From Foundation Year to Fashion Designer
12 October 2026
In our latest episode of Made in Falmouth, we meet BA(Hons) Fashion Design graduate Ella Griffee in her Falmouth-based design studio.
Ella chats about founding her eponymous slow fashion brand Ella Griffee Studio, her ethos as a purposeful and ethical designer, and how Falmouth's foundation year (now the Integrated Foundation Year) helped her to discover the love of textiles that set the wheels in motion for a career in fashion.
"Hi, I'm Ella. I'm a fashion designer working from my studio in Falmouth, Cornwall.
"I run a slow fashion brand called Ella Griffee Studio. It's made-to-order clothing made from natural fibres, and it's my creative practice.
"I have a core collection of womenswear styles, and I also offer a bespoke service, making completely tailor-made garments. Everything is designed and made by me in here. The fibres I use are natural, linen or cotton, organically made if I can find it.
"It's much more family-led and comfort-led than trends, what's in a magazine, what the latest influencer is wearing. I don't really look at any of that. It's about what my friends are wearing, artists, family, people in the studios; what we choose to wear every day as creatives."
"I grew up in Worcestershire and loved art and design but had no idea what I wanted to go into. So, I came down to look at the foundation (now Integrated Foundation Year), which you get to spend a month trying different things. I did that and fell in love with textiles.
"I'd never made a garment in my life. I had no idea how to sew, but I loved the idea that with the textiles, you then create something functional. And I find it quite hard to be creative without purpose. Fashion is brilliant because you're being creative, but at the end of the day, it's for somebody to wear and live their life in. That's why I decided to do Fashion Design here.
"After university, I felt like I should go to London, but ultimately, I didn't think London was for me, or that kind of fast-paced, trend-led retail either. I knew I wanted to be back in Falmouth but still working in fashion, and I got my machines out and just started making again and really fell in love with it. That's kind of the spark that started the whole studio.
"I think I decided I wanted to be in Falmouth because it really felt like home. I think it just got under my skin. I love the people and the atmosphere. There's always a lot going on.
"Also, I felt that people here really value creativity. They appreciate you do your craft because you love it, and it's also not competitive here, which I've found anyway, so everyone's quite supportive. I couldn't think of anywhere else I would rather be."
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