MY LIGHT BULB MOMENT
Kim Winser, boss of her own fashion label
FOUR years ago, while I was working for Net-a-Porter, the online luxury fashion retailer, I met with a group of friends for lunch in London. We’d all been shopping that morning, yet each of us turned up empty-handed.
My light bulb moment came as I realised there were seven women sitting around a table in one of London’s top shopping districts and none of us had bought a thing. The most we’d managed were toiletries and the odd lipstick.
We started to talk about why, despite traipsing around the shops, we’d all ended up keeping our credit cards in our bags. Though we were all different ages — in our 30s, 40s and 50s — the reasons were unanimous.
Designer clothes, though beautifully cut, were ridiculously expensive and none of us were prepared to pay those prices, while those in High Street stores, while reasonably priced, were unflattering and made from lowquality fabrics. Where were the well-cut quality clothes within our budget? We moaned about it for ages and, as the conversation moved on, I started to think that maybe t here was an opportunity here.
I’d worked in the fashion industry since leaving school, having spent 20 years in women’s fashion at Marks & Spencer before going into the luxury sector. So, as the lunch bill arrived, I announced that I was going to set up my own brand.
The Pinot Grigio may have helped, but in that moment I decided I was going to go for it.
My conservatory at home quickly transformed into my makeshift studio, filled with doodles, drawings and, as my team grew, professional designers.
Soon after, we secured Yasmin Le Bon as the face of our brand. She was exactly the woman I felt we needed as our representative: glamorous, beautiful yet down-to-earth and genuine. I was thrilled.
On March 1, Winser London will enjoy its third birthday. I’ll be celebrating with the six friends with whom it all started. This time, the bill’s on me.