A Conversation with Ella Thomson, Photographer

We sat down with photographer Ella Thomson who shares her experience of working with Community Clothing as a student and beyond.

How did your collaboration with Community Clothing come about?

"The Fashion Promotion students at UCLan were doing a live brief with Community Clothing and needed photographers, my friend Elliott was already photographing the group tasked with Queen Street Mill, and I just got involved to help him out essentially. Then, eventually, Patrick went to see the fashion students and their completed projects, through this he saw the photos I had taken for them, which he liked and since then Community Clothing have been in touch asking me to do some shoots for them."

What did you learn during the process?

"During the Queen Street Mill project I learnt about all of the complex work and organisation that goes into a fashion shoot, as I got a glimpse of all the time and planning the fashion students put in, but for me it was just about sorting out my approach to the photography and researching the visual style the fashion team wanted. It also taught me about shooting in a group environment and working with the mill volunteers who were modelling the clothes, making sure they felt comfortable in front of everyone. I also learnt about the beautiful Queen Street Mill and the lovely people who volunteer there, which is probably the most important part!"

How did your collaboration with Community Clothing come about?

"The Fashion Promotion students at UCLan were doing a live brief with Community Clothing and needed photographers, my friend Elliott was already photographing the group tasked with Queen Street Mill, and I just got involved to help him out essentially. Then, eventually, Patrick went to see the fashion students and their completed projects, through this he saw the photos I had taken for them, which he liked and since then Community Clothing have been in touch asking me to do some shoots for them."

What did you learn during the process?

"During the Queen Street Mill project I learnt about all of the complex work and organisation that goes into a fashion shoot, as I got a glimpse of all the time and planning the fashion students put in, but for me it was just about sorting out my approach to the photography and researching the visual style the fashion team wanted. It also taught me about shooting in a group environment and working with the mill volunteers who were modelling the clothes, making sure they felt comfortable in front of everyone. I also learnt about the beautiful Queen Street Mill and the lovely people who volunteer there, which is probably the most important part!"

What do you think about the Community Clothing brand?

"Community Clothing is a great brand with a super important ethos, one which seems to have been forgotten by a lot of people. Society consumes so much stuff that we don’t really need and has been unethically made, with horrible impacts on the environment. I have found it very refreshing and enjoyable to have had the opportunity to document behind the scenes of such a local and ethical company."

What are your hopes for the future?

"I would like to use my photography to share stories and start conversations about nature, outdoor activities and the environmental crisis. I’m not really sure what form that will take and I don’t have any specific plans currently, but if I can go on adventures, take a few photos along the way and maybe help towards creating a bit of change then I’ll be happy!"

What do you think about the Community Clothing brand?

"Community Clothing is a great brand with a super important ethos, one which seems to have been forgotten by a lot of people. Society consumes so much stuff that we don’t really need and has been unethically made, with horrible impacts on the environment. I have found it very refreshing and enjoyable to have had the opportunity to document behind the scenes of such a local and ethical company."

What are your hopes for the future?

"I would like to use my photography to share stories and start conversations about nature, outdoor activities and the environmental crisis. I’m not really sure what form that will take and I don’t have any specific plans currently, but if I can go on adventures, take a few photos along the way and maybe help towards creating a bit of change then I’ll be happy!"

Can you tell us a bit about the shoots you've done?

"Since Queen Street Mill, I’ve done three more shoots for Community Clothing. The first was a big day trip to Leicester, visiting and photographing some of the different factories and suppliers that create some of the Community Clothing pieces. This was really interesting as you don’t normally think about where your clothes actually come from, but seeing the people and places that make them was quite eye opening. Next, I did a fashion shoot at NT Quarry Bank, which was a similar brief to the Queen Street Mill project.

However, this time it was a smaller team and we were against the clock as we had to quickly get all the photos done before the mill opened to the public for the day, so it was a bit more of a challenge. My most recent shoot was at the Paper Foundation in Burneside, where Community Clothing fabrics are being turned into paper, so I got to document the amazing process of paper being hand made there."

What did you enjoy the most?

"My favourite shoot so far was at the Paper Foundation. I really like nice paper so it was super interesting to see it being handmade and it was a very relaxed and friendly environment to be able to visit. The workshop was also on stunning countryside grounds, which felt very historic and memorable. Being located on the edge of the Lake District made it feel extra special as I love climbing and being outdoors, and when I arrived it was pouring down, which added some classic Lakes character to the experience."

Can you tell us a bit about the shoots you've done?

"Since Queen Street Mill, I’ve done three more shoots for Community Clothing. The first was a big day trip to Leicester, visiting and photographing some of the different factories and suppliers that create some of the Community Clothing pieces. This was really interesting as you don’t normally think about where your clothes actually come from, but seeing the people and places that make them was quite eye opening. Next, I did a fashion shoot at NT Quarry Bank, which was a similar brief to the Queen Street Mill project.

However, this time it was a smaller team and we were against the clock as we had to quickly get all the photos done before the mill opened to the public for the day, so it was a bit more of a challenge. My most recent shoot was at the Paper Foundation in Burneside, where Community Clothing fabrics are being turned into paper, so I got to document the amazing process of paper being hand made there."

What did you enjoy the most?

"My favourite shoot so far was at the Paper Foundation. I really like nice paper so it was super interesting to see it being handmade and it was a very relaxed and friendly environment to be able to visit. The workshop was also on stunning countryside grounds, which felt very historic and memorable. Being located on the edge of the Lake District made it feel extra special as I love climbing and being outdoors, and when I arrived it was pouring down, which added some classic Lakes character to the experience."

Visit Ella's Website

Queen Street Mill

Queen Street Mill is a former weaving mill in Harle Syke, a suburb to the north-east of Burnley, Lancashire.

The Paper Foundation, Cumbria

Ella spent the day working on something new for Community Clothing, at The Paper Foundation, Watch this space for more!

Quarry Bank Mill

Ella photographed the wonderful volunteers at NT Quarry Bank in Cheshire, to celebrate our collaboration using their incredible striped deadstock fabric, that you can shop below.