Amy Powney Launches New Ethical Label, Akyn, Leaves Mother of Pearl

London-based fashion designer Amy Powney steps down as Creative Director of Mother of Pearl to launch her new ethical fashion brand, Akyn, set to debut in May 2024.

Having joined Mother of Pearl in 2006 as a studio assistant, Amy Powney worked her way up to Creative Director in 2013. This move ends a long tenure at the helm of Mother of Pearl, time she used to embed her vision of sustainable luxury into the fashion brand’s operating model. Now as Creative Director and partner of her own ethical fashion label, AKYN, Amy Powney will be able to use her voice and expertise on a wider scale, creating deeper impact and striving for continued and meaningful change within the industry.

A Decade of Sustainable Innovation at Mother of Pearl

Powney joined Mother of Pearl in 2006, after graduating from Kingston University with a degree in fashion design and worked her way up to the helm as creative director of the sustainable fashion brand founded by Maia Norman, the designer, art director and former partner of Damien Hirst.

“Creating clothing has become a more thoughtful process for me,” Amy Powney told Country and Town House. “The amount of respect that you give your fabric after learning about it is tremendous. Think about how many hands touch a metre of fabric before you, the carbon footprint from making it, every process involved. It’s epic.”

In 2017, while at Mother of Pearl, Powney won the BFC / Vogue Designer Fashion Fund and launched ‘No Frills’ the following year, a collection of field- to- finished garments made from organic and natural materials, with a transparent supply chain that put social responsibility, respect to animals and low-environmental impact first.

The collection formed the subject of ‘Fashion Reimagined,’ an independent documentary released in 2023. It was also the subject of her TED Talk ‘How To Fix Fashion And Protect The Planet, delivered in Detroit at TED Countdown 2024, exploring the fashion industry’s impact on the environment and human health, discussing what ethical, planet-friendly clothing can look like, and inviting consumers to think beyond the label.

Per The Cut: ‘Gwenyth Paltrow is a fan, which isn’t surprising considering that Mother of Pearl specializes in classic pieces with fun details (pearls on almost everything).’ Mother of Pearl has showcased at London Fashion Week and at Copenhagen Fashion Week, where Amy Powney sits on the sustainability board. During her long tenure at Mother of Pearl, Powney also worked on a number of collaborations. To mark the 10th anniversary of The Campaign for Wool 2020, Powney responded to a request from King Charles to design a limited-edition scarf to showcase the sustainable benefits of the natural fiber. Powney also worked on three sustainable jewellery lines with Monica Vinader, stationery with Papier and sustainable homeware with John Lewis.

Powney’s tenure at Mother of Pearl was marked by her commitment to sustainable luxury, revolutionising the brand’s operations with emphasis on transparency, ethical production and environmental responsibility. She is also a brand ambassador for Tencel, the flagship brand of The Lenzing Group which creates specialty fibers that are wood based, biodegradable and derived from sustainably managed trees and renewable wood sources.

AKYN: A New Era for Sustainable Luxury

Akyn — Powney’s new purpose-driven brand crafting elegant womenswear — will launch in May 2025, backed by an undisclosed partner. This strategic partnership will provide the necessary support to scale the fashion brand while upholding Powney’s commitment to ethical and sustainable fashion. Akyn is expected to expand its reach beyond niche audiences, making eco-conscious luxury accessible without compromising on transparency, craftsmanship, and environmental responsibility.