Earlier this year, around February, I ventured into the world of fashion,
To those that know me, you may have thought you had misheard me.
Yes I was that person who was always one step behind in the world of fashion; I cared about what I wore, but it wasn’t my life. I didn’t hit the shops on boxing day, I didn’t scroll endlessly through the pages of ASOS and trawl through the racks in Zara. I simply popped into town a few times a year and picked up pretty bog standard clothes.
It’s fair to say I wasn’t ‘fashion forward’.
However, plonk me at a horse show, or take me to the country, and my inner fashionista comes alive. Hello British tweed, long boots, soft green tones and casual hunting attire.
It was at these shows that I spotted a real niche. The country clothing market was very ‘samey’. There was little no no innovation, and it didn’t seem to be going anywhere.
My business mind was going crazy; I’m not the kind of person who thinks of a business opportunity and can forget it the next day. I’m wired to look at everything as a potential way to make some dollar!
My business mind was going crazy; I can’t think of a business opportunity and forget it the next day
I began sketching out some designs, and before I knew it, I was on the phone to suppliers, mills and pattern cutters. It all just kind of happened… I’ve been on this planet for 23 years now, and it’s fair to say I know by now that I’m an incredibly impulsive and spontaneous person, and very rarely think things through (sorry mum and dad). I love to learn by DOING, and not sit back and wonder ‘what if?’
Alice & Country is not what I want to spend the rest of my life doing, despite the high profit margins! In fact, it has simply developed my love of branding, and the love of turning an idea into a reality. This is why I have decided to venture from the world of fashion, into helping small businesses and brands take the leap too, and grow their business.
By launching my own creative agency, I will be able to work with a number of brands and help them get the ball rolling – I can use the experience of launching my own clothing line with helping others, and advise on the steps to take, as well as the common pitfalls that I faced!
So whilst it may not be something I’m sticking with, it’s taught me a lifelong set of skills, and what I’ve learnt in the past year has been irreplaceable.
My advice to you all is this; don’t always think everything is set in stone. Circumstances change, passions change, and dreams change. And that’s ok! You will learn things you never thought you could, and doors that you never knew existed will open.
You know what they say…
It’s not about the destination… It’s about the journey!!
