I wanted to be a writer and a fashion journalist – and that’s why I went to NYU in Manhattan and studied English literature and art. I did plenty of internships while I was out there, and they were all journalist-based, so I worked for Brides, Vogue, and Seventeen. That was pretty much what I thought I was going to do until my last year [at university] and I had this idea [for the business]. I thought I’d give it a year and see how it went.

Part of the reason I really wanted to go to university in America was because they allow you to pick more than just one subject to study, whereas in the UK you have to pick one. I did lots of different things, from drawing and painting to knitting and pottery. I always loved art and I have always been creative; I was just sure I was going to be a writer.

I had this idea of starting a brand that focused on one statement accessory. It was my last year of university and I wanted to go for it. New York was just an amazing place and it makes you feel like anything is possible; I was surrounded by lots of creative, motivating individuals which helped me jigsaw the puzzle together. I actually started the scarves first, and I got my first partner stores in the US from [those designs].

I had a very traditional business model up until Covid and that’s really when my business went upside down and pivoted. I’d built up all of these retailers and then in a matter of weeks I lost it all. It became this fight or flight situation where I had to really think fast and that is when we [introduced] our drop model, which I’m actually so grateful for because it has pushed the brand in a much more sustainable, considered, very creative direction. It has allowed me to step off the hamster wheel of needing to go, go, go all the time, meet all these deadlines and constantly come up with new collections. It took me back to when I first started and made me question what I was doing it for and who I was designing for, so it was nice to restart with a community we had built over seven years and propel into this much more dynamic environment.

What’s so great about this model is we aim to do three drops a year which allows six-nine months development time per collection, which gives us the time to source fabrics, investigate colours and prints, travel and shoot the product. We’re not making quickfire decisions; we’re making pieces that are seasonless, will last in your wardrobe and you can share with your mum and your grandma. It’s a much slower and more creative approach which is ultimately more enjoyable.

I love being busy and I also feel very lucky to love what I do. I’m proud of what I’ve been able to build and I have a great small team.

I’m also a new mum; I had a baby girl last Christmas so being pregnant and juggling a business was certainly challenging, and equally challenging now she’s here, but in ways a lot nicer too.

I’m always on my emails and I worked through my honeymoon. I will always be working but I love what I do so it doesn’t always feel like work. 

The best part is when we have laboured over a sample, we have the model [wearing it] in the studio, and the reaction is a resounding yes, we’ve nailed it. That’s a great day because we put so much time and effort into finding the fabric, cutting the patterns, securing the silhouettes and when it finally works and comes together it’s a really great feeling.

The worst part is the fact you take the office home with you; I find that a struggle. When things don’t go to plan – we’ve had models get stuck in customs, products have not made it through customs, shipment issues, delivery issues, warehouse problems – there’s all the behind the scenes of a business which is where the grit and drama is coming from. I try to delegate as much as I can but it’s part of the process. Those things are often out of your control.

Our last drop on 2 October. We sold out 70 per cent of the collection in hours, which was an unbelievable result. We saw a huge spike in traffic and sales, and it was so exciting. As we put so much time and energy into the collections, it was an amazing feeling to see such a positive response. It’s also nervewracking: the site goes live at 8pm and when I clicked on at 6pm, there were only 20 people on the site. I thought ‘oh god, is everything going to be alright?’ At 8pm, there were 10,000 people waiting for the drop. We were so proud.

We also got Taylor Swift in a coat which was a huge moment for me because I’m a huge fan. I’m not sure who isn’t?

Covid stand outs like a sore thumb. One of the ‘blessings’ is I had just come back from New York and we just secured our last order. I used to travel around with suitcases filled with products to Copenhagen, Paris, New York and all our suppliers across the world. It was an incredibly gruelling exercise that took about two months of hard sales. So, we had amassed all of these orders for the year and we were just about to place everything with the factory – and I still thank my lucky stars that we didn’t because I might not be sitting here today. I sat, waited, and watched the news, and, one by one, every single store cancelled their order. That was the toughest period of my career to date.

I spent two weeks treading water, essentially not believing what was happening. There was a period when everyone thought it was fine, but then everything crashed down and I spent a further two weeks crying. I just couldn’t believe everything we had worked so hard to build was gone. At the time, my business was so wholesale-based and I had a very small business online so I never believed I could pivot our entire model to be all online. If I hadn’t been faced with what I had, and was essentially given no choice, I would never have been so bold as to make that huge change. I never thought it was possible. It was, in a way, such a blessing to drive me in this new, exciting, sustainable direction.

I’m always contactable. I will have a bath and not look at my phone, but that’s about it.

It’s difficult because I feel like there have been so many people who paved the way. I’m definitely inspired by my parents, who work very hard and are both entrepreneurs of a bubble bath business. I definitely look to them for leadership and motivation.

Patience and direction. You need to steer the ship. I find storytelling is important and rewarding to make everyone feel part of the journey, the vision and the path forward, instead of telling the team to crack on with it. The detail, narrative, creative brainstorm that allows everyone to be able to share ideas is what makes it work and makes it exciting.

I would love to continue to see more women in leadership positions such as CEOs, managing directors and key decision-makers. In the last few years, there has been a rise in female entrepreneurs launching luxury brands, and I’m excited to see this. I’m staying in my line, pushing my brand forward and my small, all-female team forward.

Enjoy it, you’re going to get there in the end.