An interview with FBC member and Founder/Director of Lily and Lionel, Alice Stone.
What is your fashion background?
After graduating, I spent 3 years working in fashion/lifestyle PR before moving on to more of a design focused environment where I had experience at Topshop and Matthew Williamson. It was after my placement at Matthew that I realised my passion for one day setting up a brand of my own.
How important has having an e-commerce site been to your business?
Having a website has certainly leveraged Lily and Lionel; especially from a PR point of view as it allows us to reach out to consumers via editorial content. The site also provides a springboard for new stockists to initially look at our range and company ethos, to get an idea of where we stand in the market. It was important to sell direct to the public as we have always been keen to build the brand from a direct to consumer perspective.
What’s your bestseller?
It is difficult to pinpoint one particular item as several styles come to mind. Our ‘ Oversized Carnival‘ and ‘Italian Job‘ scarves continue to be winners for us- plus in the last two seasons we’ve seen a massive surge in our Leopard printed styles. The newest release of City scarves are proving to be the top sellers in Europe.
You’ve been quite successful gaining stockist – what’s your secret?
There is no big secret! I guess it’s a mixture of my years working in PR combined with the fact that I am a people person. Perseverance and contacts have been a great help. The product also hugely speaks for itself and since we are purely accessory based, the collections appeal to an array of stores and demographics alike so in that sense we have been lucky enough to secure some diverse stockists.
We’re delighted with our latest addition to our customer base, Fortnum and Mason and the Victoria & Albert museum’s store.
You’ve just taken on a European agent? Was it difficult to find an agent?
Coincidentally enough around the same time we began looking into establishing ourselves in Europe, we were actually approached by someone who is incredibly well connected with top European stores carrying a brilliant jeans brand who wanted to add accessories to her portfolio. We’re already delighted with the sales so far to many of the top boutiques throughout Europe.
How important is FBC to your business?
My PR background has taught me that networking is a hugely integral part to promoting and building a brand. The FBC meetings have allowed me to make some wonderful connections with fellow people in the fashion industry.
Are you exhibiting anywhere during September?
This year we have decided to show the collection in Paris where we will be taking a showroom.
For more information contact info@lilyandlionel.com.
