Helen originally started the Doodlebags brand in 2011 when her four children were at school; after a gap of several years, her children now in their early to mid twenties, she's relaunching the brand with the help of her youngest daughter, Libby.
Since the start of 2017 Helen has built a career as a professional artist's model, posing for portrait, sculpture, and life drawing; she's also a photographic model, supporting artist in the film industry, and actress.
Sustainability is at the core of her lifestyle, and she champions the decision to buy secondhand, continuing to sew even when Doodlebags lay dormant, altering clothes bought at boot fairs and from charity shops.
Libby has recently joined Doodlebags to help with design, fabric choice, and product construction; she will also assist with the development of new products.
Having studied product design for two years, followed by a further two and a half years studying fashion and textiles, she has developed an instinctive ability to mix pattern and texture; with a keen eye for design, she favours traditional and vintage styles over modern fads and fashions, and her attention to detail and quality of finish is exceptionally high.
Libby adopts a sustainable mindset when it comes to her own work, using reclaimed fabrics, trimmings, fastenings, and threads when creating her own clothing designs.