Kidston: I was called sexist for designing ironing board covers
HER cheerful polka dot and floral crockery is a staple across kitchens of middle England. Some call them nostalgic, others call them kitsch. But the designer Cath Kidston has revealed one thing she objects to being called is sexist.
The 59-year-old businesswoman from Hampshire, whose colourful homeware is now a multi-million pound global empire, has told how when she was trying to establish her brand she “got a lot of stick” from people who accused her of “celebrating” women doing chores.
She said that far from an attempt to endorse female stereotypes, her first ever product – an ironing board cover – was merely a “practical” item to bring some cheer to a dull task.
Speaking at the Oxford Union, she said: “I got a lot of stick with people saying ‘are you celebrating women ironing?’. Or men. But they always said women. Are you celebrating ironing? And I said well, actually, if I do my ironing I want it to be more pleasurable.
“The reason I designed the ironing board cover was I had a very small flat, and I had a grey ironing board on the back of the door. And I thought actually, why isn’t it covered in decoration? So that was my best product.”
Kidston set up her first shop – which she later described as a “glorified junk shop” – in 1993 in Holland Park, west London, where she sold second hand furniture, cushion covers and other household objects.
Now the company has more than 50 stores in Britain, and around 28 per cent of the female population own something from Cath Kidston, according to Kenny Wilson the chief executive.
Kidston’s designs are popular overseas too, with shops in Hong Kong, China, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan.
She also admitted that although she tried to have everything made in the UK, this proved difficult, and within eight years of opening the business she moved production out to Asia.
“The manufacturing was very difficult, because I tried to get everything made the UK,” she said.
“I had so many print mills go broke on me. And if that’s your ingredient and the factory closes down, it’s really hard moving screens.
“I opened the business in 1993, and I think it was eight years later I had to move the lot to Asia because I couldn’t get the stability.
“I could still get certain things made at home, but all those print mills, it was really a dying business, it was really hard to get that done.”
She also revealed that she made a big design for Ikea, but refused to let them put her name to it.
“They were amazing to work with, and they paid me so much money. But I wouldn’t let them use my name. So everyone thought they were ripping me off.” in