Extensive management training in the corporate arena as a retail buyer for well-known High Street stores.
Strategic & creative direction from source to launch.
Expertise in global sourcing, design & development.
International brand management of home interiors and gift categories, their provenance, design & route to market.
Experience of handling multi £million turnover accounts.
A proven record in increasing the year on year sales of retail brands from cottage industries to well-known high street stores.
“I wanted to drop you a quick note to say how fabulous I think the Christmas assortment is this year! It looks truly stunning on the shop floor. The assortment is beautifully selected, well co-ordinated & the prices are excellent.”
and thats not all....
The weaving & handicraft workshop I found in 2009, Yogyakarta, ran by Lana and her family.
I have been in your shoes.....
I started up a boutique lifestyle brand, cuvcuv, where I used the best practices I learned as a buyer for Fortnum and Mason and House of Fraser to achieve a successful outcome.
I returned to Indonesia to sign off my collection in September 2012
Notably I:
- Wrote an extensive business plan to secure investment.
- Brought to market an ethical, fair trade collection I sourced & designed in Yogyakarta, Indonesia working directly with artisanal weavers based in West Sumatra.
- Set up an online store and gained successful sales from commercial retail platforms & various retail channels; markets, retail shows & pop up shops
- Opened a bricks & mortar shop in The Needlemakers, Lewes, East Sussex
- Negotiated wholesale agreements with independent stockists and TK Maxx
On a personal note...
You could say Ive been a curator for the whole of my life.
I grew up in the North West of England, surrounded by art, culture, music and best of all....humour!
I developed my aesthetic sensibilities in a career that took me around the world curating home & gift collections for luxury brands.
Recently I swapped the hustle and bustle of London for simplicity of life in the Sussex countryside.
And this is what I discovered...
I enjoy the peace & tranquility of the rolling South Downs.
And the opportunity it gives me to be creative.
I nurture my home life by cultivating the garden, cooking for friends, practising yoga and sewing.
Over and above that, I get inspiration from the nearby bohemian town of Lewes....
And an art and cultural fix from hipster coastal city, Brighton.
I continue to surround myself with all things creative, visually appealing and relaxing.
Consequently Ive gathered a group of creative souls into a local hub I set up called Wolstonbury Creative and have additional support from fellow female entrepreneurs with my Lewes Women in Business Monthly Membership & Im a member of the dynamic Brighton based group, One Girl Band.
If you're a creative, Id love you to join us!