Collaboration | Behind the Scenes of Amy Powney + Finisterre
Designed by women, for women, the new Amy Powney + Finisterre collection launched today, bringing you closer to the sea, no matter where you are in the world.
Finisterre's first womenswear-only collaboration, designed by AKYN creative director Amy Powney and led by Finisterre's design manager Rose Savidge, introduces a more fashion-led offering to the Cornish surf and lifestyle brand, while still holding true to Finisterre’s purpose-driven ethos – an ethos that is total alignment with AKYN's.
Featuring elevated silhouettes, refined detailing, and carefully selected sustainable materials, the Amy Powney + Finisterre collection has been thoughtfully crafted to resonate with the modern, discerning woman who values sustainability and functionality as much as refined style and ethical integrity - taking her from city to coast, and everywhere in between.
"Amy’s work in fashion has been a huge inspiration to us. Not only does she bring a beautiful handwriting to her design language, but her design ethos and commitment to sustainable design and sourcing align seamlessly with Finisterre’s values."
– Amelia Hornblow, Product Director, Finisterre.
The Design Process
Amy worked in close collaboration with the Finisterre team, led by design manager Rose Savidge, throughout the design process, which she describes as 'utter joy'. She travelled between her home in London to Finisterre's HQ in Wheal Kitty, St Agnes, Cornwall, to design the collection, and it is transcending these two landscapes that inspired the designs - solving the style challenge so often felt by women who feel they have to have one wardrobe for outdoors, and one for city life.
“I think we all just felt that there is this real magic in making something that transcended urban to coast and everything in between," explained Amy, musing that outerwear has traditionally had a very specific look that is distinct to women's fashion in urban environments. It was this style challenge that Amy and the team looked to solve with the 17-piece capsule, made up of outerwear, knitwear, T-shirts and trousers.
"The narrative of the collection is ‘all rivers lead to the sea’ and the concept behind that is two layered. Firstly, can we create a product that you can wear in both environments, that has technical performance but also transcends aesthetics. And secondly, the physical element that all rivers lead to the sea. Finisterre is all about saving the sea, trying to protect the seas and trying to get people to connect to them, but every single river that runs through the country ends up in the sea. We’re all connected.”
Drawing on Amy’s upbringing on a rural farm and her deep-rooted connection to sustainability, the collection incorporates natural and lower-impact materials such as TENCEL®, NetPlus®, certified organic cotton, recycled fills, and 100% Merino wool. Each piece reflects a thoughtful balance of functionality and form, designed to stand the test of time.
Beach Day
The 18-month collaboration culminated in a beach day photoshoot - and an opportunity for a team swim! “The location was so beautiful - Praa Sands is the most beautiful beach in the UK I’ve ever been on," Amy reminisces about the beach day, which took place on Cornwall's rugged coastline and was captured by photographer Lucy Laucht, reflecting the quiet strength and pared-back romance of the collection.
Amy was joined by her husband Nick and children for the shoot at the beach. "I took my shoes off and dug my toes into the sand, which as an urban dweller was so nice to connect with the Earth. You could hear the bird song and the sound of the waves crashing in and out – it's a soundscape that calms your nervous system.”
“The location was beautiful, the team were incredible, Lucy, the photographer, is divine, our model Mariam, who I’ve worked with before, is also divine - and looks beautiful. It was a heavenly day to watch all our hard work come together.”
Listen to Amy share more about the campaign shoot day on the Finisterre podcast.
The Launch Event
To celebrate the launch of the collection, Amy and the Finisterre team invited an incredible group of women – friends, activists, fashion editors and change makers – to Elmley Nature Reserve for an overnight stay that included wild swimming, a guided nature walk, a celebratory dinner, and, of course, a first look at the capsule. Guests included Sophie Hellyer, Lindsey Holland, Jasmine Hemsley, Caroline Issa, Tiffanie Darke, Lucy Cleland, Mikaela Loach, Tori Tsui, Lucy Siegle and Christabel Reed.
Read more about the inspiration behind the collection
