An independent Woodbridge dog wear business is set to release its first collection, utilising new sustainable material.
Skylos Collective is a dog wear business founded by Woodbridge resident of nearly 14 years, Ella Peters.
Initially inspired by the lack of sustainable options for her golden retriever Alli, Ella has produced her own range of leads, collars and poop bag holders.
Ella utilised her chief executive pooch's playful, cheeky nature to test the range, ensuring it was as hardwearing and flexible as possible.
She added: "Alli is very funny. She loves swimming and she loves mud, so she was the perfect dog to help out with product testing."
Aiming to break away from the pollution associated with the textiles industry, the new range is made from apple leather - a sustainable material made from the waste generated by the Italian fruit juice and compote industry.
Ella has also produced a QR code for each tag to present the production line of her items, placing transparency as one of the main brand values of Skylos Collective.
Two percent of their profits are donated to the Animal Welfare Society of South Africa, the birthplace of Ella's beloved Alli.
Ella believes it's important to emphasise that Skylos Collective is a female-owned small business, saying: "This is me. I don't want the face behind the brand to be anonymous. I wanted to show that I'm also in the game in such a male-dominated industry."
The brand has also partnered with female-owned manufacturing partners in Lancashire, contributing to the preservation of leather craft skills in the UK and reducing its 'carbon paw print'.
The products come in a variety of colours, including blush pink, forest green, classic black and silver.
While Ella enjoys the neutral colours traditionally associated with sustainable fashion, she said she wanted to give customers the option to deck their pooches out in bright colours too.
Skylos Collective's first release will be available online soon and will also be stocked at Woodbridge's independent dog store The Good Dogg.
Going forward, Ella will be keeping the business dog-focussed and she said she's already got plenty of fresh ideas for new products experimenting with sustainable materials.
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