Honest conversations with the people building British-made brands. Hear how they started, the challenges they’ve faced, and what it really takes to grow a product-based business in the UK.
Shanna Bent is the founder of the conscious fashion brand Maison Bent. Having previously worked with Alexander McQueen, Roland Mouret, Agent Provocateur, in 2019 Shanna set up her own luxury label, with a determination to bust the myth that black […]
Charlotte Raffo is the founder of The Monkey Puzzle Tree, a homeware business that creates award-winning, artist designed fabrics and wallpapers with a twist and a conscience. Working with artists and designers to produce the most beautiful collection of products,
Lucy Jones was the founder of a prestigious, luxury lingerie brand back in the 1980s. Her distinctive silk lingerie was stocked in retailers such as Harvey Nichols and Rigby & Peller. After two decades working in education, Lucy decided to
Monika Young is the founder and creative director of Monika the Label – a sustainable fashion brand inspired by 70s California and made in the UK. In this episode, Monika tells the story of how she set up and her
London-based designer Maria Grachvogel is renowned for her clever use of cutting to flatter the female figure. In this interview, Maria talks about why she has chosen to use more UK manufacturers for her collection, and how changing her business model
One of our epidode’s from the very first series that is well worth a revisit is this one with Andy Ogden at English Fine Cottons. Greater Manchester was once known as cottonopolis because it was the home to the world’s
In this episode, I chat to Ian Maclean, managing director of John Smedley – the oldest operating factory in the world. John Smedley is one of the finest knitwear manufacturers in the world. The company was established 235 years ago, at the
Julie Deane CBE, set up the Cambridge Satchel Company in 2008 with £600 and went on to make it a global, multi-million-pound business. But behind the success story, there was a lot of hard work, including having to set up
Today I’m chatting to Lindsey James, who is the founder of womenswear brand Violet Flamingo. Lindsey was making and selling bespoke clothing for her clients from her studio before covid hit. Finding herself with no way to reach customers during
Rita Britton is somewhat of a fashion legend. For 50 years she ran an independent fashion store in Barnsley, Yorkshire called Polyanna, which was an International hub for luxury fashion stocked with Rita’s unique style. When Polyanna closed in 2014,
