In 2007, Karen Spurgin co-founded AO Textiles Ltd after a successful collaboration with fashion designer Deborah Milner for the beauty company, Aveda. The outcome was a sustainable and eco-aware couture collection.

The birth of AO Textiles Ltd initially came from the process of researching and developing new sustainable and eco-friendly textiles for the Aveda collaboration.

When AO was born, several others joined, along with their textile expertise and love for sustainable textiles. Penny Walsh researches and develops new sustainable and 100% natural dye formulas for the fabrics. Penny has researched a vast majority of plants, roots, leaves and petals of a large breadth of plants and herbs to use in colouring AO’s fabrics. Conversing with chemists on new formulas, her continuous research into natural dyes enables AO to be at the top of producing sustainable, renewable, eco-friendly and biodegradable natural colour sources. Emma D’Arcey focuses her time into a traditional art craft called marbling. After nearly a decade of developing this skill and working with design houses such as Hermes and Stella McCartney, Emma utilises this textile craft to produce some contemporary and fresh designs for AO. Paul ‘Spike’ Bouch is AO’s financial director. After years of working in both London and Brighton - the latter the home of his public accountancy practice - Paul sold his business in 2001 and began to invest in companies overseas.

AO keeps up-to-date with fresh new collaborations with a variety of eco creatives. ‘Little AO’ is a collaboration between the AO and eco-designer, Debbi Little. Debbi is known in fashion for recycling parachute fabric to create her designs. With AO’s input, the collaboration has produced an array of eco-friendly and sustainable garments.

AO has been mentioned several times amongst several respected sources. TreeHugger, a company that aims to make sustainability mainstream, has reviewed AO’s collaboration with Aveda. Emma D’Arcey has also been named by the Telegraph as ‘one to watch’ in the textile and art world.

For more details please visit http://www.aotextiles.com/.