A day in the life

Who are you?

I’m the co-founder and creative director of Nola London and creative director of my own fashion consultancy business. My work as a design consultant involves coming up with concepts, designing ranges and sourcing fabrics.

Tell us about Nola…

We launched on 27 March 2021, but it’s been about a year and a half in the making. It’s taken a lot longer because of the pandemic, but it’s given us more time to perfect our fabrics and colours and reassess a few things. It’s also given us more breathing space, in a way; because weddings weren’t happening, we didn’t feel that pressure.

Pictured: London Atelier

Can you tell us about your career to date and how your interest in fashion started?

I always wanted to work in fashion. My grandmother used to teach me how to sew, and every time I was bored, she’d say, ‘Let’s make something.’ Because my Mum was a single parent climbing up the career ladder, I’d just be at home making things with my grandmother. From quite an early age, I knew that I wanted to design clothes. I studied fashion at university, came to London, got my first job straight after London Graduate Fashion Week and then worked directly with a manufacturer for the first two years, which was an incredible experience. On my first day, I was on a flight to Mauritius, where I spent five weeks learning all about manufacturing and factory processes. At the same time, I was also designing for Topshop; they eventually brought me on board as a designer and I was there for almost seven years. For three of those years, I designed dresses.

Tell us about your experiences at Topshop and how you transitioned into the slow fashion industry…

It was so exciting. We travelled a lot, our sales were incredible and I felt so proud to work at such an amazing company. After nearly seven years, I left Topshop to go and work for Urban Outfitters. I was a design manager there for four years. Then I had my baby and decided I wanted to be a bit more flexible, so that’s when I set up my own brand. I’d work on Nola whenever my little daughter was on her two-hour naps at lunchtime. I also switched into consulting. I just wanted to build something with integrity, and as much as I absolutely loved working where I was, I wanted to slow down the pace and do things a bit differently, for me.

I felt the bridal industry was a lovely place to do that because a lot of the products are timeless. I love the idea of the designs never dating. They’re not too fashion-led, they’re just gorgeous.

Run us through a day in your shoes…

Every day is so different, the juggle is real.

7am: I wake up. We all get dressed and have breakfast. I take my daughter to nursery.

8am: I catch up with my co-founder on my way back from dropping off my daughter. We’ll check in, talk about what we need to focus on that day, the week ahead, if anything’s cropped up, if anyone’s contacted us. We’ll focus on getting back to those people and managing the business side of things.

Other times, I could be driving over to the factory and picking up recent samples that we’ve ordered for clients. At the moment, I’m arranging products for a trial session this weekend. I’m making sure we’ve got our full-size range available. I’ll organise our feed for Instagram and think about what our next shoot is going to look like.

8.30am: I would probably be working on a consultancy project and balancing Nola around that. The consultancy work involves coming up with design concepts, creating a range for clients, working alongside the manufacturer and making sure the product is on-brand.

Pictured: Collating dresses for a shoot

7.30pm: I catch up with my co-founder again when my daughter has gone to bed. Then we’ll do more Nola work. We’re going to be committing a lot more work to Nola going forward.

At the moment, every day is different and I absolutely love that – monotony and structure is not so great for me. I enjoy being at a factory or a photoshoot, coming up with concepts, choosing a colour palette for the dresses, looking at images for the feed, talking to press and PR people. All of these things mean every day is different.

I feel so passionate about Nola, I absolutely love what we’re doing. I love the product and the process of working with really talented women who have founded their own factory or manufacturing unit. You’re only ever as good as the people who make your product; my relationships with these people make me love what I do even more.

Pictured: The range

Can you tell us more about those relationships and the people who help make your dresses?

I’ve tapped into my existing industry network to find people to help us create this range. They’re people I’ve worked with in the industry. They’re just incredible and really talented.

Where does your inspiration for designs come from?

My inspiration comes from my experience in this industry. At Topshop, I was so lucky to travel to incredible places like Hong Kong, Tokyo and LA, to shop and seek out inspiration and ideas. I’ve been privy to lots of exciting trade interactions, and seeing my products worn on people in everyday life is what really excites me.

It’s about tapping into all of that knowledge and knowing what will suit and flatter somebody. And then visualising them in the venue and the space where they might wear the product. It’s a combination of thinking about the end-user, for instance, and asking, ‘Where are they going to wear that? Are they going to wear that at a country wedding? If so, maybe the dress needs to be more relaxed and have some frills, or maybe it needs to be a wrap dress, so they can feel more comfortable. Or are they wearing it to a venue that is a bit chicer? So therefore, maybe a plunging neckline is more suitable with more detail, and maybe a floor-length hemline.’ I get my ideas from the end-user as well as tapping into knowledge in the industry. I visualise them in the moment that they’re going to be in at their wedding.

Pictured: Behind the scenes of a shoot

When you’re not at work, what might you be doing?

Nola is my passion and my hobby. If I’m not working on Nola, I’m hanging out with my daughter, taking her for long walks and enjoying my time with her.

What are your plans for Nola?

We’re going to add some new colour into the existing range. We’re looking to do some more shoots, with several girls [modelling the collection], to showcase the colours.

What designs have been popular with your clients so far?

Our [best sellers] are the yellow styles. As much as it’s a timeless range, the mimosa yellow has been really successful. I think it’s because it’s bright and optimistic. It’s just nice to counter all the doom and gloom we’ve been through in the last year.

Pictured: Shoot imagery

How would you describe your own personal style?

I’m quite casual. I like jeans and a T-shirt (that’s probably my go-to) and a bit of gold jewellery. It’s funny because I’m quite low-key and maybe a bit of a tomboy, but as an antidote to that I love designing pretty dresses.

What the most important lesson you’ve learned while in the industry?

The fashion industry is a fast-paced industry and you have to give it your all because it’s all-consuming. My advice to anyone going into it is that you really have to absolutely love the process of design. You really have to enjoy the buzz and excitement that comes from seeing your product on somebody. That’s what always excited me – just love what you do.