RACHEL AND CHARLIE LANDON, CO-FOUNDERS OF WILDER BOTANICS
To time with London Craft Week, we are thrilled to introduce our new ‘Maker Muse’ series, in partnership with Hole & Corner - a publication celebrating and promoting creativity, craftsmanship, heritage and authenticity.
Wilder Botanics was inspired by former model and Maker Muse Rachel Landon’s 20 years of clinical practice as a naturopath and herbalist. As a model, Rachel worked and travelled long hours and the pressure to always look her best and keep a pleasant attitude meant that maintaining a healthy alignment with her inner and outer self was often challenging. Rachel embarked on fully learning about natural medicine, eventually becoming a qualified Naturopath Iridologist and Master Herbalist with honours-while raising her family. Since 2018 she has run Wilder Botanics with her partner Charlie and a small team from a studio in west London.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND YOUR WORK?
I’m originally from Manchester where I grew up. Most of my family are still there.
When I left school I visited Dublin in the summer to see a girlfriend, taking some time out to figure out which direction I was going to head in and I was asked to model in a Katharine Hamnett show and that’s where I started my career in fashion. I moved to London, continuing to work as a model, with several years in New York and Paris along the way.
I started looking at my wellbeing whilst living in New York, looking at courses, and reading up on many different modalities .. inspired, I decided it was time to move back to London and study full time to become a naturopath and herbalist.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROUDEST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER TO DATE?
There's a few moments. I've formed some incredible relationships within my clinical practice, it’s been a real honour. We learn so much from our clients. Being asked to write Super Herbs by publisher Piatkus was quite surreal, I never thought I could or would write a book but I’m so glad I was pushed to do it. And definitely starting Wilder and opening our store on Broadway Market, which has been an incredible journey.
WHY IS CRAFT IMPORTANT TO YOU?
Wilder uses centuries old naturopathic methods of extraction and preservation which takes knowledge, time and patience. This process of preparation by hand is a craft that allows the herbal ingredients to remain vital and potent. Knowing the origin of all the ingredients also makes the whole process from growing to formula more energetic and invested in responsible consumerism.