Hey, I’m Elizabeth - a fashion business coach and mentor. It’s nice to meet you!
With over 15 years of experience in retail, I love helping fashion brands succeed in the competitive and ever - evolving market. fashion is fast-paced, undeniably creative and always exciting, however, it comes with a stereotype!
Some people call me a fashion brand therapist & I’ve labelled myself as the friendly face in fashion.
As abit of background to me I went to a very academic girls school where creativity wasn't taken seriously enough. (My headmistress said if I only needed 2 grade C's to get into the course I'd chosen then I should seriously consider *the types of people I'd be mixing with* - WOW!!!) I've told this story 10000x and it really resonates with people who have had similar experiences throughout their life. Fashion is the 3rd largest money making industry in the UK but it's still seen as a silly career for “blonde bimbo” types.
I'm also the only girl in my family and when I was younger, my mum said that I was never to rely on a man for money -> “Elizabeth - you're going to be financially independent”
Then my career took a turn . . .
I worked at Miss Selfridge (Arcadia / Phillip Green - not sure if you're familiar) and it was famously the worst year of my life - imagine devil wears prada on acid! My mum actually broke her ankle during this year and my first thought was jealousy. I wanted to break my ankle because it would have given me a reason not to go to work - I even considered throwing myself down the London Underground escalator at Oxford Circus to get out of going in & hide in bed. (sounds so bad when you write it out but seemed like a good idea at the time!)
Despite all of this, I would work that year at Arcadia all over again because it taught me resilience & gave me the drive to prove to people you don't need to be a bitch to work in fashion.
All that to say that these 3 experiences have shaped my very clear mission that hasn't ever budged from day one. I help creatives to take their passion seriously, turn it into a fashion business and become financially independent by monetising their skills alongside me - the friendly face in fashion.
I’ve always been compelled to break the stereotype and show that fashion can be a positive place with soul & purpose that supports creatives like you.
