How did you meet co-founder Emily?

Emily and I met at the Rugby Portobello Trust Fair in Notting Hill in November 2019. I was there supporting a friend of mine and browsing for Christmas presents and noticed her selling her Tangerine Dream products. I knew I recognised her from around Cambridge so I introduced myself and we got chatting and I told her I was interested in setting up my own business (which I had been thinking about for ages) and that I would love to chat with her about her experience and maybe get some advice about where to start. We exchanged phone numbers and then met up again in early January over coffee.

When did you start Ozzie & Clementine?

Our first chat together in January 2020 was pretty tentative, we were trying to get to know each other and we talked about my project to start my own Interiors business. I wanted to import French tableware, plates, glasses, pretty vases and table linen and sell them in the UK. Being half French, I had spent all my Summers with my French family, sitting around beautiful tables eating lovely meals and enjoying quality time. It was an idea that I wanted to explore and I really wanted to do something creative.  

And then Emily revealed that she had always wanted to make clothes or sell clothes and that she loved the way French women dressed and so we started discussing our wardrobes and our favourite brands. We discovered we both loved feminine dresses with ruffles and pretty sleeves.

Gradually we started thinking about how much fun it would be to go to Paris and buy a small collection that we could initially try and sell to our friends. Perhaps run a pop-up or two to see if people liked what we were selling and then take it from there….

We agreed to go away and think about it. And so that’s what we did.

How quickly did you decide to get it up and running? From idea to launch?

A week later, I called Emily and said “let’s do it!”. I had a good feeling about the whole project, I had a good feeling about Emily and I knew we would choose some fab clothes. It would give us a chance to see if we got on and we would be bringing complementary skills to the table.  Emily knew how to set up an online business already as her business Tangerine Dream was already a huge success and I could use my fluent French and Financial know-how.

I think we were both ready for a new adventure. My motto in life is always to keep an open mind and when an opportunity comes your way, you have to grab it!

Early February 2020, we got to Paris on a really blustery Sunday evening. We had two days of back to back appointments with French suppliers which we had carefully researched and curated, we had a budget to spend and a clear idea of what we were looking for.

The brands we had used as our benchmark were Sézane, Bash, Ghostfashion to name a few.

How did you decide on the collection?

We wanted to buy a collection of dresses and tops that were stylish and affordable, we wanted a collection full of bright colours and pretty floral prints. The dresses had to be feminine and chic but also flattering. We were aiming to dress women in their 40s and 50s so good design and quality fabrics were key.

We are also obsessed with great sleeves, gold or silver thread, and we both love ruffles. We are always looking for that little detail that makes pieces stand out.

We kept thinking would we wear this dress ourselves? Would this suit our friends or other women like us?  

Our first appointment was definitely an eye-opener: the Parisian assistants were used to seasoned buyers and we were a little hesitant at the start, keen to make sure we got it right.

By the end of the two days, and with lots of translating and espressos, we got the hang of it and we not only knew what we liked but we also knew what we didn’t like!! When we found a brand that ticked all the boxes, then it just felt right.

By the time we started receiving our goods, a few weeks later, rumblings of a virus were starting to surface.  But I suppose like everyone we thought it would all go away, we were so happy with the little collection that we kept going. We were planning to host our Pop-up just after the Easter holidays. We ordered rails and hangers, went through lists of invitees and we were just giddy with excitement.

Why Ozzie & Clementine?

Once the first lockdown was announced, we were faced with a difficult decision. We could either wait for the virus to pass, surely that would not be that long and we could postpone our sale, or we could set up an online business. This is how Ozzie & Clémentine was born.

In order to set up a website, you have to have a name and a good one too! It took a while to choose the name but we decided to use the names of our two youngest children. Emily has three boys and I have three girls.  We loved the combination of Ozzie and Clementine instantly and because our families are at the centre of everything we do, this seemed appropriate.

How many products do you have?

Our business has grown tremendously since last year and we could not have dreamt it would go so well given the epidemic and our lack of retail experience. We started the business with 3 or 4 brands and now we stock about eight different brands. We offer almost the whole range: trousers, jeans, skirts, knitwear, jackets and even coats. We just recently added accessories too.

Has O&C done better than you expected?

Definitely much better than we anticipated. Our friends have been super supportive and we have been growing steadily by word of mouth and through Instagram. Instagram is the key to online shopping, it has really helped us widen our reach and we have discovered a wonderful community of small female entrepreneurs and shop owners.

It has been a steep learning curve and probably harder work than we imagined but as someone said the other day, if you can survive in this environment then you must be doing something right! The fact is we love what we are doing, our customers are all lovely and the clothes just get better and better. We are always finding new brands we love and we listen to what our customers are telling us. Being small we can really offer a personalised service and we use all the feedback to make better decisions.

What were you doing before?

I left business school in the early 90s and went to work in Banking. I worked on a trading floor selling shares in South American companies to European investors. I travelled all over South America, to Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Chile and had the most amazing career. I loved my job because it was fast-paced, always stimulating and I worked with brilliantly intelligent people. I also visited countries I might never have seen in my whole life. It was a lot of fun but after having my second daughter, it was time for me to focus on my family. It was shortly after leaving my job in the City that we decided to move out of London.

What gets you up in the morning?

I am inherently a positive person and I love mornings. I am a doer and not someone who can sit still. I love being busy and, being a mum, you are always juggling. 

I feel very blessed in life. I am healthy and I have a wonderful family and I live in a beautiful part of the world.

Ozzie & Clementine is the icing on the cake. I love working with Emily and dealing with people.

Helping women feel good about themselves and helping them choose a great outfit is a real joy!

An object I would never part with?

I have an espresso cup that my brother bought me when I was just starting my career in my 20s. I had just bought my first flat and I was so excited about being independent and owning a place of my own and I knew I would miss him terribly but it was the start of a new chapter. It is still in my kitchen and it always reminds me of him. We are very close.

The biggest female influence?

My mother is undoubtedly my biggest female influence. She left France when she was 19 to work in London for a year and then met my father and her life changed completely. She got married and they decided to stay in London and raise a family. She managed to run a home, look after everyone and set up her own business too. She was brave and hardworking and driven and I am still in awe of how she coped with all of that in those days. She made it all look so easy. I have always admired strong women.

In my suitcase I pack…

Always a small tube of suncream 50 SPF, a good book, great underwear, my perfume Eau de Neroli from Dyptique and lots and lots of shoes…(my other obsession!)

Where would you like to go to next?

Wow, well that is an endless list really. I love travelling and my parents live in the South of France so travelling always starts with France and then on my bucket list, I have: Japan, Scandinavia, Italy, Vienna, Greece, Islands anywhere… generally I like to choose places where the food is good!

The last album you downloaded 

Celeste and her album is called “Not Your muse” I discovered her for the first time on Graham Norton. I have to admit to downloading Carly Simon recently and listening to her songs all over again!

Best Seller

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd and Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. When I am driving a lot which we haven’t done lately, I listen to audiobooks and I love them.

Your favourite Website

I always look at Sézane and Ulla Johnson and for Interiors Turner Pocock.  

A Recent Find or Brand

Carosomerset - https://www.carosomerset.com/

Wild at Heart - https://wildatheart.com/

LF jewels - https://www.lizziefortunato.com/

Sister Interiors - https://sistersinteriors.com/

Anna’s family kitchen - https://annasfamilykitchen.com/

In your fridge you will always find…

Lemons, Greek yoghurt and Feta cheese -Greek salads are my thing.

The Beauty staple you’re never without

La Roche Posay Crème Nutritic Intense Riche and my honey lip balm from Nuxe.

Favourite Restaurant

Spring in Somerset House and La Bastide Saint Antoine in Grasse on the Cote d’Azur.

What’s new for Ozzie & Clementine in 2021?

We have a lot of plans this year.

We will be opening up our showroom as soon as shops are allowed in April which is very exciting. Customers can come in by appointment for a browse and we will now be offering style consultations in the boutique. These can also happen over zoom if you are not local.

We are also planning a number of pop-up sales around the country and in London. There will be loads of fairs opening their doors so we will be entering quite a few of those. All event detail will be updated on our website.

We will be stocking lots of new brands, some of the names you will be able to discover are Louise Misha, Stella Forest, Cia Fantastica, and MABE which we will be adding to Grace and Mila and FRNCH.

We are working hard on making sure that we improve our ethical credentials: we are choosing more environmentally friendly packaging, choosing clothes that are made of sustainable fabrics such as cotton, viscose, linen, Tencel to name a few. It’s a work in progress but it is something we really care about.

Trends for 2021

People are desperate to dress up again and even though some of us are a bit nervous about getting out there, we think there is real pent up demand. Soon, restaurants will be open and people will be able to socialise and enjoy putting on great outfits!

We all need something to lift our spirits.

There is plenty of colour this season, pastels, pinks of all shades,  peaches, ivory, creams, pistachio, khaki and lilacs and then lots of emerald green and yellow.

Prints are strong too with lots of florals, puff sleeves and ruffles. We are seeing lots of feminine silhouettes in dresses and lots of jackets worn tied at the waist.

A definite 70s vibe think safari style jackets, flared trousers, boho frilly blouses, lurex belts, jumpsuits.

Shirts with big collars, Claudine collars, peter pan collars, Victorian high necks, pretty bows. Tees and sweatshirts with logos.

Layers and layers: fantastic knitwear, cardis, oversized cardis, raincoats, jackets to wear all day.

On the bottom: wide-leg trousers, striped trousers and joggers are given new makeovers.

What’s next for O&C?

We want to continue to grow our business by taking on more brands and hopefully, our boutique will become a go-to shopping destination. We will be looking to stock some Danish brands and a few Spanish ones have caught our attention.

We hope we can get to a few trade fairs as well which would be so useful for making connections and meeting other women in business.  We are conscious that we still have a lot to learn!

In the autumn, we have plans to stock a line of vintage clothes alongside our collections and in a couple of years, if all goes well, we will be looking at making our own range of clothes.

I know this is definitely a dream of ours.