“RESPECTIVELY MADE FOR BEAUTIFUL SOULS"
THE COLLECTION
Our collection is designed and developed through a collaboration between its two partners Alain Kirsch and Teresa Farley-Nel who hold showrooms in both Belgium and Cape Town (South Africa).
Their aim is to design product which is timelessly elegant whilst always holding an element of true simplicity, hence our name
“ Simple Sophie”
OUR INSPIRATION
We take our inspiration firstly from our two countries Belgium and South Africa of whom we are both truly passionate. Secondly from our love of travel, our journeys have taken us to many places but the ones which speak to our hearts are of the two Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Madagascar. We have taken inspiration from the islands natural beauty as well as the friendliness of their people who are so humble and extremely creative. Through our love for good wine and food and inspiring fashion we find ourselves equally connected to Italy from which we have taken inspiration from their artisanal boutique factories with whom we work.
WHERE ARE OUR PRODUCTS PRODUCED ?
We have partnered with a few artisanal boutique factories in Mauritius, Madagascar and Italy, these factories whom we have chosen to work with share the same values as we do . They are all family run businesses some of which in some cases have been passed down from one generation to the next and as such offer us huge technical and creative support. We have formed true collaborations with these factories through listening and a sharing of ideas through which we have created close and meaningful relationships. This also speaks to our logo the MEERKAT, which we chose for its family values and soft cuddly nature. They are eusocial and move in packs of up to 30 with the dominant individuals producing the offspring and the subordinate members providing altruistic care by looking after the pups. There is always a sentinel who keeps guard over the others whilst they are foraging and will sound an alarm by producing a distinct bark when a predator is spotted thus allowing the offspring under the protection of the adults to escape inside their burrows.
OUR CASHMERE
Our cashmere is bought from Todd& Duncan who are renowned for their cashmere which is soft and insulated. Todd & Duncan have earned the trust of fashion houses and knitwear manufacturers for generations. Their cashmere is the only yarn spun, coloured and crafted in Scotland.
WATER AND DYEING
The T&D mill is on the banks of Loch Leven in Scotland, and for good reason: the water’s natural purity and softness helps to open up the cashmere fibres, resulting in wonderfully consistent colour, and the Todd & Duncan handle for which they are renowned. They dye their fibre before it’s spun – a gentle process that gives a superior colour result and finished handle. Their dyes are environmentally friendly, so the water they use can be cleaned and returned to Loch Leven once dyeing is complete which is world renowned for its RSPB nature reserve. Their melanges and solid colours are world-renowned, the secret lies in their meticulous blending. Nothing here is automatic; they watch every individual fibre, and manually adjust their specially-designed machines to create speciality colours.
CARDING
Here, their yarns truly come alive, with each roller covered with their custom specification of card wire in order to maintain the integrity of the precious fibre. This time-intensive stage is designed to get the very best from the fibre and the colour, and achieve an exceptionally high level of card slubbing. All their yarns are spun on modern mules. This means long draws for a more level yarn during spinning. Compared to the alternatives, it’s a slow process, but yields an exceptionally rounded and voluminous yarn.