A year in sustainable dancewear - 2023 Review
It has been over three years now since founding this sustainable dancewear brand. Our mission has been clear from the start: to change and influence the ballet industry to become more sustainable and inclusive. It’s our reason for being and why we exist, and even though the landscape is becoming more competitive, the need for sustainability has never been more evident.
It has been quite a journey and when we saw that dancers were eager to switch to sustainably made leotards and men's tights, we decided that it was time to bring the world's first sustainable ballet tights to the market, partnering with Swedish Stockings to do so. We believe that when dancers wear our garments they are truly making a difference to the planet.
As a small, ethical brand, we will continue to push the boundaries, continue to be curious and find new ways to create sustainable dancewear. We will seek out new and innovative fabrics to use in our collections alongside ECONYL and Q-Nova regenerated nylon. And we will focus on working with collaboration partners who live the IMPERFECT values that have been at the core of the brand since day one. We have learnt so much from our collaborations with Biscuit Ballerina and our on-going partnership with Swedish Stockings, who produce our tights.
Here are a few of the 2023 highlights, that make our community more that just another dancewear brand.
January 2023 Biscuit Ballerina
We found ourselves the perfect Imperfect cheerleader, champion and role model for the you perfectionist dancers out there …… Our new collaborator, Shelby Williams said:
'I'm proud to collaborate with Imperfect Pointes as its a small brand with big ethics that shape every corner of its business'.
She became a huge advocate of environmentally friendly dancewear and loves a Mersey with long sleeves.
Spring 2023
Shoot with Eva Nys - TikTok's favourite ballet photographer.
When Eva Nys approached us to do a shoot with some of our favorite 'turners' from Master Ballet Academy we HAD to say YES. We created some incredible content with Melanie McIntire and LilaRose Yelin to show case our Forest Ombre leotards and our best selling Haina. Our tights were a big hit in the studio.
Earth Day
We collaborated with Biscuit Ballerina to reinforce the message to the dance world that every day should be Earth Day and a reminder that we plant a tree for every order placed through Ecologi.
May 2023 - Its only Ingrid Silva !!
A pinch-me moment was when Ballerina and Activist, Ingrid Silva of Dance Theatre of Harlem wore our brown skin toned tights and Cilicia leotard for a photo shoot. Its our mission for 2024 to get even more beautiful brown and black ballerinas wearing the world's first sustainable ballet tights.
May 2023 - Barre and Biscuits
We hosted an in person shopping event and Barre class with Biscuit Ballerina at Pineapple Studios in London. This gave us an opportunity to meet more customers and adult ballet community face-to-face. There was a Q and A with Biscuit Ballerina where she shared her advice and tips. She has been living that imperfect, biscuity realness, since before Imperfect Pointes was even an idea for a conscious dancewear brand.
June 2023 - Celebrating more sustainable partnerships
We began building a long term collaboration with Keaton Leier, of National Ballet of Canada and began our work with him and the founders of Artists Climate Collective to grow our mission among professional dancers. This gave rise to National Ballet of Canada trialling our tights.
July 2023 Our tights were stocked in the Royal Ballet School for the first time
Summer 2023 Imperfect Pointes went on tour....
We crammed in plenty of pop-up shops and spent three weeks at Yorkshire Ballet Seminars with a successful dancewear stall at their Harrogate Summer intensives. We are proud that Imperfect Pointes funded a full time one week place on the summer intensive course, for a student who would otherwise not be able to attend, due to financial constraints.
September 2023 - Our Founder Helen made her first trip to Scandinavia visit to partner Swedish Stockings and then on to Copenhagen to the Royal Danish Ballet. These were the first steps for Det Kongelige Teater switching all their performance tights for Company Dancers to Imperfect Pointes.
At the same time, our tights also made their Don Quixote debut on opening night at the Royal Opera House - this is a big milestone in seeing the Royal Ballet switching to sustainable tights that they can then recycle with us.
The verdict from the Royal Ballet dancers so far:
'we LOVE them!'
The Royal Ballet's Isabella Gasparini and Leticia Dias in Carlos Acosta's Don Quixote, wearing Imperfect Pointes Tights as part of their costumes. Photo courtesy of I. Gasparini, on the opening of the Royal Opera House 23/24 season.
November 2023 We launched our convertible black tights, after feedback from customers.
Here's to many more exciting collaborations, events and new product launches in 2024!
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