/ “We never wanted to buy fabric. There are so many stories that go into making it… you’re basically weaving a story”

What you need to know about Teatum Jones is that they’re not your Usual Designers. Usual Designers buy in their fabrics; Teatum Jones invent theirs. Which is how Catherine Teatum and Rob Jones, the designers behind the label, have earned their sobriquet ‘textile pioneers’. “There are thousands of yarns in fabric, so when you start going, the possibilities are endless,” enthuses Jones. “You change one yarn, and it changes everything.” In short: you’re not just wearing a beautiful piece, you’re getting something unique that’s been crafted with love.

Trained at Ravensbourne (Teatum) and Central Saint Martins (Jones), they created their label in 2011, showing collections at London Fashion Week driven by a love of what they call “human stories” – remarkable people they’ve encountered. For Label/Mix, they were piqued by the life of Vanessa Bell, painter and sister of novelist Virginia Woolf.

“Vanessa hand-painted these beautiful textiles,” explains Jones. “The V&A have some of her collection, so we went and saw her work. We took away the colours – the ochres, blues and teals.” The spoils of that expedition can be seen in the patterned overcoat, which has been made from an italian cotton-wool jacquard developed exclusively for Label/Mix, featuring those colours. It’s the kind of coat you love every time you wear it, because there’s always something new to admire, be it the luxuriously thick yarns or the intricate dashes and triangles that make up the print. Like, we said, not your usual designers.