Entrepreneur Alice is in the Pink with her fashion empire
An entrepreneur who began her business on a £90 budget turning it into a multi-million pound fashion empire – is honoured by the North East University where she developed her love for design.
Within 10 years of graduating from the University Sunderland, Alice Hall has turned her ‘accidental’ enterprise into a £25million fashion empire.
Her leadership skills, entrepreneurial mind-set and hard work are behind the phenomenal growth of her online fashion brand Pink Boutique, and last year led to her being named as ‘oneto-watch’ in European Business after making it on to the prestigious Forbes Under 30 European List.
She joins other big names such as footballer Gareth Bale, actor Dev Patel, model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and singer Emeli Sande.
That meteoric rise as a successful entrepreneur has now led to another honour for Alice, as she is named the University of Sunderland Alumni Achiever of the Year 2018.
This prestigious competition runs annually with alumni and staff members nominating a graduate who has excelled in their field of expertise and Alice has done that in spades.
Alice says she is the classic ‘accidental’ entrepreneur. Struggling to pay her bills she bought a pack of six dresses for £90 to sell online. She borrowed half the money from her mum Julie and when they sold, she bought two packs, and when they sold, she bought four, she kept doubling up and the rest, they say, is history.
Alice graduated from Sunderland with a journalism degree in 2009, having specialised in beauty and fashion magazine journalism. But as the recession bit and she struggled find a suitable reporter role, she took a job as a cover supervisor at a North East high school before a light bulb moment changed her life.