Making things last as long as possible is part of Folk’s approach to fashion

Cathal McAteer, the founder of cult brand Folk, is trying on pieces from his new line, It’s All Good Folk, at his central London shop and HQ. He’s excited about the new collection. The first pieces went into John Lewis’s White City store that morning and he is visibly chuffed. He’s already wearing the trouser samples, which will go on sale in November, and it looks like he’ll be living in them for a while. He’s his own best customer. “I personally like a dishevelled, worn garment,” he says. “I like that patina things take on when they look well-worn.”

The tagline for the collection made exclusively for sale in John Lewis and Folk, is “Wear it out”. “It’s not fast fashion,” he says. “It’s important that people wear the garments out.” Folk already repairs clothes that are returned if they have been damaged. “If they can be repaired or upcycled, then the team will make sure that happens,” he says. The same will be true for It’s All Good Folk. “If something needs a minor repair we will replace the garment, if need be, then we can repair it and resell it, or we can make a charitable donation so it can be used and worn again.”