If in doubt, wash your hair

Doubt · Textile innovation · Do not give up · Parenting · Retail as experience

I have been meaning to start writing here for a while, so I thought I would start with a podcast that resonated with me this week. An interview with the designer Anya Hindmarch on the Sheer Luxe podcast, around the publication of her book If In Doubt, Wash Your Hair.

The title is clever, with a two-pronged piece of advice built in.

Self-preservation and doubt

The first prong: as an entrepreneur, you are going to have to get very comfortable with doubt. Even though that is a known fact, it carries extra weight coming from someone who has lived it for decades. Doubt is healthy. It is our critical compass.

The second: put yourself first in order to be able to take care of others. Anya is a mother of five, including three stepchildren, who started running a business at a young age. You hear "put your own oxygen mask on first" all the time, but I think the longer you parent, the more you realise it is not a cliche. It is the only way forward. You have to get your own system in place before you can help others. These things need to be said about twenty times before they properly go in.

Textile and product innovation

She is extremely honest and clearly considered in every aspect of her life. She has built an international brand but kept creativity and agility at its core. She talks about how the textile and fashion industry often reflects emerging societal changes, almost as the first imprint of those changes.

That rings true for me. I do not think I would have had the same criteria for textile selection ten years ago as I did twelve months ago. The origin and makeup of the fabric was a non-negotiable, and the access to information and certification from the comfort of my laptop has been a game-changer.

She discusses this in the context of her "I'm Not a Plastic Bag" collaboration with Sainsbury's. It is incredible to think that when they did it in 2007 it was trailblazing. Eighty thousand people queued outside stores on launch day. They used recycled PET bottles for the fabric and windscreen glass for the waterproof coating. Observation and proactivity are clearly her superpowers.

Just do not give up

Her father was one of her key advisors. When times were tough, he told her:

With any small business, that is a mantra worth keeping close.

On parenting

She was a stepmother to three children under four at the age of 26. I cannot get my head around that. In her book she says, paraphrased, that your children need to dislike you just a little bit so that they can be ready to leave home at some point. Something to think about during the next disagreement, although mine are still so small.

Retail as experience

The other thing I took away was her return to bricks-and-mortar retail. She has a pop-up in London, exclusively London, despite having stores globally. But she has created something that is an experience: a mini shopping village with exhibitions, a coffee shop, and more. Ephemeral by nature, not something you would choose to scale. I think it is a clever way to capture what today's consumers actually want.

All in all, a wise woman. I listen to the Sheer Luxe podcast regularly for fashion, culture, and general chat. It is light, magazine-like, and as an expat, it keeps me connected. Every so often there is an entrepreneur interview, usually woman to woman, and I find them insightful. Let me know if you listen, or read the book. Meanwhile, just off to wash my hair.

Kate