Aligned In Spirit 001
Today, we launch Aligned In Spirit - a series that spotlights local creatives that share our commitment to mindful and ethical production. The first episode features Katie and Terri, founders of WORM London. Read on to find out how their passion for petals inspired the pair to become more eco-conscious, business and otherwise.
Katie wears the Cinder Jacket and the Cyprus Shacket
Tell us about WORM, what inspired it?
WORM is a floral design studio based in East London. We mainly design flowers for events, wedding and shoots. We were inspired to start a business by feeling a bit lost in our freelance creative careers and wanted autonomy as women in our 30s and thinking of our futures. Our work is inspired by the rugged landscape of our native Ireland, seasonality, colour and life.
What does sustainability mean to you?
Having a florist business has really opened our eyes to the importance of thinking sustainably. There are so many ways our industry needs to improve, flowers flown halfway across the world for a one hour event, floral foam made of micro plastics being used and poured down sinks or left on landfill, water waste, the amount of waste we see when going to take down an event at midnight, food, decoration etc. It’s really disheartening and we have had to really be careful with our choices as a small business, buying locally grown flowers when we can, recycling the flowers, finding alternatives to floral foam, cellophane etc.
How does this impact your style / fashion choices?
When you start to think sustainably in one area it spreads to all parts of your life, we’ve both started to become more aware of where our clothes are coming from, who made them, how they got to us. We have both started to create more of a capsule wardrobe of sustainable items that will last for years and taking care of it. Buying from small companies who look after their staff and use sustainable materials is important to us now. I (Terri) also just had my first baby and I’m trying to be sustainable with her clothes too. I bought a sewing machine to try to make some of her clothes from things I no longer want and buy most of her clothes second hand.
What are your wardrobe essentials / foundations?
We spend a lot of time in jumpsuits/dungarees at work. We are up ladders and down at floor level a lot when installing and its good to know you are fully covered! Also layers, we can’t put the heat on in the studio as it would kill the flowers so lots of cashmere and merino in winter retaining our body heat. Katie is always dressed in so much colour (a lot of which she dyes naturally herself) which always highlights that I wear a lot of black and white.
Terri wears the Camilla Dad Jean. Katie wears the Chandler Blouse.
How do you slow down / switch off?
Walks, cycles, Baths! Biggest relax is a bath with salts, natural oils, candles lighting and Max Richter’s album ‘Sleep’. Podcasts. Talk easy, Hidden brain, Dear Sugars, Only Artists, Nothing concrete and How to fail are amounts our favourites and of course we never miss an episode of desert Island discs. Books. Anything by Joan Didion, Deborah Levy, Leonora Carrington.
Best eco-conscious independent businesses in your area?
Dabba drop. A plant based curry delivered to your home weekly by bicycle in a reusable tiffin tin. We’ve had a subscription for a year now and it is always unbelievably delicious. Our local farmers market in stoke newington on Saturday mornings run by Growing communities. Committee of Taste. A furniture shop in Stoke newington that courses really beautiful mid century modern furniture pieces and gorgeous ceramics. You’ve got to get there early at the weekend to see what they have sourced because it gets snapped up so fast.
Terri wears the Camden Shacket
Follow @aligne to stay up to date with this series and more!
