Fableists: We need your help! Our animated film, voiced by Jennifer Saunders, is in the running to feature in the next issue of The Drum Creative Showcase. In order for The Fableists to edge in there, we need your votes!
Please can you click on the link below and click the ‘LIKE’ button under our film – The Epic Thread. Thanks – and finger crossed!!!
Following the release of our animated short ‘The Epic Thread’ (which you can view here), The Mill published this interview with Matt.
![Screen Shot 2014-09-05 at 10.13.53[8]](https://thefableists.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/screen-shot-2014-09-05-at-10-13-538.png)
We have never really thought about kids differently. Firstly, we believe kids like clothes (we have four so have some experience!) – but not fussy stuff. Our stuff allows kids to be kids. The concept of The Fableists’ wardrobe is that you can wear the clothes in the city, in the park, by the sea, up a tree, or to Sunday lunch at grandma’s…
Ruby Griffiths, Fableists
My name is Ruby and I do research and development. I am quickly going to tell you a bit about how I ended up here. My journey began around age 15 when I had to choose what I wanted to take for my A-levels. Going to an art college in London studying business, sociology, psychology and philosophy was an interesting experience considering I had chosen the least artistic subjects – this is probably because I am the least artistic person I know.
Yet it was here where my deep love for psychology began to blossom and I decided that I wanted to carry on with further education studying just this. Before embarking on this adventure, however, I took a gap year. I wanted to work and earn some money but I also wanted to go away and find new experiences and new challenges (despite being so young!). I have always felt a deep desire to help people in some way or another and so I spent 4 months in Arizona at a mental health clinic where I provided a helping hand.
Not only did it open my eyes to the array of methods to try and help people, but it was the beginning of my understanding of sustainability and what it means. Daily life wasn’t simply centred on peace of mind but also about looking after your environment and culture. There were vegetable patches where the patients would cultivate their own food and they were made to participate in equine therapy. Equally, there were numerous discussions of caring for our environment and creating a caring culture. This opened my eyes to how the environment touches everything and it impressed me that it was a big part of treatment.
After this I took my degree by the horns; I had been accepted into Royal Holloway University to do a bachelor of science in Psychology. Here I decided to hibernate behind my books for the next 3 years. When I finished I started to search for a career – I wanted to point it towards caring for the world in which we live, in some way.
I was lucky to have Matt come along just as the search had begun to look fruitless. I had been told before our first meeting to read a book by Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS shows, called ‘Start Something that Matters’. It’s an incredible story about a man who goes to Argentina and comes home with an idea and a dream and turns it into something spectacular. So going in I knew he wanted to create a children’s clothing range that made a difference but I had no idea how he was going to achieve this.
When I arrived and Matt turned up he sat down, talked with me a bit about the book and then took out his tablet from his bag. Here he brought up 5 sketches he’d done himself of what he wanted his collection to look like. There were so many ideas in his mind but hardly a business plan. But what Matt captivated me with was his story (or ‘fable’ as The Fableists would say) about sustainability and how to get children and parents excited by it.
This is not an easy message to get across to people, but in one meeting Matt had hooked me, and so began our 10 month journey that had led us here. I have been able to watch a wonderful transformation as a man’s brilliant idea has been put into action. In a mere 10 months so much has happened and everyday I learn more and more, I have been privileged to be involved in such a unique and special project.
Sarah Cooper of the Fableists (she’s the one in the middle!)
Before we take this relationship any further, I thought I’d better let you know who the gal behind the blog is. I’m Sarah Cooper and I’m a Canadian living in the United Kingdom. I am here legally! I’ve got a British husband and children and a hard earned British citizenship, too. My husband, Matt, and I are launching The Fableists together. We have both worked in and around the advertising and film production/post industries for many years and really wanted to create a company that we could feel passionate about and that would inspire us every day. We want to set an example for our (four) children and build something that they are proud of and that we can all learn from.
We have the brood to clothe and we are fussy about what we buy them. Do the clothes make the kid? Well, they certainly can get in the way of making the kid! We want ours to look super sharp but also like kids. It’s important that they are free to move and can put their own stamp on their look. We want them to be strong, independent, confident characters who use their amazing minds and question anything they think isn’t right. We hope they will be responsible and aware by the time they leave our nest.
We are not perfect. But we are making changes to the way we consume. It really is crunch time, now people. Sustainability is a bandwagon that we all have to get on.
Join us on the journey.
Sarah
TheFableists 