About | Serefina

About.

The most beautiful thing you can be is yourself..

Seref strives to create a safe and exciting place to experiment with your fashion choices. By intertwining the gender binaries and making clothing that can be worn by anyone, regardless of their gender identity.

Making small batches or made to order garments consciously to reduce the negative impact that the fashion industry has on the environment. Find out more about our sustainable journey here.

Hey friends...welcome to Seref! I'm Serefina, (she/her), I founded the brand and do all the work here - (see a little more about what I do here)

I studied fashion design at Nottingham Trent University, specialising in menswear tailoring. I always felt myself drawn towards menswear and adapted that into my own personal style.
I love to combine both feminine and masculine aspects into the way I present myself, so naturally, I have continued this into the clothes that I make!

I feel far more confident when wearing whatever the hell I want, and hope that Seref is a place where others can feel like that too.
It's been a journey to feel brave enough to wear some stereotypically masculine garments as a more feminine presenting woman. I used to fear judgement, but now nothing feels better on me than a well tailored suit and tie..

My favourite things in life are the people I love and quiet time in nature. My little home studio at my Mothers house is becoming my very own rainforest with all my plant babies!

It's so important to me that when I am making something new for the world to see, that I am not damaging it in the process. The Earth is our home and we have a responsibility to look after it.

During a year out at uni, I undertook a design internship with Raeburn Design, who have been leading the way in sustainable fashion for years. My time as part of this team inspired me to take the leap into starting Seref.

See more about my efforts to be ethically and sustainably conscious here.

After graduating, I was awarded the Sustainability Designer of the Year award at Midlands Fashion Awards for my collection made from dead-stock fabrics.

If you wanna know anymore about myself or the brands journey please feel free to contact me directly here or on Instagram here.

Big love,

Serefina x

Inspiration

I've realised that my greatest source of inspiration comes from what is most important to me. For my graduate collection 'Love, Tony' I began my research by delving into albums full of beautifully grainy photographs of my parents in the 80’s and getting imagery for prints from my Dads' iconic jewellery collection.

Ever since I was a little girl, my Dad was the person I looked up to. My role model. I remember when I faked a football obsession just so we could watch the games and go to matches together. It’s funny, now nearing 10 years without him, I know that I am most like him when I am being myself.

My lion head logo is a drawing I have done from my all time favourite ring of his. A beautifully detailed, gold lion head with red garnet eyes. You can see the ring on my 'Liontooth' print available to order in four shirt silhouettes here.

<<<See a little throwback of me and my pops (and the ring) here..

About the prints

These four prints are Seref originals...meaning I have designed them myself and you won't find them anywhere else!

My first ever print design was the 'Liontooth' print. Created a little bit my accident during my final year at university. It is for sure a print that will always have a special place in my heart. Layers and folds of a classic black and white dogtooth base is topped with imagery of my Dads' iconic gold lion ring. He would not often be found without a ring on every finger and dripping in chains. (Must be where my love for jewellery comes from!)

My next print, the 'B&W Logo', is a bold and simplistic design. My own hand-drawn lion and flowers combine my Dads ring with my love for all things nature. Not much else I need to say about this beauty.

Thirdly, we have the 'Feeling Daisy' print. When starting my designs for Seref, I envisioned a sage green print with lilac flowers. Months later, when visiting botanical gardens in Oxford, I snapped many pictures, one being of these beautiful daisies. Completely forgetting my desire for said flower print, I found myself editing the photo and making it anyways. I only realised I had actually created my print idea when looking back at old drawings of the design idea! If you look closely you can see an adorable little bee seated on one of the flowers.

Lastly, yet definitely not least, we have the 'On a Wave print'. Another that holds a very personal backstory.
Hand painted acrylic strokes make the crashing waves and rocks seen in this print. My talented Nanna Joyce, a once seamstress, now artist, painted 'The Savage Sea'. She had it hanging on her walls alongside the rest of her beautiful work. She gifted the painting to me after finding me staring at it for quite some time. The ocean being one of my favourite places, I couldn't help but get lost in it. I took a part of it and made it into a repeat pattern and she was amazed to see her work and mine combined. This print is a literal work of art.
Amazingly, she also gifted me her old Singer industrial sewing machine which she was stitching on when my Mother was just a child! There is so much history and so much love that goes into each Seref garment!

All four prints can now be purchased in my Made to Order section in a choice of four shirt silhouettes!

Every print, every design, every stitch I make has a story behind it. I look forward to seeing my clothes be apart of your story - please tag me in any photos of you wearing your Seref garments!

Watch me and Nanna Joyce on the BBC News in 2020!