Three years ago, during lockdown, two fashion students embarked on a new creative project. Combining their joint skill sets across photography, styling, editorial curation and fashion marketing, Bethany Grace and Tamara Turnbull created Lunch, their own online boutique which now showcases over 60 emerging international designers.

‘I’m really a jewellery person, and Tamara is very much a clothing person so we curate everything together,’ says Grace from the Rotterdam flat where she’s now based. ‘One of our core beliefs is that we want to support designers through their processes, remain authentic to them, and advise them wherever they need to be advised. We also wanted to be ethical and environmentally friendly with this project because we know that fashion is over-consumed.’

By opting for seasonless styles (‘something that can be worn for a very long time or be just a core piece in your wardrobe’) that are made to order or have very small-batch production, Lunch can stock unique designer items with minimal waste. ‘With a made-to-order model, we also have a no-return policy because most of that stuff is also made to measure,’ says Grace. ‘That means you have an amazing fit and you’re getting a piece that’s a bit more special. I don’t understand why the bigger fashion houses aren’t doing made-to-order. It’s the way forward.’

To give customers a taste of the Lunch stock quality, the team hosts regular pop-up events across Edinburgh and Glasgow. Sounds like a lot of work for three part-timers (Grace, Turnbull and their assistant Graham) straddling Glasgow and the Netherlands? ‘It’s harder to grow something when you can’t give it all of your time, that’s for sure,’ admits Grace, ‘but if you have a strong intention and put in as much energy as you can during that time, then anything is possible.’

Visit the Lunch site or follow the brand on Instagram for pop-ups and events. Read our October interview with independent designer Jen Byrne here.