When the United Kingdom went into its first lockdown in 2020, Peckham-based Rachel Steed-Middleton began making and selling colourful DIY bracelets with her children and step-children. ‘We put some chalk markers on the pavement and erected a lemonade stand-inspired set-up where we live,' she says. ‘The rest is history from there really. I've just kept on beading.’
String Ting's short brand history is familiar across Instagram and TikTok, as the label's beaded phone wristlets and cross body straps – festooned with cartoon hearts, smiley faces and neon stars – have become the Gen-Z equivalent of an It-bag. ‘I was looking for colour in a period of darkness,' Steed-Middleton says of the optimistic aesthetic of her brand's accessories, which are crafted by a female team of local makers in London. When lockdown lifted, String Ting's team beaded together. When it was reimposed, they collected their beading supplies and crafted from home. ‘The process reminded me of moments when women come together in the name of craft, and crochet or knit,' she adds.
String Ting just amped up its bling
‘I've had the most significant period of connection during a time of disconnection,’ Steed-Middleton adds, referencing the unity that String Ting's creations have brought others during the Covid-19 pandemic. ‘A mother messaged me on Instagram explaining that she and her daughter, who was unable to leave Hong Kong, had both bought the same String Ting piece.'
Fresh from a collaboration with jewellery and accessories brand Hillier Bartley – which has seen the label’s cute bunny motif hop across to sparkling phone wristlets as a crystal bead – String Ting has also announced its first foray into ready-to-wear. Its first clothing collection features a range of upcycled vintage garments and T-shirts illustrated with cartoonish motifs, designed by London-based graphic designer and illustrator Jiro Bevis. Here, smiling flowers skip across striped Ralph Lauren shirts, hearts jump onto skater-centric long-sleeved T-shirts, and blinking peace signs amble across Benetton rugby shirts.
Next time you take a selfie as your phone jangles with a String Ting wristlet, you can sport one of the brand's first clothing pieces too. Say cheese!
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