Walpole Unveils Winners of Brands of Tomorrow Mentoring Program
I LOVE YA, TOMORROW: Walpole, the association of high-end British companies, has unveiled the winners of its Brands of Tomorrow program and they include Savile Row tailor Kathryn Sargent, flower delivery service Flowerbx, men’s underwear brand Hamilton and Hare and women’s wear and accessories label Rae Feather.
The brands will receive mentorship from a member of the industry and be able to take part in workshops that will help them with financial planning, distribution, strategy, branding, marketing and business management.
Other brands on the list include Asceno, which does pajamas and swimwear; technical sportswear label Castore; leather goods brands Love or Nothing Baby and Malle London; Method Studio, a boutique creative production house, London-based lifestyle magazine The Jackal and the oil-based skin-care brand Votary.
Sargent, who launched her tailoring brand in 2012, said she is in growth mode. She was the first female head cutter at a Savile Row tailoring house and first female master tailor to have a store on Savile Row.
“We have seen sales and client numbers continue to grow year-on-year,” Sargent said. “I believe we are now an integral part of London’s tailoring scene and hope to capitalize on this by expanding the brand into new associated categories that will help us grow further both in the U.K. and overseas. Key to our success is the importance of being an ambassador for the quality and craftmanship of British tailoring in international markets such as the U.S.”
“Seeing the opportunities available to me and being able to grasp them are two different things, while I believe we have a very strong future as a brand,” she said, adding that working with Walpole will help her better understand “how to approach each opportunity and define the best road forward for us.”
Launched in 2007, the initiative has worked with emerging British luxury brands, including Charlotte Olympia, Shaun Leane, Private White VC, Emilia Wickstead and Miller Harris.
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