Galijah are a family-run business specialising in lovingly crafted bespoke tweed garments, handmade on their sheep farm in the heart of Yorkshire’s countryside. Their collection covers a kaleidoscopic assortment of patterned capes and colourful gilets, bringing a modern twist to a classic style.
From cosy ponchos to elegant dresses, every one of Galijah’s pieces are made with meticulous detail and imaginative skill. We caught up with founder Sarina Dean to explore how she transforms excess wool into dazzling couture, hoping to champion slow-fashion in the process.
According to Sarina, the name Galijah originated from an amalgamation of her two eldest sons' names, Gabriel and Elijah. She explains how she’s always been a creative person, and wanted to make something beautiful out of the wool sheared from the flocks of sheep on the family’s rural 190-acre land. Usually, the wool collected would be bagged and sent to the national wool board, but Sarina decided to try something new: “You’ve got the cost of shearing and we’ve got this wonderful commodity …We wanted to make sure as much was being done with it as possible.”
She began experimenting, and soon came up with the idea for Galijah, aiming to provide a more vibrant interpretation of the countryside’s favourite fabric: tweed. “We want to make it a bit more exciting,” she says. “It’s not your traditional tweed”. With this in mind, she’s hoping to help bring country fashion more mainstream, going beyond the classic green hues associated with the landscape. Galijah’s colour palette is a vivid blend of cool aubergines, mustard yellows, and ocean-blue turquoises, while focusing on silhouettes that are both effortlessly stylish and simultaneously comfortable.
Sarina is also keen to put an emphasis on making clothes sustainable; seeking to create garments to be cherished for years to come. “We focus on the high quality and longevity of the garment. We want people to buy for style rather than trend.” It’s this intricately crafted process that means slow-fashion is at the heart of Galijah’s ethos. The skill and expertise that goes into making each piece can be spotted throughout their York Fashion Week collection.
Galijah’s garments will be gracing York Fashion Week at the Independent Runway Show on the first of May. When asked what excited her most about participating in York Fashion Week, Sarina said that she’s delighted to champion Yorkshire. “It’s such a wonderful, amazing county with so much to offer. We’re just outside of York so it felt like the perfect opportunity to get involved.” We can’t wait to see Galijah’s gorgeous designs on the catwalk.
Written by Maya Bewley
