Values behind the brand

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When you buy from Jed Phoenix of London you exchange your cash for a product made with C.A.S.H.

Creativity 

• Creativity is part of Jed’s lifestyle. Having discovered that they are autistic in 2018, Jed’s style of creativity now makes a lot more sense. Jed uses their neurotype to their advantage, with attention to detail, innovative problem solving and hyper-focus fuelling their creations. Because Jed is also aphantasic (and can only conceptualise rather than visualise), they create in a very experimental and intuitive way. Jed starts with a concept in their head and then takes it from there. There will be no illustrations or mood boards of Jed’s garments before or after production, instead the details of Jed Phoenix of London designs happen while they are making the samples. 
• Jed generally takes inspiration from components they already have or "waste" resources, and will design new garments or accessories that incorporate these. This also fits in with their sustainability ethos. 
• Since 2020, Jed has been working on their own rather than with a part time machinist. This has led to the realisation that Jed really enjoys sewing. The repetitive nature of it, coupled with the desire to continually improve their skills, is very soothing.
• Read more about aphantasia and artists
• What Jed's creativity means for you is that you get well thought out, original designs that are both high quality and timeless.

Autonomy 

• If it’s possible to be an autonomous autistic anti-capitalist whilst running an independent one-person business, Jed is giving it a damn good go! Jed understands that good cash flow is essential and, since paying back the initial start-up loan, provided by The Prince’s Trust with match funding from a high street bank, in the early 2000s, Jed has run a largely debt-free enterprise. This is a “lifestyle business” with no shareholders, where growth has been relatively slow and organic. Through word-of-mouth, showing up at events, and selling direct to customers, Jed has built a client base and a reputation for producing well thought out, high quality garments and accessories.
• Jed lacks the desire to follow the mainstream fashion trends, both in terms of style choices and the frequency with which new designs are produced. 
• Jed is often asked if they do commissions, and has previously done so more frequently. Nowadays, Jed is less inclined to take on design commissions because of the time intensive nature of producing unique one-off garments. Jed may be swayed if they are particularly inspired by the idea, but the design would then go into production and into the Jed Phoenix of London collection. Click here for the Terms and Conditions of Bespoke Commissions.
• What Jed's autonomy means for you is they normally have the ability to tweak existing designs to suit your unique body shape and needs. If Jed cannot help you with a particular product, they will probably know someone who can! Garments bought from Jed are also repairable.

Sustainability

• Jed Phoenix of London prides themselves on designing and making timeless classics that fit in with the slow fashion movement. Slow fashion - an ever evolving concept - encompasses brands with a business model that slows down consumerism and that has a more ethical and sustainable approach. It is the polar opposite of fast fashion, where the focus is on mass produced clothing and profit, over the impact on people and the environment. 
• On a personal level, Jed identifies as a SolarPunk - an offshoot of CyberPunk, SteamPunk and DieselPunk - that draws on things such as permaculture, anti-consumerism, the DIY ethos, craftivism, positive psychology, and social equality.
• Jed Phoenix of London has been powered by green electricity since the early 2000s, uses leftover materials and offcuts wherever possible, and builds products that last and are repairable. Since 2021, Jed Phoenix of London’s main transport to local pop up shops has been an electric bike and custom made trailer. The e-bike can be charged by Jed’s personal solar panel.
• Sustainability is a very on-trend term when it comes to business. This often involves a degree of Greenwashing - when businesses claim that they are environmentally friendly but in reality they are just using it as a marketing strategy. Jed will never claim to be carbon neutral, however they will take as many steps to tread as lightly on the earth as possible. A lot of Jed’s sustainability ethos is based on the permaculture principles of Earth care, people care, fair shares. This means creating a work environment that is non-toxic for the planet and Jed. They do this by recognising when enough is enough - by not holding large amounts of stock, living within their financial means (on both a personal and business level), being resourceful, closing waste loops, and by looking after their own mental health. 
• What Jed's sustainability means for you is that you’re purchasing UK made, long lasting garments that are made by the person who designed them and whose interest in permaculture (and its focus on earth care, people care and fair share) extends beyond just the personal.

Honesty

• Jed feels compelled to create and likes to be of service to customers. However, Jed also knows when other people's skills will be a better fit when dealing with particular requests. Having been on the UK alternative/kink/goth scenes since the 1990s, Jed is often able to recommend another small business who will be better placed to fulfil your order.
  
• Jed is open about being queer, autistic and self taught. This is incredibly important to them as they are rooted in the lifestyle, and have been throughout their life. Jed is all about breaking the stereotypes and stigmas around gender, sexuality, neurodiversity, appearance and alternative lifestyle. Because of this grounding, Jed is respectful and non judgemental when it comes to their customers.
  
• Jed does have gendered clothing lines and is aware that this may cause some people to question the binary nature of the business. However, Jed themselves identifies as genderqueer, but as a clothing designer they understand there are certain rules of anatomy that we cannot escape. As previously mentioned, tweaks can be made to clothing to fit the huge variety of body shapes out there.
  
• Autism and what it means to Jed:

Social - Jed spent most their 20s in nightclubs but now prefers a quieter, more solitary life. They will not be found at parties!

Change/Flexibility - Jed’s main struggle is switching between selling and design mode. These use different parts of the brain and a different skill set. Jed is more than capable of doing both but transitioning is the challenging bit. This is one of the reasons they no longer do bespoke garments. If you visit Jed at LAM then they may have difficulties in coming up with design tweaks on the spot as they will be in selling mode - for made-to-measure garments and design tweaks, you will need to visit Jed’s studio, in South London. Similarly, when Jed is in making mode, transitioning to admin mode can be tricky. This means that Jed has specific times that they do their admin and there may be a slight delay in them responding to you.

Sensory - Noise has a big impact on Jed’s ability to communicate and concentrate. If you come to a pop up shop which is very busy, Jed might find it hard to focus on their conversation with you if there are other conversations happening within ear shot. 

In-person communication - If you visit the pop up shop at LAM you may experience some of Jed’s communication differences firsthand! Jed’s business is their special interest and they are happy to talk at length about it. However…if you go off script Jed might struggle. Please be direct in your communication as vagueness can prove tricky to understand what is needed.

All other communication - Jed will endeavour to respond to emails and messages as quickly as possible. However, due to Jed not only being autistic, but also a sole trader and maker, they spend a lot of their time in the studio creating. Switching into communication mode can take some time and effort. Please be mindful of this when contacting Jed Phoenix of London. Your enquiry and order is important to Jed and they will usually respond within 2 working days.

• What Jed’s honesty means for you is the knowledge that you are supporting a neurodivergent, queer, independent business owner.