Fabric aficionado, confessed full-time babe on socials and a sustainable founder determined to make a difference, this month, we have the pleasure of sitting down with ROOP designer Natasha Fernandes Anjo. A Manchester-based label swiftly making its way into the mainstream (reaching the stylistic holy realms of VOGUE and Harper’s Bazaar to name a few) ROOP has gained a cult following for its signature whimsical accessories.
Every handbag and scrunchie guarantees to add an instant hit of dopamine to any outfit, each lovingly crafted from either deadstock, vintage or remnant fabric. In this interview, Natasha candidly opens up about the origins and future of ROOP, her passion for sustainable craft, a romance with ruching and the C&R piece on her radar right now.
Hi Natasha, could you introduce ROOP to our readers? How did the brand get started?
Hi! There were so many twists and turns that led me here over the years but essentially I had tried so many things knowing that I had to work for myself but not finding the ‘thing’ yet. I was experimenting with handbags and one janky but beloved green bag always got so many compliments, someone in Paris asked me where I had bought it from, a pivotal moment that made me go home and sew sew sew. The first Furoshiki bag I made, I took on an outing to a cafe and within 10 minutes of chatting I had an order from a friend. This is when I knew definitively bags were for me.
Why do you feel it’s so important to prioritise upcycled fabrics in your designs, as opposed to fresh materials?
It started off being circumstantial and now is a key pillar of the brand and informs the way we design our accessories. I used to work in a fabric shop, and they have baskets of remnant and deadstock fabrics. When I started selling my bags on instagram people loved that they were limited edition. It was a happy accident I have stuck by and now working with my supplier I have seen how much fabric is produced and wasted constantly. I couldn't change how we source our fabrics.
Romantic ruching is your brand’s distinctive style - why did you feel drawn to this technique and aesthetic?
Haha so its from a shoe! I wish I still had the screenshot but I didn’t ever imagine I’d be where I am now even though I am an archivist (well hoarder!) It was a high heel with brocade front and a velvet ruched strap over the front. I loved the chunky strap juxtaposed with the flat but textured front of the shoe. It stayed with me and when I was thinking about how to make the bags I was making a little different the shoe popped up from the recess of my brain and ROOP’s core aesthetic was born.
Which piece from your range holds a particularly special place in your heart, and why?
Currently the Alyia bag. I saw this amazing stylish woman walking in front of me 9 months ago and I sneakily took a picture. I couldn’t stop thinking about her outfit and her energy. Aliya is a bag designed for her and all the women running around cities that she represented to be at that moment. What’s even more special is now we have met and worked together, she’s everything I imagined and more.
How do you ignite a creative spark when designing new additions to the brand’s catalogue? Who, or what, serves as inspiration for you?
Everything is inspiration to me, you only have to look at the 60000 photos in my phone, the napkins and sugar packets I take home, the endless pins on my pinterest. ROOP is made for the amazing people who buy my accessories.
What does 2024 hold for ROOP? What would you love to achieve as a brand by this time next year?
More complex accessories, more bridal, more real life events!
Finally, can you share a piece on our website that's speaking to you right now stylistically - bonus points if you share a ROOP accessory you’d pair with it!
Babes I’m loving the curation, it's all gorgeous! I am going to Paris next month so I’m looking for some date night outfits, I love the look of the Diish black 'Karney' linen dress. Super super and chic, and would go perfectly with a little kitten heel and our black satin Pelagie bag.
Meet Natasha and discover ROOP -
Instagram - @itsrooper
Website - ROOP