insideKENT Magazine Issue 33 - December 2014 | Page 161

BUSINESSNEWS

COCO AND THE BUTTERFIELDS LAUNCH FASHION LABEL

Dulcima Showan

Dulcima Showan, lead singer of Kent-based
band, CoCo and the Butterfields, is famed by
fans for creating and performing in her own
spectacular and flamboyant designs. However,
this November, she and the Butterfields team
made her characteristic collection available to
the public, with the exciting launch of their new
family clothing brand, Clothesline.
The line features an artfully tailored range
of waistcoats and designer dresses, perfect for
the whole family with sizes for free-spirited teens
and even extra small for the best-dressed toddlers
in town.
Ideal for festivals, Christmas parties and
nearly everything in between, Dulcima’s clothes
possess a distinctive style that emphasises the

wearer's character and individuality. The garments
are designed to make a positive statement within
a fashion world that is so often caught up with
imitation, rather than self-expression.
From a young age, Dulcima has been
experimenting with pattern cutting and clothes
making, which has since developed a trademark
style of bold colour, patchwork, and threadbare
seams. This distinctive look lends itself to the
well-loved and patched-together aesthetic that
is championed by the Butterfields.
The idea, says Dulcima, is "to bring back
a healthy make-do-and-mend attitude, and
encourage people away from the throw-away
culture we have at the moment."

When not on the road with the band,
Dulcima works on her own fashion label,
predominantly focusing on bespoke dresses
(including custom wedding and performance
dresses), and costume for film and television. By
combining her expertise in fashion design with
her passion for music, the launch of Clothesline
really is a dream come true.
All of the garments sold by Clothesline are
assembled at home in Kent, and are expertly
crafted from good quality fabrics – the majority
of which are vintage roll ends that have been
locally sourced.
Browse and shop online at
www.cocoandthebutterfields.com/clothesline

SUPERIOR CARE IS KENT’S FIRST HEALTHCARE PROVIDER
TO PAY LIVING WAGE
Superior Care is the first Kentbased healthcare provider to be
formally accredited by the Living
Wage Foundation, demonstrating
its commitment to responsible
employment practices. The
announcement came during Living
Wage Week this November, which
aimed to highlight the business
benefits of implementing the Living
Wage policy.
With branches across the
county employing almost 400
people, Superior Care provides
bespoke specialist care for adults
and children living with complex
health conditions in their own
homes. It also supports older
people and those with learning and
physical disabilities by working with
local care providers including
nursing and residential homes and
hospitals.
Superior Care’s chief executive,
Stewart Thorp, said: “Businesses
in the care sector depend on the
compassion, diligence, and

professionalism of their staff. It is
hugely important to us – and our
clients – that Superior Care
employees feel valued and well
rewarded. As we look to expand
across Kent and the South East,
our Living Wage Employer status
will help us to attract people who
are committed to building a fulfilling
career in care.”
In addition to the Living Wage,
Superior Care offers a host of
benefits for carers, support workers
and registered nurses, including
flexible hours, internal and external
training placements, and 28-days
paid holiday each year (pro-rata).
Rhys Moore, director of the
Living Wage Foundation, said: “We
are delighted to welcome Superior
Care to the Living Wage movement
as an accredited employer. The
best employers are voluntarily
signing up to pay the Living Wage
now. The Living Wage is a robust
calculation that reflects the real cost
of living, rewarding a hard day’s
work with a fair day’s pay.

“We have accredited
over 950 leading employers
and businesses, which
recognise that clinging to
the national minimum wage
is not good for business.
Customers expect better
than that.”
The Living Wage is
calculated according to the
basic cost of living using the
Minimum Income Standard
for the UK. Decisions about
what to include in this
Stewart Thorp,
standard are set by the
Superior Care CEO
public; it is a social
consensus about what people need to make ends meet.
An independent study examining the business benefits of implementing
a Living Wage policy in London found that more than 80% of employers
believe that the Living Wage had enhanced the quality of the work from
their staff, while absenteeism had fallen by approximately 25%.
50% of employees felt that the Living Wage had made them more
willing to implement changes in their working practices, enabled them to
require fewer concessions to effect change, and made them more likely to
adopt changes more quickly.
www.superiorcare.co.uk

161