Our Story
Welcome to ME+EM
I don’t believe that modern women should have to choose between quality and cost; between contemporary trends and clothes they can actually function and look great in. That’s why I founded ME+EM in 2009.
There are no compromises to be made here. We call this ‘Intelligent style’ because of the great deal of thought that goes into each and every piece to ensure it is flattering and functional, is created fairly and ticks the box for contemporary fashion appeal. We refer to these as ‘The Four Fs’, and they are the pillars of ME+EM. If a piece doesn’t tick all four boxes, we don’t make it.
The secret to ME+EM is what we don’t have: middlemen. I’m obsessed with quality and in order to offer the highest standard at an accessible price, we handle everything ourselves, in-house. No third parties mean no unnecessary mark-ups. It’s the very simple reason why we no longer have to choose between luxury and cost. I’m proud to say that ME+EM was the very first luxury brand in the UK to disrupt the market in this way, paving the way for a new vision of womenswear.
So, that’s ME+EM: intelligent style for intelligent women, now and forever.
Clare Hornby
Founder + CEO
Flattering
Functional
Fashion
Fair
Flattering
One thing that is universal is the power of a flattering fit. This is where our commitment to being masters of the silhouette comes in. In fact, when it comes to fit, we are obsessive. Our design process is dedicated to perfecting the cut of our clothes, meticulously testing and honing every detail, from pocket placement and button choice, to intelligent additions and customisable features, down to the last stitch.
Functional
We know you work hard, so it's our job to deliver pieces that can keep up. For us, it isn’t enough to just make great-looking clothes. We need to be absolutely confident that everything we produce is highly functional. Consider it a slow-fashion approach to fast-paced style. We create purpose-driven solutions by examining the role of a piece in your wardrobe and how it can extend the life of your essentials. These are clothes designed to do more than one job, so that when you invest in one piece, you invest in multiple looks.
Fashion
The ME+EM signature can be condensed to this: timeless style with contemporary appeal. We don’t eschew trends, but we do thoroughly edit them and think long-term about how they'll stand the test of time in your wardrobe. And that’s the key. It has to last. In terms of quality and versatility. By carefully selecting elements and details to weave into our collections, we create pieces that are covetable now and forever.
Fair
Choosing a ME+EM piece means making a wise investment for your wardrobe, and you can feel assured of a return. We follow a direct-to-consumer model, which means every piece goes directly from our London design studio to our manufacturers, to our own stores and website, to you. There are no middlemen, so there are no unnecessary costs. We’re proud to build strong relationships with our trusted factories and suppliers who share our ethos of fair craftsmanship, and it’s how you can be confident that your clothes are made fairly.
Our Factories
Good relationships are part of our DNA. It is essential to us that we work directly with factories that not only have extraordinary skills to share, but that also share our ethos.
Direct to You
ME+EM is a direct-to-consumer business. It may not sound particularly sexy, but it’s important. It means that there are no inflated overheads in our business, which keeps our prices accessible.
We use the same design talent and family-run manufacturers as other luxury brands. What we don’t do is sell to wholesalers (other shops that sell ME+EM on our behalf), use intermediaries, have grand stores in expensive locations or carry out excessive marketing campaigns and catwalk shows.
Everyone’s hard work - and your wallet - is respected with a fair price so that you can be sure the only thing you’re paying for is quality, design and a great fit.
Luxury is in the quality, not the price
Every piece in our collections goes directly from our London design studio to our manufacturers, to our own stores and website, to you. No middlemen, no unnecessary costs.
In-house design
Luxury factories
Online and boutique stores
No wholesale mark-ups
No third-party mark-ups
No excessive marketing campaigns
Social Responsibility
We take our relationships with people and the planet very seriously. From the suppliers and factories we work with to our packaging, we are constantly reviewing and evolving our practices to become the most considered and considerate brand we can be. It's a work-in-progress as we aim to do and be better each year but you can read more about what we are doing, both internally and externally, on our CSR page.
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