Lauren and Jess' creative vision:
Clothing with the perfect balance of culture, quality and colour.
Lauren and Jess became friends the day they met at university in the UK.
They strengthened their bond as they lived, studied and worked together, quickly discovering that their skill sets and ideas complemented each other perfectly.
Lauren, a designer at heart, has always loved clothes, entranced by their patterns, bright colours and the trends they set. Jess, a craftsman to her core, honed her skills in creating clothing from a young age, pouring her meticulous attention to detail into every item she produces.
In 2019, Lauren moved to Sri Lanka. She soon found that the country, its people and its culture, occupied a special corner of her heart. However, after a huge upheaval in her personal life as well as in Sri Lanka’s political climate in the spring of 2022, life took a challenging turn and the magic of the island and the planned trajectory of her life was shattered.
The months passed, the politics settled, and Lauren was slowly trying to find her feet again. While walking in the countryside on a rainy day, Lauren came face to face with a lone buffalo – an unusual encounter as they are usually herd animals.
During that moment of stillness, Lauren felt something inside her change as they looked into one another's eyes. It was as though the island had extended its hand and replaced the missing piece of her heart. It was this experience that inspired her to channel the essence of the country into her work, and so Buffalo was born. It was only later that she learnt of the spiritual symbolism of water buffalo in Sri Lanka - one of stoicism, steadiness and abundance.
Lauren quickly began to work with local women and tailors in her community to create clothing that captured the spirit of Sri Lanka. Propelled by a 'slow-fashion' ethos, she started to source materials from local fabric suppliers, stocking her creations in cafes and shops along the Sri Lankan coast.
Keen to share the joy of her newfound source of creativity and design, Lauren promptly invited her best friend to join her. With Jess's craftsmanship, drive and direction complementing Lauren's vibrant ideas, they became an unstoppable team.
Now, Lauren and Jess are expanding their reach to the UK and Europe. Based in the UK, Jess is heading up this new division, bringing their collection’s unique blend of culture, quality and colour to a new audience.
Together, they continue to provide bold, free spirits with the means to stand out from the herd through their distinctive clothing line.