MY LIGHT BULB MOMENT

Fashion founder Penny Oliver

PennyoLIveR,68,istheco-founderoffashionretailereast.ShelivesinChelsea,WestLondon,withherhusband,John. IN 1968, when I was 19 years old, I joined the Harrods training scheme as a store clerk. I soon progressed to an assistant buyer for ladieswear. From there, I joined Liberty and then Monsoon.

In 1978, when I’d been at Monsoon for two years, I went to India. I discovered a group of artisans block-printing patterns on to fabric by hand in Rajasthan and was blown away by their sheer skill — the results were beautiful.

That was my light bulb moment: I realised I could take this incredible Indian fabric and create classic clothing for British women.

I visited India every six months and my passion for hand-printed fabric grew. In 1982, I quit Monsoon to develop my own business. I found an Indian fabric wholesaler and worked with their team to create my collection.

Four years later, I launched a boutique in Fulham with my former Monsoon boss and a friend. Initially, none of us took a salary, but by the end of the first year our sales proved that we were on to something good.

By 1994, we had 14 stores, including our flagship in Covent Garden and concessions in John Lewis. Ten years later, with 44 stores, we decided to bring in a consultant. But not all their advice paid off — we made some terrible mistakes which saw our financial reserves plummet.

Everything I had built was under threat. I needed to get practical and made the difficult decision to scale back the business and close a number of outlets.

For 18 months now, we’ve been on a roll. Our customers are loyal and we’ve weathered the storm.

So much has changed since that first trip to India, but the craft stays the same and it still inspires me.

east.co.uk