It’s International Women’s Day on Friday 8th March 2024 and I would like to spotlight an incredible female founder, CEO, and good friend, Fleur Turner, who owns an exclusive lingerie brand, Fleur of England, based in Bristol.
Fleur and I we have known each other a long time but we have not collaborated before. We both agreed the International Women’s Day campaign is just the perfect time to do so, as it aligns to our values of empowering women to feel confident and be the best versions of themselves, allowing them to achieve their dreams and blossom in life.
I have always admired Fleur’s work and entrepreneurial spirit, as a successful founder, and I can’t wait to learn more from her – let the interview commence!
Here goes… I’m SO excited for this.
Tell me your story – how did Fleur of England begin, and did you always want to design lingerie?
I have been obsessed with lingerie for as long as I can remember. Age 9 I was drawing corseted dresses with real passion. I was always sketching some design or making clothes for my dolls. For me it’s all about the beautifully feminine fabrics, they are like a secret power making you feel confident but feminine and you get to decide who sees them.
What is your vision, mission, and purpose for Fleur of England?
My vision is to create beautifully crafted and designed products that enhance their feminine energy (confidence, support, strength, and beauty) when they wear it. I love creating lingerie that fuels that feminine energy.
Fleur of England mission is:
AT FLEUR OF ENGLAND, WE ARE ON A MISSION TO CRAFT A SPACE OF EMPOWERMENT AND CELEBRATION OF THE DIVINE FEMININE, CAPTIVATING BOTH MEN AND WOMEN THROUGH OUR LUXURY LINGERIE
Our purpose is to make women feel incredible.
What do you most love about what you do?
I love seeing women transform when they have the right fitting bra. Women fall in love with my designs and after they have worn them once they come back for more. I feel so privileged to be able to be creative and make a product that can help other women feel like the best version of themselves allowing them to achieve their dreams.
Where do you gain inspiration from when designing a new collection?
My collections always start with mother nature, her colours are so inspiring, and she is everywhere, her femininity is infectious. I am a hopeless romantic and I find poetry really inspiring.
Who has been the biggest inspiration in your life, who has helped keep you motivated in your business, and why?
My family. My father had a side Hustle when I was growing up (selling microscopes and glow sticks). I helped him with it at the weekends. Both my brother and I are entrepreneurs, it was the environment we grew up in. My family are a huge support. My husband and sons keep me motivated. Both my teenage sons are very interested in founding their own businesses and are always discussing ideas with me.
You have recently introduced me to Six Degrees a women’s networking group which has been an incredible transformation for me. I feel very empowered by this group, and they cheerlead me to think big! It’s been such a positive experience that I have now become a member of other groups set up to support female founders.
As a female founder myself, I know it is not easy running your own business. Tell me about the most challenging times in your business, and how did you overcome them?
When the boys were little (preschool) juggling a business and family was incredibly challenging. Having a supportive network of friends and family was a lifeline. When I could recruit an amazing team, it was a game changer.
What has been your biggest achievement and proudest moment in your career, to date?
My biggest achievement was receiving the independent lingerie brand of the year in 2018 from Drapers Record.
For newbie entrepreneurs and start-up fashion labels, what five tips can you share, on how to succeed in business?
- Trust your instinct.
- Employ people who know more than you.
- Step outside your comfort zone, just do it.
- Ask for help from mentors, advisors, coaches or memberships.
- Look after yourself, if you are not on form everybody around you suffers.
Finally, what are your life and career goals in 2024 and how are you going to achieve them?
MY LIFE GOAL:
My life goal for this year is to improve my family and work family’s wellbeing via nutrition.
MY CAREER GOALS:
- Being more visible as a founder with an objective of inspiring other creatives to start a business.
- To increase brand awareness of Fleur of England in order to create more feminine energy
- Launching our new concept capsule collection “Fleur du Jour” over the summer with a bang.
International Women’s Day is a day when women are recognised for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.
This year’s theme are investing in women and inspiring inclusion, which gives me real hope for the future. It feels like we still have a long way to go, but I live in hope that we can achieve gender equality across the board, much sooner than anticipated.
I would like to say a huge thank you to Fleur for taking the time to share her journey with me on this special day and I hope her interview inspires other women to fulfil their dreams and aspirations.
Find Fleur on Instagram – @fleurofengland
www.fleurofengland.com