MY LIGHT BULB MOMENT
Fashion founder Tiffany London
Tiffany London, 47, founded Tiffany Rose, a maternity occasionwear brand, in 2003. She lives in Surrey with her husband, Christian, and their two children, indigo, 14, and Ethan, 12. I GREW up in Bath, where my parents ran a guesthouse. My three siblings and I helped by cleaning the bathrooms, making beds and answering phones.
We learned hard graft when we were very young! It definitely gave me a taste for business.
I didn’t go to university. Instead, I took a secretarial course, then worked as a PA, followed by interior design and PR. I loved it, but wanted to work for myself.
I had never thought of setting up a clothing brand until I saw my pregnant sister struggling to find a dress for a wedding. She was so stressed I offered to help her look online. But I had no luck, either. In the end, she found something suitable, but not ideal.
I thought it was such a shame — this should be an opportunity to make her bump look stunning!
That was my light bulb moment. I started brainstorming with my husband, Christian, and it was so exciting. I decided to create a collection of maternity occasion dresses to make women feel beautiful and confident. Christian helped me cobble together a website; I put £600 on my credit card, hired a freelance designer and persuaded a UK manufacturer to make a small run. I had no idea if it would sell.
It was only meant to be a hobby, but the first range was a huge hit. After six months, I had quit my job to go full-time with Tiffany Rose.
Today, we have a turnover of £3.5million and sell online, as well as in more than 130 stockists worldwide. We’ve twice won the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, for our growth in international trade.
All of our dresses are made in the UK and use flattering prints and clever tailoring to skim the bump, creating a smoother silhouette.
It’s been magical to see Tiffany Rose worn by celebrities from Tess Daly and Holly Willoughby, to Emma Bunton, Myleene Klass, Julia Stiles and Kate Silverton.
My husband always reminds me that we did this from nothing — no money or qualifications.
I had nothing to lose and no idea it would become what it has. I just felt my way and enjoyed it. It goes to show anything is possible.