Best of British

The two businesswomen belong to the Second Floor Collective, a group of nine British creatives who met at a London trade fair this autumn and have banded together to promote their products.

Higher costs and lack of skills are just two of the many obstacles both are battling to have their designs made here rather than the Far East.

And tough economic conditions are making it harder than ever to find retailers willing to take a chance on stocking something new.

Both set up in business within the past two years and they explain why they decided to take the plunge during a recession and what their hopes are for the future...

Helen Gordon Retro designs that tap into nostalgia for ‘the good old days’ are proving a winning formula in austerity Britain for Wallingford-based Helen Gordon.

Her range of baby and children’s clothing and accessories draw on perennial favourites such as Hansel and Gretel, The Three Little Pigs and The Reluctant Dragon by Wind in the Willows author Kenneth Grahame.

The mother-of-three’s spring collection was inspired by a motif on a 1970s coat hook at her parents’ house and clothes she wore when she was a child.

But the real catalyst for setting up in business in 2010 came after a particularly fraught shopping trip for her children, now aged between five and 10.

She said: “I was getting frustrated by a lot of the stuff for children in the high street, such as tops for six-year-old girls with bikini-style straps that fell off their shoulders.”

A trained textile designer, she began experimenting with her own fabric designs before having cloth printed and launching her business at a UK trade fair two years ago.

Before going it alone, she worked as a buyer for top retailers including House of Fraser and Witney-based Past Times.

Ms Gordon, 42, believes this experience, coupled with an MA in textile manufacturing, has given her a solid base from which to build her enterprise.

She explained: “I already understood cash flow forecasts, designing for different seasons, product development and what retail buyers look for.”

Her products are stocked in about 50 independent retailers around the country, including Cotswold Kids in Witney, and she has agents in Holland and Belgium.

She works closely with a local seamstress who produces her designs before they are sampled by the factory and made ready for production.

Despite making it harder to keep costs down, she is passionate about supporting British manufacturers.

Her babywear is made in a Midlands factory, nightwear in Anglesey and other items in Kent.

She added: “My UK baby clothes manufacturer is great – they used to make for Mothercare but 10 years ago all that business went overseas.

“These are mainly ladies in their 50s on the sewing machines who are incredibly skilled at what they do. We need to support this expertise because once we lose these skills, they’ll be gone for good.”

Sarah Watkinson-Yull Sarah Watkinson-Yull was just 21 when she launched her designer shoe business Yull last year.

Pronounced ‘Yule’, it is a range of women’s shoes that literally flies the flag for Britain, thanks to the union flag motif on the underside of the soles. And to further underline their heritage, all 35 designs are named after well-known places and events in Blighty, such as Blenheim, Silverstone, Ascot and Cheltenham.

The third-year business management degree student, who hails from Charlbury, juggles her entrepreneurial activities with writing essays and studying for exams.

She has always dreamed of being her own boss and used her talents at school by selling skirts and scarves to fellow pupils.

Studying at London’s Fashion Retail Academy cemented her desire to combine her love of business with her interest in fashion.

After 15 months of working at the family business, Lansdowne Chemicals in Carterton, she saved up the £10,000 she needed to get started.

She describes her footwear as being “style over fashion”, meaning the shoes are not so faddy that they become unfashionable after a few months.

To start with, all her shoes were manufactured in China but she has switched 50 per cent of production to the UK.

She explained: “I would like to bring more of my business here but cost is the problem.

“Although there are quite a few men’s shoes made in Britain, women’s are very different.

“I was the first to ask this factory to make high heels so they had to make a mould especially for me.

“There are more people who want to manufacture in this country but can’t because we don’t have enough people with the relevant skills anymore.”

Reflecting this, Yull shoes manufactured in China retail from £65 to £90, while those made in the UK are priced from £105 to £120.

Her talents have been recognised by the Prince’s Trust, which awarded her a £2,500 start-up grant and free business mentoring for three years.

And earlier this month, she won a £500 grant from the European Development Fund.

Sarah’s shoes are carried by 25 independent stockists, including The Cotswold Tailor in Woodstock and she plans to extend the Yull range with bags, purses and card holders once she finishes university and can turn her full-time attention to the business.

www.thesecondfloorcollective.com www.helengordon.co.uk