Walpole Brands of Tomorrow

Country House Magazine - May 2008

WALPOLE IS DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THE 2008 BRANDS OF TOMORROW:

Walpole is pleased to announce the 2008 Walpole Brands of Tomorrow:

		De Roemer Tamsin de Roemer, known for her association with Jean Muir, Koji Tatsuno, Jade Jagger, and Asprey & Garrard, launched fashion label de Roemer in 2004 with Justin Packshaw. The label comprises collections of super glamorous modern classic cashmere for men and women, original, dynamic handbags and fine jewellery. Since launching, the label has enjoyed great reviews and press and is stocked in some of the world’s most influential shops. It has recently launched a fully e-commerce website, to much acclaim. www.deroemer.com
		The Fish society A fish-lover from Grimsby, Alistair Blair was always disappointed by the quality and range of fish available at the supermarket counters. He decided to investigate the potential of using mail order and the internet to market “a fish offering that would make fish-lovers say ‘Wow’”. The Fish Society’s scampi is a stranger to breadcrumbs, its top grade crab legs retail at up to £80 a pack, and its claim that “frozen can be better than fresh” is making impressive headway. www.thefishsociety.co.uk

		Ormonde Jayne Ormonde Jayne is a unique luxury perfume house of uncompromising perfection, creating perfumes, scented candles and a paraben-free bathing collection. Known for the rarity and purity of ingredients sourced personally from growers from the Amazon to Arabia, the perfumes are alchemised in Ormonde Jayne’s London laboratory, attracting the attention of the perfume cognoscenti and fragrance lovers worldwide. Now in its sixth year of trading, Ormonde Jayne is set to open its first two new perfumeries in Dubai this summer outside the flagship boutique on Old Bond Street. www.ormondejayne.com

		The Real Flower Company Karen Watson, Rosebie Morton and Tim Hobbs are the owners of this unique floristry company. Its farms in england and Kenya are dedicated to the production of cut scented garden roses, fragrant flowers and aromatic herbs that retain all of the natural charm,character and exquisite scent so often lost in mass-produced varieties. Its bouquets are available for next-day delivery and it can provide bespoke floristry for any event. It has just launched a range of 100% natural wax candles to compliment its roses and herbs. www.realflowers.co.uk

		Shaun leane Shaun Leane is one of the rising stars in the jewellery industry. Renowned for his darkly romantic and beautifully crafted jewellery, his works have been described by Sotheby’s, London’s prestigious auction house, as “antiques of the future”. Alongside his collections, Shaun is also responsible for creating some of the most iconic catwalk pieces we have seen today. past catwalk collaborations have included acclaimed projects with Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs and Givenchy. www.shaunleane.com

		Timorous Beasties Noted for its surreal and provocative textiles and wallpapers, the design studio Timorous Beasties was founded in Glasgow in 1990 by Alistair McAuley and paul Simmons, who had met while studying textile design at Glasgow School of Art. Timorous Beasties was shortlisted for the Designer of the year prize in 2005 and was winner of the Walpole Award for Best emerging British Luxury Brand in 2007. It has become increasingly experimental in its approach to both hand-printing and machine production and now has showrooms in both Glasgow and London. www.timorousbeasties.com

'I think Walpole's idea to create a Brands of Tomorrow programme was fantastic. As a young start-up business it is so helpful to have access to such a broad wealth of experience.' Balthazar Fabricus, Fitzdares.

The programme:

Walpole Brands of Tomorrow helps nurture and support the UK’s finest talent within the luxury sector. Launched in 2007, the bespoke mentorship and coaching programme helps aspiring British luxury brands of the future to fulfil their potential and become global leaders in their field. Our programme takes selected companies through a cycle of quarterly educational workshops on areas such as business planning, marketing, distribution and internationalisation and one-to-one mentorship meetings with some of the UK’s most experienced luxury entrepreneurs.

In order to be eligible for the programme, selected companies need to exemplify the highest standards of quality, style and craftsmanship and aspire to develop into full Walpole members. The key criteria include:

Annual turnover of more than £100,000 but no more than £2million
An entrepreneurial management style
A clear vision of the future of the brand
Commitment to a two-way partnership in the programme, which will include active participation and regular constructive feedback with the Walpole mentors.

The Mentors:

The programme is Chaired by Walpole Board member John Ayton, Former Chairman & Co-Founder of Links of London and a panel of advisors including:

Martin Bartle, Managing Director of 270 Degree Marketing, Robert Bensoussan, Former Chief Executive Jimmy Choo and currently Managing Partner of Sirius Equity LLP, Geoffroy de la Bourdonnaye, CEO of Liberty, Annoushka Ducas, Former Creative Director of Links, Sarah Elton, former MD of Smythson, Andrew Gosheron, MD Sales & Marketing Federal Express Europe, Pamela Harper, CEO of Theo Fennell, James Henderson, MD Pelham PR, Demetra Pinsent, Strategist of McKinsey & Co, Guy Salter, Deputy Chairman of Walpole, Lucia Van Der Post, luxury commentator, Nick Varian, Vice President and Chief Development Officer of Orient-Express Hotels, and Michael Ward, Managing Director of Harrods.

2008 Walpole Brands of Tomorrow:

Walpole is grateful to Country House Magazine who have kindly supported the 2008 programme. www.countryhousemagazine.co.uk

2007 Walpole Brands of Tomorrow:

		Astley Clarke (designer jewellery) Bec Astley Clarke, founder AstleyClarke.com sells designer and fine jewellery from New York, Italy and London online. Astley Clarke was voted one of Harpers Bazaar top twenty online boutiques (January 2007) and described as a 'brilliantly edited collection of jewellery'. All Astley Clarke jewellery is created with precious or semi-precious stones, gold, platinum, vermeil or silver. http://www.astleyclarke.com/
		Bremont Watch Company (watches) Nicholas and Giles English, founders Makers of beautifully crafted pilot's designed watches. Every Bremont watch is handmade in limited numbers with chronometer certification and tested against temperature extremes, shock, magnetic fields and water resistance. The aim is to create a British Luxury brand that produces 3,000-4,000 mechanical watches per year. http://www.bremont.com/

		Fitzdares (bookmaker) Balthazar Fabricius, founder Fitzdares is a BESPOKE BOOKMAKER based in Mayfair, opening accounts by invitation only. They are the industry's first luxury bookmaker, giving clients an unparalleled level of service. The company has already built a strong profile with editorial coverage in many publications. http://www.fitzdares.com/

		Miller Harris (fragrance) Christophe Michel and Lyn Harris, founders Lyn Harris is a classically trained nose and creator of Miller Harris; founded on precious ingredients with nearly 20 fragrances in the portfolio. Miller Harris has two shops in London and has started to develop in the best selective doors both in the UK and internationally (Selfridges, Sak's New York, Le Bon Marche Paris, Barneys Japan, etc). http://www.millerharris.com/

		Nyetimber (sparkling wine) Eric Heerema, owner Nyetimber produces award winning, world class English sparkling wine. The vineyards are planted with the classic varieties of champagne - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Nyetimber is the second largest English vineyard owner; with future plantings later this year, it will become the largest with 260 acres under vine. Nyetimber won the English Wine producer of the Year in 2006 as well as the IWSC Yarden Trophy. http://www.nyetimber.com/

		Persephone Books (books) Nicola Beauman, founder Persephone Books reprints forgotten classics by twentieth-century (mostly women) writers. Each book is chosen for the collection (of seventy books) and sold in the London shop or by mail order. http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/

Walpole is very grateful to John Ayton and the members of the working group for giving up their valuable time for this initiative.