What has been the most difficult aspect of getting your brand off the ground and how did you overcome that?
I’m still working to overcome many challenges in getting my business off the ground. Initially it was the production process. I began making everything myself by hand, but I could see that it just wasn’t sustainable. Factories have very high minimum orders so I couldn’t find one that could work with me and I also didn’t want to mass produce my pieces. In the end I found wonderful craftspeople in Scotland to knit my pieces and I still put them together myself at my studio. I also work with a small production studio in London, so the production is really growing.
My biggest challenge now is getting my products in front of the customer, as a small business I don’t have a huge marketing budget so I have to come up with creative ways to spread the word about my label!
What are two aspects of business in which you believe a new brand should invest resources?
I’ve had so many marketing specialists advise me to get my pieces worn by a celebrity before even knowing anything about my product. I would advise that although it is tempting to get as much press as possible in the early stage, really take the time to perfect your product. Get a strong production infrastructure in place, so when the time comes for your label to grow you can actually accommodate it.
Another thing would be to really work to get a mailing list together and take the time to really communicate with the people on it. Even if it starts with just five people who are interested, keep the conversation going and share how your business is growing and evolving.
Tell us a little bit about your background and what led to you to setting up your own business
I always wanted to be a fashion designer, but it wasn’t until my second year of university that I discovered my love for knitwear.
I completed a BA degree at Kingston University and finished winning the Visionary Knitwear Award at Graduate Fashion Week. After that I went on to complete my Masters Degree at the Royal College of Art. I had ideas at this point of starting my own business but found the idea really daunting, so I followed my original plan and secured a job at a top Italian fashion brand.
It didn’t feel like the right fit for me and increasingly I longed to be doing my own thing. There were many aspects of the fashion industry that troubled me, and I felt I wanted to start a business grounded in my values.
In the end I moved back to my parents’ house and worked for a year to create my first collection; I exhibited at London Fashion Week and got selected as a Future British Award Winner by the BFC and Boden. This meant I had sponsorship for the next year to produce further collections and the business has grown from there.
What makes your clothes different from other fashion designers?
My aim is to create pieces that people actually want to wear and live in. I work with classic styles with the ambition to create the perfect fit and shape. I then combine this with my passion for colour and construction detail to produce pieces that are accessible and yet deeply special. I really value the handmade approach and so everything is produced on a small scale and finished by hand. I often work with surplus luxury yarns, this means that only a small number of each design is produced keeping them exclusive. It also means we introduce new styles and colours frequently keeping things fresh.