Meet the Founders of BELL ST: Crafting Timeless Denim with Heart, Intention, and Integrity

Names: Charl & Sam Mason

Title/Profession: Founders

Based in: United Kingdom

Business: BELL ST Jeans | @bellstjeans

In a world driven by speed and consumption, BELL ST is a reminder to slow down, buy less, and choose better. Founded by two visionaries who believe beauty and quality should coexist with conscious craftsmanship, BELL ST has built a denim brand that stands for care, connection, and authenticity. From their serendipitous encounter in Türkiye to their thoughtful approach to sustainability, the founders share their story, philosophy, and the quiet rituals that keep them aligned with their purpose.

1. What moment or realisation sparked the idea for BELL ST, and how did the two of you decide to turn that vision into a brand?

We were in Türkiye in 2023, hunting for beautiful fabrics. Türkiye has a long and rich history producing unique and stunning textiles of all sorts. One thing led to another, and through friends we were introduced to a small denim Atelier in the town of Izmir. The quality of their work was exquisite - and there was a lot of love and care for their craft, they were a wonderful team. BELL ST was born out of that encounter. It felt intuitive that we should work with them on a range of jeans for women. It just felt right. So, over the next two years we spent many months in Izmir working hand-in-glove to develop our initial four fits.

2. Sustainability is a word we hear a lot today. What does true sustainability mean to you personally, and how does BELL ST go beyond the buzzword?

To us, true sustainability means living in balance with nature. It’s a symbiotic relationship with the planet and all the life it contains. Sadly, as humans we live outside this relationship. And, in our view, there isn’t a clothing brand that is truly sustainable (and that’s not limited to clothing). Not many organisations are honest enough to confess this.

We are not comfortable with the way the word ‘sustainable’ is used. Of course, many brands are adopting more sustainable practices, and that’s very encouraging, but that does not make them truly sustainable. There is still a very long way to go. Being truly sustainable remains an aspiration, a goal, that we must all continue to reach for.

At BELL ST we acknowledge this. So, our mantra is to always question, examine and challenge - and to make incremental movements in the right direction whenever we find an opportunity.

One advantage we have is a direct relationship with our Atelier. Many brands operate through a middleman agent, but we pick up the phone directly to the Atelier and barely a week goes by when we don’t speak to them. That facilitates a much closer working relationship. And because our Atelier is small, we can step onto their factory floor and work in partnership to change the way our jeans are made.

There are myriad ways to make small improvements. For example, organic cotton is better than cotton farmed with pesticides, but regenerative cotton is becoming more available and that’s better than organic cotton. Then, there are many industry practices that need a shake-up. For instance, most jeans are made with dark denim and treated to become lighter - but if you want to create a light blue jean, why not start with a lighter denim? The water and energy savings are huge. It seems like a no-brainer, but lighter denim is harder to find so many brands use predominantly dark denim. These are industry standards, so you only find the opportunities by being an independent thinker and working with people who are willing to go on that journey with you.

3. Your designs are timeless, minimal, and intentional. How do you balance aesthetics with the technical aspects of creating long-lasting, high-quality denim?

We believe quality and beauty go hand in hand. Quality has its own inherent beauty, and something that is beautiful always embodies elements of quality. But achieving both the aesthetic and the quality we desire does usually require a greater effort.

When we select our fabric, we’ll only consider denim that is kinder to the planet and we’ll only select denim that is beautiful both to the eye and to touch. Those criteria together dramatically reduce the choices available to us. So, we say “no” a lot and our search for the right fabric takes longer.

But that’s ok, because we are creating timeless pieces. We’re doing our own thing. We’re not under pressure to meet trend-led time frames and to rush products to market. We can take our time to create jeans of enduring quality and beauty.

4. Do you believe businesses can truly be a force for good, and if so, what responsibility do brands like yours have in shaping culture?

Absolutely. Collectively businesses have huge resources under their control and discretion in how those resources are deployed. And businesses are controlled by people, so if those people are motivated to do good, businesses can also do good.

But it’s a choice and things often go wrong when people have a short-term view. For example, short-term profits, short-term solutions or chasing short-term trends. Almost nothing good comes from a short-term focus.

Good things take time. And we are glad to see an emerging awareness around longevity and that quality matters. We are also very encouraged that more women are placing emphasis on finding their own personal and enduring style, instead of lurching from one trend to another – that sort of short-term consumerism is soulless not to mention environmentally irresponsible.

So, when we were deciding to start BELL ST we asked ourselves: “does the world need another clothing brand, another jeans brand?”. We satisfied this question by resolving to create long-lasting, high quality jeans with beautiful materials and as environmentally as possible.

We observed a lot of brands talking about these things, but we saw very few actually doing them. So, we are supporting that part of culture that is moving in the right direction, by making products that are beautiful and consistent with these values. Because it’s tragic if someone wants to buy responsibly but cannot find the right look for the right price. We want to provide consumers with positive options to enable them to stay true to their values. And in this way, we hope BELL ST is a force for good.

5. Many founders have rituals or habits that keep them grounded. Do you have any routines, creative practices, or small daily habits that inspire you or keep you aligned with your vision?

We both like to start the day with meditation. In the early hours of the morning, when the thoughts and pressures of the coming day are at bay, it’s easier to feel grounded and to visualise the brand in its perfect uncompromised form. It’s a reminder of why we are doing this, that it’s good and supported by the broader Universe.

Throughout the day there is a lot that can distract you and encroach upon and compromise what you want the brand to be. But in those quiet moments it’s easy to see the brand clearly and this is very motivating.

6. You’ve described BELL ST as a brand for people who “buy less, but better.” How do you see your role in shifting consumer mindsets away from fast fashion?

It’s difficult to shift someone away from fast fashion if they are not ready – changing consumer behaviour is hard, it needs to come from within.

But we strongly believe that everyone should develop their own personal style. This means understanding what suits you and what doesn’t. That’s partly about maturity and learning who you are and being comfortable with that.

We see our role as highlighting the positives of longevity and character - the satisfying nature of slowly and continuously improving – who you are and how you want to present yourself.

A jean is a great partner in that process. Once you find a fit that works for you, whether it’s BELL ST or another brand, you can stick with it and use it as a base to refine and hone your style, to create something that is truly you and something you love and feel comfortable with. You’ll never get to experience that if you’re lurching one way and then another following fast fashion.

Jeans should never be fast fashion - they should be your dependable friend, your base and anchor that enables you to take a little more risk and explore with other pieces to find what suits you. At BELL ST, we focus on creating vintage inspired timeless looks with exceptional quality that our customers can wear today, tomorrow and forever.

7. What’s your perspective on slowing down, choosing quality over quantity, and why does it matter?

It’s quite easy to find yourself buying continuously every time you see a piece you think you love. But only time will tell if it was true love or just a fleeting flirtation - if it was fleeting, the item will be seldom worn and eventually passed on or donated.

There is a much greater fulfilment to carefully selecting those pieces you’ll love. When you slow down, you become more discerning over what you buy and you become a little fussier on quality.

In essence, slowing down means you spend less, you avoid some frustrating mistakes and you cherish the pieces you have. It’s good for your wallet, your happiness and for the environment.

8. Founding a brand changes you as a person. How do you feel you’ve grown since starting this journey?

Yes, it does. Once you’ve been a founder you’ll make a far better employee, should you ever go back to work for someone else. That’s because, as a founder, you are the end stop - you can’t pass the decision to anyone above you, so your sense of responsibility is forced to increase a lot and quickly.

A secondary effect is that everything is more visible to you, and you feel the impact, positive or otherwise, of all your decisions and actions. When someone loves your jeans it’s very rewarding and we still get a little buzz from every sale we make. But conversely, it can be challenging when something isn’t working - there have been so many occasions when we could have said “it’s fine, it’s good enough” but we simply couldn’t and we had to work harder or ask our Atelier to do it again.

Everything is more personal, and you feel a heightened responsibility for every outcome and for everybody connected to what you’re doing. Although we are a small company, when you look at the number of people who have been set into motion working for you, to support you, it’s very touching and a little daunting to think you are responsible for all that.

9. Reflecting on your journey so far, what has been the most unexpected lesson - about people, life, or business?

Don’t underestimate the amount of goodwill in the world and to remain open to new ideas and support from unexpected sources.

It’s wonderful how many good people there are out there. When you share what you’re doing, people will gravitate to it and, if they like it, they will support you with love, effort, and persistence. Our Atelier in Izmir is the best example of that.

10. Finally, if you could share one piece of wisdom about living intentionally and creating with care, what would it be?

Try to always act from a position of genuine love - for both what you’re creating and for the people who will receive it. If you keep coming back to that, you’ll make fewer mistakes and have fewer unpleasant surprises.

It’s easy to get lost in the “day-to-day” and look up after a while only to find you’ve drifted off the path. So, check in often to that original love and if it’s diminished, or no longer there, ask yourself why. Pause and try to refresh it before carrying on. Action taken with love and intention will always produce a better outcome, not to mention keep you going through the hard times… and there will always be hard times.

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