Sheffield designer pioneers thoughtful slow fashion with Nyoo Prairie dress and super-cool striped co-ords

Sheffield designer Lucy Jo Newell - previously of Syd & Mallory - talks to Hannah Clugston about her Nyōō fashion business, inspired by nostalgia for a slower-paced world. Pictures by Maytree Photography.
Edie Booth wears the Nyoo Fairport Top in mustard, £34, handmade in luxury fine lawn 100% cotton with a hand embroidered OO detail.Edie Booth wears the Nyoo Fairport Top in mustard, £34, handmade in luxury fine lawn 100% cotton with a hand embroidered OO detail.
Edie Booth wears the Nyoo Fairport Top in mustard, £34, handmade in luxury fine lawn 100% cotton with a hand embroidered OO detail.

Lucy Jo Newell is still surprised that her new label Nyōō was an instant hit. “I made one thing and it just sold straightaway,” says the Sheffield-based designer as she considers its beginnings. “I was like, ‘oh my god, people like it!’ And everything I put out, people bought.”

It is amusing to hear Newell’s surprise at her new garments landing, having spent the previous 14 years at the helm of one of Sheffield’s most popular indie brands, Syd & Mallory. With her friend and business partner Kirsteen Hardie, Newell took the label from a small workshop above the Howard pub to a high street boutique, generating a large customer base and over 10,000 Instagram followers with a punk-inspired collection of bold, graphic prints.

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Despite Covid-19 accelerating the closure of the store, Syd & Mallory’s end had been in the pipeline for a while. Newell is reluctant to use the word “bored”, but creatively both she and Hardie had started to feel a little cramped, hamstrung by a large number of wholesale orders and an aesthetic better suited to their 22-year-old selves.

Lucy Jo in her Sheffield studio.Lucy Jo in her Sheffield studio.
Lucy Jo in her Sheffield studio.

By summer 2019, the pair had decided to take one day off a week to pursue new projects, and Newell found herself at the sewing machine once more. “I never thought of starting something on my own, which is weird because obviously I could have done it ages ago. But, once I did, I realised I loved it and I wanted to push myself to make harder things and relearn sewing again.”

Starting with a roll of stripy fabric in muted, earthy tones, Newell set about making the Brigitte suit, featuring a slim-fitting rollneck top – in a short-sleeved and long-sleeved option – a tunic and a cropped kick flare trouser. Encouraged by the speed within which it sold out, she set up Nyōō, launching the website in December 2019. Fittingly named after the phonetic spelling of “new”, the label represents the beginning of a fresh season while incorporating part of Newell’s name and that of her partner Nick Newman – an artist who produced the graphics for the T-shirts.

Nyōō is Syd & Mallory’s elder sister. Out are the glittery hearts, flame motifs and furry fabrics and in are subtle prints in sophisticated, classic shapes. Sunburst patterns adorn warm mustard blouses and tiny flowers dance across blousy dresses to create a collection that manages to draw on the warmth of the Californian sunshine while channelling the wilderness of the Peak District.

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“I want it to last and not go out of fashion,” adds Newell. “It is something you could buy and have in your wardrobe for ages. It’s not ‘in fashion’ but you could mix it with vintage or modern clothing.” They are clothes that she and her friends wear regularly in keeping with their own unique styles, demonstrating the versatility of the range. “I don’t want there to be a specific customer. I want everyone to be able to find something from me that they would wear,” says Newell.

The Nyoo Prairie Dress in Cow, £75.The Nyoo Prairie Dress in Cow, £75.
The Nyoo Prairie Dress in Cow, £75.

Slow fashion is central to her creative process; Nyōō’s tag line is “Inspired by nostalgia for a slower paced world”. Tired of making more to sell for less, Newell decided to focus on handcrafting high quality limited collections that were available only as long as the fabric was. In the corner of the Nyōō studio is a bookshelf and wicker basket overflowing with second-hand textiles sourced from charity shops, flea markets, dead stock websites and a “secret” fabric shop in Chesterfield. Each design begins with a fabric Newell loves – she points to a quilt that is soon to become a jacket and a stripy number that will be the Brigitte suit part two.

In addition to encouraging her consumers to embrace a long-lasting relationship with their garments, a more leisurely lifestyle is a must for Newell’s new venture. “With this brand I wanted people to be aware that it is made to order, and it is a slower way of working. I wanted a slower working pace because we burnt ourselves out with Syd & Mallory.” Consequently, instead of pursuing wholesale relationships that demand lots of stock, she is focusing on small-batch production and the artistic collaborations that more free time can afford her. There is even talk of post-Covid one-to-one appointments where clients can access bespoke designs.

Launching Nyōō might look like going it alone, but Newell already has several creative partnerships in the works. Alongside the garments she has produced with her partner, she has launched a T-shirt with her brother, artist Tom J Newell, and is plotting a ceramics collaboration with Franky Hague, of Grey Suit Clay. Away from the pressure of Syd & Mallory, there is space to riff on all sorts of artistic ideas, including menswear and interiors – although Newell admits she would need additional training to tackle something as complex as a tailored shirt.

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Community is clearly important to the designer who has spent much of her working life sewing from behind the desk of a shop, but Newell seems settled in her new private studio. “I am enjoying it on my own,” she reflects from the comfort of the thoughtfully curated space with lush green walls, carefully placed paintings and prints, hanging plants and rustic furniture. “I think this brand is very me. I feel comfortable with it, I wear it, I can be the face behind it – and all that cheesy stuff!”

An open day is planned at Nyōō at the studio at Stag Works on John Street, Sheffield, with Grey Suit Clay on December 12. Find updated details and the full Nyōō collection at www.nyoostore.com

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