Attire Accessories - Seo/Oct 2019 (Issue 78)

UP AND COMING 107 SARA MILLER W: saramiller.london @saramillerlondon What are your current bestselling designs? Our signature Chelsea collection is synonymous with the brand and has been a bestselling range since its launch. The elegant birds and delicate gold foiling have been loved by so many, and I can’t wait to see people wearing these prints too! When was the website launched, and how does it support the business? We relaunched the website last autumn, and it’s so impactful to see the full product range all held together – it’s amazing to see just how many products we’ve produced in three years! Commercially, it’s a small part of our business but very necessary from a brand perspective. What have been the key milestones in the business? Only two years after we launched, we were overwhelmed to win Best Licensed Fashion or Talent Brand 2018 at The Brand and Lifestyle Licensing Awards. Judged by key retail buyers, we were nominated alongside David Beckham, Paul Hollywood and Matthew Williamson, which felt like such an achievement. However, to actually win – there are no words to describe that feeling! We’ve been so fortunate to have a huge backing from John Lewis, with Sara Miller London window displays in two of its London stores in 2018 and dedicated pop-up shops in the Oxford Street and Peter Jones stores in 2019. John Lewis itself described us as being “one of its fastest-growing licensed brands over the last couple of years.” It’s fair to say that at every step of the way, we’ve had such incredible support – seeing our products sell out and hearing the amazing feedback has given me the confidence to keep building, keep growing and to believe in my vision of where Sara Miller London could get to. There are many other milestones of which I’m really proud – we now distribute to more than 50 countries worldwide, have had 25 industry award nominations and we also welcomed our newest member to the Sara Miller London family last year, as I gave birth to my gorgeous little girl! Juggling mum and work life is another challenge in itself. How do you view the current market, and what trends – both in business and product – do you see emerging over the coming months? Sustainability is obviously really topical, and many brands like us are doing what they can to find green production methods, reduce packaging materials and generally find processes that are more environmentally friendly. We design many of our products to come in beautiful gift boxes covered in our gorgeous prints that are far too good to throw away! These make perfect storage and keepsake boxes. In the same vein, consumers are increasingly turning to plant-based, cruelty-free products for either environmental, ethical or trend-led reasons, and it has been important to us to develop a bath and beauty range that is vegan friendly and free from parabens and sulphates. What are your future plans for the business? Our handbag and accessory ranges launch imminently, and a range of home furnishings – including bedding, wallpaper and cushions – is in development for launch next year. It’s so exciting to see the prints translated across the different fabrics. We are also working on our new spring/ summer print collection. From stationery to new ceramics and luggage, it’s incredibly varied, and no two days in our studio are the same.