Attire Accessories - Seo/Oct 2019 (Issue 78)

106 work too hard. There is always more to do, and there will never be enough hours in the day to get everything done. But it’s very important to also stop, breathe and enjoy the moment, which I am notoriously bad at doing! What is it that sets you apart from your competitors? I always strive to be unique and push boundaries. I am hugely inspired by travel and have a passion for discovering different cultures. Our collections allow our customers to share in this by bringing a little bit of the exotic into their lives, escaping the everyday – whether it is the uplifting jewel colours inspired by the crystal blue waters of the Indian Ocean and the intense pinks in Japanese cherry blossoms or the fusion of exotic fragrances from all parts of the globe in our bath and body products. We also keep an eye on what other products are on the market, purely with the view to making sure that we create something different to what already exists. It’s so important to stay ahead of the game and offer something distinctive. How important is the location and history of the company to its success? As I only started the brand in 2016, our history is short! We have received so much positive press about the impressive rise of the brand – people in the industry are always shocked with how much we’ve achieved in such a short space of time. We love being based in London – it’s one of the most dynamic and fashionable cities in the world and a real creative hub. It helps us keep up to date with retail trends and how we can support retailers with new product that creates theatre and drama in store. How has the product offering changed since you started, and how would you describe your current collection? We have a vast range of nearly 600 products, spanning greeting cards, stationery, home fragrance, bath and body, tabletop, kitchen textiles, tins, accessories, jewellery, watches and now handbag and purses – we really are a lifestyle brand. How often do you launch new lines? We launch most new products for spring/ summer but also offer a smaller range for autumn/winter, which is often designed with Christmas gifting in mind. What trade shows do you attend and why? Spring Fair, Autumn Fair, Top Drawer and Pulse. night to prepare, but it was worth it – the response was phenomenal, with people queuing up outside of the stand. I went on to sign agreements with prestigious manufacturers to license my designs, and in January 2016 Sara Miller London was launched at retailers. The manufacturers I was working with had existing licence agreements with Orla Kiely and Emma Bridgewater, so I knew that soon my work would be sitting shoulder to shoulder with iconic brands. The range went into major high street retailers, including John Lewis, Fenwick and Paperchase. Right from the outset, the products performed incredibly well, exceeding all forecasts. And within 12 months, we had sold one million greeting cards internationally. Later that summer, I was nominated for six Henries awards – the Oscars of the greeting card industry – and I won the most prestigious award, Most Promising Young Designer 2016. What challenges did you face, and how were they overcome when starting the business? I learned very quickly that starting your own business means you’ve got to do it all, including all the bits you don’t enjoy. I went from being a designer to negotiating contracts, pitching to retailers, planning strategy, budget, marketing and making my first hires! It’s just part of the package of working for yourself. You can never