September Star Maker: Weirdstock

Each month I choose my Star Maker from the nine featured in my print column. This month it’s Johanna Haughey-Lewis from Weirdstock

Introduce us to your brand 

Weirdstock is a small, London-based homeware brand specialising in organic cotton bedding in bold, retro-inspired prints. Our range bridges the gap between vintage style and modern quality, while also having a minimal impact on the planet. Each product has been thoughtfully designed to be fun and uplifting, injecting some 1970s eclecticism into your unique and joyful home. Our sheets are 100% organic cotton, ethically sourced, and have that luxe ‘hotel feel’, so you can have a positively groovy bedroom without compromising on quality.

What makes you stand out from the crowd?

The inspiration for my bedding line stemmed from a personal frustration: a lack of maximalist, sustainable and high-quality bedding options. I envisioned a way to fill this gap with products that embody a vibrant, retro aesthetic. I was sick of having to choose sustainable or colourful, high quality or cool designs. I wanted to create a product that can do it all! Sustainable or luxury products don’t have to be neutral.

What part of the process of making your items do you enjoy the most? 

Mood boards! I love those initial steps of pulling together the inspiration for a collection. It’s so exciting and energising for me. I love being able to take inspiration from vintage photos, nature, fashion, architecture and other things and then translate that into a real-life product. It’s really fun, and to be quite honest, the hard part hasn’t started yet at that point!

I also love photoshoot days. Styling a space and bringing a vision from my head into the real world is so satisfying. I’ve been so lucky to work with some amazing photographers who have helped me transform a space and convey my whole brand ethos as well as the product in a photo.

When did you realise you were a creative soul?

I’ve always been creative – between music, starting all sorts of clubs and projects as a child, inventing things, writing, scrapbooking and experimenting with fashion. I was never a particularly good ‘artist’, so I guess I didn’t quite realise at the time how many ways there are to be creative.

I think my love of music influences my personal style in a big way. I’ve been a big music fan all my life and love to sing – I have a pretty eclectic taste from rock, folk, disco and soul – probably an interest that first sparked my interest in mid-century culture and design.

What’s the best feedback you’ve received about your brand or products?

One of the reviews I received was from a customer who suffers from a chronic illness. She mentioned that she spends a lot of time indoors and her bed and bedroom are super-important to her, and that the vibrant design of her Weirdstock bedding makes her smile every day. I can’t ask for anything more than that!

I also appreciate it so much when people have finally found the thing they’ve been looking for – they’ve had a frustration, just like I did, and now don’t have to choose between joyful and sustainable – they can have both! That makes me so happy.

Why is sustainability so important to you personally and how you build your brand identity?

When I decided to start a business, sustainability was not optional for me. I didn’t even consider starting something that wasn’t environmentally and socially responsible. I want to be doing this for a long time and I want to be proud of what I do and what I create. The heart and soul of Weirdstock is to produce beautiful quality products that have a positive impact on people, and a minimal impact on the planet.

We use 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton in our bedding. GOTS is the Global Organic Textile Standard, and its certification ensures ecological and social responsibilty for the cotton that we use.

We’re also plastic-free, right down to the buttons used on our duvet covers (which are made from coconut shell), to the shipping materials we use. Our duvet sets and sheets are packaged in little cotton bags made from factory scraps, rather than wasteful plastic packets. You can use our bags for washing your delicates, or even as a cute storage solution to hang on the back of your bedroom door.

We manufacture in small batches, doing our best to ensure nothing is wasted and that every item finds a home before we produce more.

When looking at your journey so far, what would you do differently?

This might sound a bit cheesy, but I honestly wouldn’t do anything differently. The past few years have been a steep learning curve, with lots of mistakes and plenty of stressful moments – but those needed to happen for me to learn and continue to grow the brand and perfect the product for our customers.

I’m a first-time entrepreneur and Weirdstock just had its first birthday at the end of August 2024, so it’s still fresh and new, and I’m sure that rollercoaster of highs and lows will continue. I have a positive outlook regardless of what happens, as long as I continue to keep my high standards around fairness and sustainability and continue to communicate honestly, it will all work out. I know that’s what my customers care about the most.

What’s next for your brand?  What newness should we keep a look out for?

The new collection, Nan’s House, will be launching very soon! Nan’s House will be OTT, kitsch and frilly cottagecore with traditional 70s colourways and pops of acid brights. You might have seen the hero print from this collection during our soft launch as part of our collaboration with Plants By There at the Chelsea Flower Show in May. Make sure you’re on the Weirdstock mailing list to be the first to know when the new collection is released!