"Our vision is to create beautiful handcrafted clothes designed for a modern woman who cares that what she wears reflects her values and lifestyle."
Founded in 2014 by husband and wife team Paud Roche and Sue Stemp, St. Roche is a responsibly designed and manufactured, seasonless brand based in Los Angeles.
Sue, born and raised in rural Southern England, is a fashion designer and member of the CFDA with extensive industry experience. After moving to London to study fashion, she soon relocated to New York to explore new opportunities. This included stints at Daryl K, Tocca and Alexander McQueen, where she worked on design research for his Fall ‘05 collection. Subsequently Sue met Paud, and after Kate Moss wore a dress she designed, he encouraged her to launch her namesake label Sue Stemp, which sold successfully internationally, showed on the runway during New York fashion week and attracted an It-girl following.
In 2009 the couple moved to Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles with their small family. Now a working mother of two, Sue felt she no longer had a wardrobe versatile enough for her lifestyle and found a real opportunity in the market for relaxed, feminine, and unique clothes that are affordable and sustainably produced.
Inspired by their global travels, personal ethics and shared love of handcrafted textiles, St. Roche (named after their last names) was launched. Sue’s design influences draw upon her British heritage and her experiences living and working in fashion in New York, whilst embracing a West Coast attitude.
The collection fuses an effortless, new school femininity with artisanal hand-made details, traditional embroidery techniques and original textile designs, all either designed in-house or in collaboration with contemporary artists. With a passion is for high quality handwork, supporting artisan groups, their economic development and preserving skilled craft is a priority.
Where St. Roche manufacture is determined by the raw materials used and the artisanal skills involved. Fabrics and yarn are sourced as close as possible to where the clothes are produced by the carefully selected partners in India, Peru and the USA. The focus is on using compostable, natural materials which are biodegradable whenever possible: GOTS certified organic cotton, handloomed cottons and sustainably produced Alpaca.
" Our garments are seasonless, made to last, and our hand crafted textiles are heirloom quality. We believe that less of a well designed and made product, is more, and the true meaning of sustainable luxury."
St. Roche is worn by celebrities, high profile women and influencers, including Amanda Seyfried, Liv Tyler, Gwyneth Paltrow, Olivia Wilde, Lily Allen, Laura Brown, Helena Christensen and Karlie Kloss amongst others.