It’s the month of lurve, so this gorgeous sweater with its lovely hug design from Mama Established is the perfect choice for our latest Decorated Product of the Month accolade..
“I came up with the ‘free hugs’ design because, of course, it’s the run up to Valentine’s Day, but also this time of year is tough for a lot of people and I like to be a little out there with my designs sometimes,” explains owner and designer Gemma Whyte.
“I felt like it would create a talking point, but not only that, if someone was having a tough day and needed a hug, I feel like it would make someone’s day better. All in all, the purpose behind it was to spread a little bit of love in a world that can sometimes be a little difficult.”
While the company generally uses the AWDis sweatshirts (JH030) because “the colour range is so vast and the quality is great”, it has recently added the AWDis heavyweight sweats to its range too: “It provides a little bit more comfort and the fit is very oversized, which customers love.”
Gemma started the business eight years ago because she couldn’t find any clothing that she loved that was a little bit different for her and her daughter.
“I hand draw all of my designs based on either my love of music or how I’m feeling at the time and we print them in our little studio and shop in Northamptonshire.”
She used to use vinyl, cutting it in-house, but now uses DTF transfers printed by a third party, which she applies using an Xpres HPD auto clam heat press. She explains this gives her more time to work on her designs and add in extra detail, “as well as it being super speedy and efficient to use”.
Along with choosing the colour of the sweatshirt, customers can also choose the colour of the design, which Gemma says is always very popular with them.
“The reaction to this design has been wonderful, and is exactly what I wanted to achieve from customers buying it. It’s a statement piece and they love the fact they can mix and match their colour combinations to create their own versions to wear and style their own way.”
