Smart Works Collaborates With 11 Designers To Mark 10th Birthday

When Smart Works launched a decade ago, its founding mission was to provide disadvantaged women who were referred from Jobs Centres, mental health charities, women’s refuges, homeless shelters, the prison service, care service and youth organisations with a bespoke dressing consultation and an outfit that would enhance their confidence prior to heading into a job interview. Via its in-person and virtual services, it now assists some 69 per cent of its clients to gain employment within just a month, after which time, they may return for a ‘second dressing’, providing them with a capsule wardrobe to wear until they receive a first pay cheque.



Since its launch in 2013, Smart Works has helped 30,000 women feel confident enough to enter the workplace. As they say, ‘The women we support are at greatest risk of economic hardship and discrimination. In the last year, 44 per cent of clients had been unemployed for over a year, 18 per cent had applied for over 50 jobs and 10 per cent had applied for over 100 jobs before coming to Smart Works. In addition, 37 per cent were single mothers, 16 per cent have a disability and 52 percent were from an ethnic minority.’



Now, to mark a decade of its excellent and empowering work, the charity is celebrating the landmark by launching the Smart Works Capsule Collection, an initiative brilliantly curated by founder of the Daily Dress Edit and Smart Works ambassador, Isabel Spearman.



Spearman has expertly brought together some of the very best British, female-led fashion brands to create a back-to-work capsule wardrobe designed not only to make women feel wonderful in their work clothes, but also to help the those who use Smart Works’ service too; 25 per cent of the retail price of everything sold will go direct to the charity and thus help and empower disadvantaged women back into work.



The brands involved are involved are Albaray, ALIGNE, Camilla Elphick, Cefinn, Jigsaw, Lisou, ME+EM, Missoma, RIXO, TBCo, and VARLEY. Isabel Spearman says, ‘Smart Works is a brilliantly effective charity – they can truly transform the lives of women. The Capsule Collection with these British brands is not only a way of raising vital funds in their 10th year, but also an important awareness project that I hope brings many more people to this charity.’

Offering an eclectic mix of styles for a diverse range of work environments, from soft tailoring to classic pullovers to silk shirts, we are particularly taken with RIXO’s Red Poppy Jacquard Zadie Dress (£255), Cefinn’s arrestingly pink silk shirt (£290), Jigsaw’s soft instant classic of a Wool Maxi Coat (£385), and TBCo’s Berry Houndstooth Oversized Lambswool Scarf (£72). In fact, we’d happily take the lot.



So this season, as you consider your work wardrobe, should you be poised for a flurry of updating, do ensure that you browse Spearman’s edit: not only will it take the legwork out of shopping, it also veritably gift wraps a way for consumers to make fashion a force for good with minimal effort required, supporting Smart Works’ aim to double the number of women it reaches to 10,000 by 2025.

Explore the whole collection here.

By Nancy Alsop
September 2023