Founded by stylist Tallulah Harlech, Sylva is the “skin-first, eco-sourced, luxury brand” designed for sensitive skin
- Who is it? Sylva is the “skin-first, eco-sourced, luxury brand” from renowned stylist, Tallulah Harlech
- Why do I want it? Elegant garments that bridge the gap between skincare, sustainability, and fashion – applying the same scientific discipline to what we wear as to what we put on our skin
- Where can I find it? Sylva is currently available via the brand’s website, with in-person launches at Selfridges and Dover Street Market London to follow
Who is it? For renowned stylist Tallulah Harlech, clothing has never been just surface level – it’s a second skin that contours both how we’re seen and how we feel in our bodies. Her understanding of this synergy is not just theoretical: having lived with an autoimmune skin condition since childhood, Harlech is acutely aware of the impact textiles can have on the skin’s microbiome. “I had forever considered, could there ever be an apparel company that could come through with organic, good properties and materials,” she reflects, “but in a way that it was more dressed, more elegant?” And so, with the time afforded to her during the pandemic, she founded Sylva, “a skin-first, eco-sourced, luxury brand.”
The seed was planted in 2019 when editor and stylist Francesca Burns invited Harlech along to a presentation from the founder of The Sustainable Angle, a London-based textile fair with a focus on sustainability. “We were told, ‘You as stylists and consultants sit in fabric meetings – you have the chance to make a different choice,’” Harlech recalls. When she later attended the fair itself, her “mind was blown” by the discovery of fabrics that could realise the kind of garments she envisioned. “If you go with a more natural eco source, you tend to be more sympathetic to the skin,” she reflects, “And why does skin barrier care have to stop with your cosmetic cream and treatment?”
For her debut collection, Harlech focused on a tightly edited trio of garments – a top, a legging, and a dress – all designed to be worn close to the body. The intention was twofold: to offer a kind of physical and visual camouflage for sensitive skin, and to restore a sense of quiet sensuality often lost in clinical or utilitarian clothing. “I loved wearing more masculine pieces – shirts, jeans – but what made me feel good were those inherently feminine signals: the wrist, the ankle, the décolletage,” she explains. Rendered in inky black, the pieces are designed to be layered or worn alone, functioning almost like a second skin – a sleek foundation for dressing that feels both protective and refined.
Why do I want it? Sylva is shaped by Harlech’s dual perspective: a stylist immersed in the front row of the luxury fashion system, and a person managing a chronic condition. While she makes no claim to be the first to work with skin-considerate textiles, Harlech distances Sylva from the overly earnest aesthetic so often pinned to wellnesswear. Instead, she weaves a moral and ecological fibre into the idea of luxury: her garments quietly – and honestly – speak of self-care, expressed through minimalist silhouettes. With Sylva, elegance is about attunement – knowing what the body needs and responding with care.
Where many wellnesswear brands rely on vague claims and greenwashed language, Sylva is reliably grounded in Harlech’s lived experience of navigating an autoimmune condition, both with and without medication. The innovative materials used – like Tencel™ and Seacell™ – have been reviewed and approved by the specialists treating her, ensuring each piece is not only low-irritant but medically sound. The fabric itself is knitted by the Spanish company PyraTex, which Harlech first encountered at The Sustainable Angle fair. In working with such rigorous production partners, Sylva closes the gap between skincare and clothing by applying the same scientific discipline to the garments we wear every day.
Already available direct-to-consumer online, Sylva is now preparing to enter physical retail, beginning with immersive installations at Selfridges’ Body Studio and Dover Street Market London – spaces that align with the brand’s intersection of wellness, intimacy, and elegance. Beyond these launches, Harlech envisions future collaborations with like-minded brands, and eventually, proprietary textile innovations grounded in rigorous research and dermatological science. “I didn’t want to build a ready-to-wear brand,” she affirms. “It was really a precision-made product that would run along and develop and evolve across science within fabric.”
Where can I find it? Sylva is currently available via the brand’s website, with in-person launches at Selfridges and Dover Street Market London to follow.
