COTSWOLD Feature Exotic glamour
As a child Ruth Guise watched in awe as her grandmother created beautiful dresses out of simple pieces of fabric. It inspired in her a love of textiles and later led to her passion to encourage people to wear lovely clothes every day and not just for special occasions. She told Sue Smith how serendipity intervened while she was travelling in India and how it led to the formation of her company, Shibumi.
ALTHOUGH she had always loved beautiful fabrics, Ruth was working in a healing practice in London when her then boyfriend suggested they should go travelling through India. Ultimately their relationship fell apart
but while in Rajasthan Ruth had fallen head over heels in love with the exquisite silks she had seen there. ‘There were bedspreads that were so
beautiful I just wanted to wear them,” says Ruth. “And gorgeous scarves that I couldn’t
get out of my mind.” Taking a chance on a gut feeling, she
rang her parents in Gloucestershire and asked to borrow £2,000 to buy her first batch of silk scarves. Within months the scarves were
circulating around the Cotswolds at private sales and word of mouth saw them being snapped up. Ruth realised she had the foundations
of an exciting new business and by 2004 Shibumi was born, selling stylish silk and cashmere jackets, scarves, kimonos, robes and bedspreads. To begin with Ruth was making
everything herself but today she has a team of tailors in India and 10 percent of all her online sales go to an Indian charity. Her showroom at Elmore is a treasure
trove of silks and cashmeres with exotic names such as Jaipur Gold, Hot Magenta, Burnt Umber, Soft Pistachio and African Cobalt. “I think beautiful fabrics should be
worn, not kept in a cupboard for a special occasion, “ says Ruth who when we met was fresh from dropping her five- year-old daughter at school dressed in an electric blue silk jacket over a t-shirt and cotton trousers.
“I like the way a silk jacket can just be
thrown on over a pair of jeans and it instantly makes you feel good,” she says. “The beauty is in the simplicity of the
shape and the style.” Ruth wanted to include all shapes and
sizes in her collection and offers a range from petite to plus. Shibumi is now well-established as an
online company and is growing fast. She also sells at events and shows
throughout the country and often organises private sales. Her styles include classic short jackets
as well as Nehru style coats in silk or cashmere ranging from short to floor length. There are kaftans where the mere
touch instantly transports you to a land of spices and smells where you can imagine the vibrant colour burning under an Asian sun and robes so sumptuous you could dive head-first into them. As all the fabrics are hand-made, each
has its own minor variance in embroidery and Ruth also offers a bespoke service. Constantly inspired to create new
designs, Ruth travels frequently between India and her home in Horsley. “I am always thinking of new colours
and patterns,” she says. “I can’t believe how lucky I have been
to be able to spend my working life surrounded by such beauty.” Shibumi will be exhibiting at the
Burleigh Horse Trials, Stamford, Lincs on September 5-8 and at The Spirit of Christmas at Olympia in November.
For more information go to:
www.shibumistyle.com
64 COTSWOLDESSENCE | September - November 2013
www.cotswoldessence.co.uk Ruth Guise
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