I don't know about you, but I love coming across new brands. Be it fashion, beauty, home-furnishings, hotels, etc, etc the list goes on, I just love expanding my brand-encyclopaedia.
One fashion brand I came across recently, really caught my eye with their very stylish and minimal look. This brand is called Maison de Choup (and yes the French-style name took my fancy too!).
Founded by the ever-so-talented George Hodgson, Maison de Choup has been on the fashion radar ever since their launch in late 2014. A young artist, George created the brand while trying to find an escape from his severe anxiety. By utilising his creative talents, George gained the strength to build Maison de Choup to where it is today, all while teaching himself how to best deal with his condition. Working with George on the brand is an incredible team of artists and designers, who together create unique and contemporary minimalist essentials for the daily wardrobe.
With products all handmade in the UK using fine materials, Maison de Choup are a brand with a difference. Their first collection, (which is for purchase through Maison de Choup's website) is made up of an array of unisex monochrome t-shirts, each with a very arty print. These t-shirts are perfect for an effortlessly chic look for ladies and a suave yet casual look for men. If I was styling one of the t-shirts for myself, I would probably pair it with blue mum jeans, black pumps and of course some bright red lippy. A little bit of sexiness mixed with a little bit of cool!
For George, creating Maison de Choup has helped him with his anxiety considerably and he is now passionate about helping others who are in the same position as he once was. Maison de Choup therefore created the 'words fail me' t-shirt. Twenty-five per cent of all proceeds from the t-shirt go to YoungMinds, a charity who help the emotional well-being of young people.
Maison de Choup's new collection named the 'Classic Collection', will be out soon and will include more tailored pieces, such as shirts and polo tops. You can see a little sneak peak of the collection the the image below – cute huh?!
George's story is truly inspirational. I myself, along with many other people around the world have suffered and are suffering from anxiety. To this day, it is much more common than most people realise. The good news is society is becoming much more understanding of the condition, and the stigma around anxiety is decreasing.
My tips: Find something you love and are passionate about to focus your time on; and surround yourself with positive, happy people that lift you up and make you laugh. As cliche as it sounds, laughter is the best medicine.