LAUREN GUTHRIE @GUTHRIEGHANI
If you’ve ever taken a stroll down Alcester Road in Moseley, Birmingham, you’re sure to have been struck by the beautiful shopfront of Guthrie and Ghani. Inside the stunning 1800s mock-tudor building, you’ll find a host of workshops, fabrics, patterns, haberdashery tools and notions, and most important of all… owner and founder, Lauren Guthrie – a sewist, designer, mumpreneur and alumni of
Lauren’s love of sewing took root in her childhood; “My mum worked from home as a dressmaker, so I grew up around fabric and the sewing machine," she explains, “I can’t really remember a time when I didn’t know how to sew.” After rediscovering her me-made passion in her 20s, Lauren hasn’t looked back; “I love every part of the process,” she says, “There is always something new to learn, new styles to work with, a different fabric to try. It makes me value my clothes so much more.”
2013 was a big year for Lauren. Not only did she make it through to the final of it was also the year she opened her shop, after swapping her physiotherapy career for one more aligned with her true ambition; sewing. “My passion is to inspire and guide my lovely customers to get the same sense of pride and satisfaction in sewing their clothes,” she says. During her time on the show, however, Lauren was pushed to sew garments she had never made before as part of the challenges, and confesses that it made her realise just what she was capable of, despite self doubt. “It made me less fearful of trying new, more challenging projects; I realised the biggest thing holding me back was fear of failure," she explains, "Even if it doesn’t work out, you'll still have learned something.”
In the following decade, Lauren has taken the sewing world by storm – from building her brand, sharing her knowledge through her workshops, writing her own book and founding the hub of creativity, collaboration and inclusivity that Guthrie and Ghani is today. As a champion of the sewing community, which she describes as “a really inspirational place,” Lauren explains; “I love seeing all the different interpretations of a pattern, made in different fabrics for different bodies.” In the spirit of community over competition, Lauren recommends focusing all your effort on achieving your own hopes and dreams without falling into the trap of comparing yourself to other makers and businesses; “Work out what your goal is or what you are hoping to achieve, be really clear about that and keep it in focus all the time.”
So, how do you celebrate ten amazing years in the haberdashery business? Well, Lauren marked the occasion by collaborating with Rachel Parker (@rachelparkerdesigns on Instagram) to design a special fabric print that “tells a story and has special meaning to me and my sewing journey." Intrigued?
Follow Lauren at @guthrieghani and head on over to guthrie-ghani.co.uk to shop everything that Guthrie and Ghani have to offer (including their exciting Sewing Society kits and tutorials)!