Samcam says her fashion brand was inspired by lack of spare cash
AS THE wife of a former prime minister and with a successful career of her own, Samantha Cameron might appear to have few money worries.
But Mrs Cameron has claimed that mortgage and childcare payments put such a squeeze on the family finances that she cannot afford designer clothes.
That was the motivation, she said, for starting her own fashion company. Her womenswear brand, Cefinn, is more expensive than the high street but cheaper than designer labels, with the average dress price around £260.
She launched Cefinn in July last year, the same month that David Cameron left No10 – and weeks after the couple reportedly took out a £3.5million mortgage on a new home for them and their three children.
The label “came out of a very personal need”, she told an audience at the Found her Festival for women entrepreneurs.
“I had been working in the luxury/fashion business [as creative director, and later consultant, for Smythson] for a long time and didn’t have disposable income, with childcare and mortgage etc, to buy designer clothes.
“But obviously, working in the fashion industry, I wanted to find workwear and daywear that had a bit of a fashion edge, that felt a bit cleaner, younger, more modern than what was available. So it was a feeling that there was a gap in the market.” Mrs Cameron said she had endured sleepless nights and “answering emails at four in the morning” as she launched the label, with the website going live in February. “It’s been incredibly hard work, and frightening … in the beginning it’s tough, you’re doing it on your own and it’s kind of lonely,” she said. “I feel like I’ve come out the other side, but that initial starting point was really hard.” Mrs Cameron has previously disclosed that she buys most of her husband’s clothes from Marks & Spencer. However, the idea that a former prime minister’s wife lacks disposable income may come as a surprise to some. Mr Cameron’s historic tax return published in April last year showed that he had no fewer than six sources of taxable income, including his £140,000 salary as prime minister, rental income from his £2million home in Notting Hill, interest on savings and dividends from shares. Three months after leaving Downing Street, he reportedly picked up more than £120,000 for an hour-long speech to Wall Street financiers in New York.
Mrs Cameron, 46, who is a baronet’s daughter, worked for Smythson for 20 years and said her management style has improved over time. “In my 20s, I managed my staff a bit differently than I do now. It was a bit, ‘If you can’t keep up …’ Whereas I now try to be as grateful as possible, and just remember that my team are putting in the hours. I hope I’ve got better at that. People around you work hard and have issues and you need to support them.”