Tell us a bit about yourself, background and what you do currently
Originally from Villanova, Pennsylvania, I moved to London in 1990 starting my career in PR and swiftly working my way up the career ladder; I started out as an account exec and was made managing director within five years, specialising in Consumer, TV, celebrity and events management. Outside of work I set up monthly networking clubs for Londoners and when I left the PR industry I fully immersed vintage fashion in 2001 when I began selling on eBay. After 4 years, I stopped selling on that platform and focussed on sourcing for private clients.
In 2011, I decided to relaunch The Gathering Goddess vintage brand and opened up my first boutique in Notting Hill.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Re-launching my business in the depths of a recession.
What’s been your greatest achievement personally?
We are very lucky that we have been able to establish quite a diverse customer base thus far which shows perfectly how vintage can appeal to all age groups, body sizes, shapes and budgets; something we set out to do from the get go. Also, having Thandie Newton wear our dresses on the red carpet and also one of our gowns for a British Airways campaign (The Red Carpet Route – celebrating their new planes on their LA route).
She is the first A list Hollywood celebrity to wear our garments.
She is now one of our biggest champions and mentions us in her interviews regularly. We’re so honoured.
If you weren’t doing what you do, what would you be doing?
Developing an online fashion e-commerce platform.
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
I don’t have one main inspiration but if forced to choose a single person it would be my mother, without a doubt.
She instilled in me a strong sense of the feminine divine and what it is to be a true goddess.
I was taught that success was my responsibility and that I should only have expectations of myself. It took me a long time to learn that but it serves me well. I will also add in Pema Chodron, the Buddhist monk and spiritual teacher. When I’m feeling low or insecure, listening to her audiotapes helps me to bring myself back to the middle. She is a life saver.
What does the future hold for you?
I am not sure I want to know!
I wake up every day striving for excellence in my work life and love in my family life. Every day is different and I have learned to flow with the changes, so to focus heavily on what the future holds only serves to distract me from getting on with doing what is important today. In my experience, when I am present and deal with things daily, my ‘future’ usually turns out ok. That said, we are working hard on our ‘Vintage Screenings’ venture; an evening of vintage glamour where ladies and gentleman can wear their finest (vintage) garments whilst enjoying delicious cocktails and a classic movie, all hosted by a celebrity. This is something we started this year as a London specific activity and we are looking to roll it out nationwide in 2014.
What other passions do you have away from your business? How do you relax?
I love skiing in the winter and try to get away as often as I can to enjoy the mountain air. My relax time is spent at our Tudor cottage in Suffolk, long walks in the countryside, cooking for friends and family and log fires.
Follow The Gathering Goddess:
@gatheringgoddes
