Texting the Team

How did you get to Head of Product Design at S&S?

I graduated in 2010 and landed my first job as Junior Designer at a fashion brand based in Amsterdam (which was the most incredible life-changing experience!).
I progressed from Junior to Senior Designer to Design Manager within the 8 years I was there - taking every single opportunity to grow and develop my skills, and share the most amazing experiences.
I quit the fast-paced corporate life, road tripped across California, launched my own Slow Fashion Brand, moved to back to the UK, had a baby, and worked as a design consultant for 5 years for various global brands, premium and luxury start-ups.
My next chapter started in Nov 2023, joining the incredible brand that is Stripe & Stare - it honestly felt like fate when this job came up! S&S are already well established for creating the world’s comfiest knickers, so I was brought on-board to design and help develop your new favourite bras to perfectly pair with your fave knickers <3

Your job in three words?

Creative, vibrant, dynamic

where do you find your creative inspiration?

I love to get out and about, it’s where I find my most creative ideas.  Many of my friends are creatives, some are designers, stylists, makers, artists, so a little meet up for brunch or visiting an exhibition together is always inspiring.
I’m a lover of vintage clothing, I’m a bit of a collector (or maybe an addict!) - I often find inspiration for colour and print when I’m treasure hunting at vintage boutiques and flea markets.
I absolutely love photography - Miles Aldridge, Martin Parr, Stephen Shore are a few personal faves.
I live in Margate, which is a little haven for creatives  - there are galleries and artist studios round every corner, as well as the incredible Turner Contemporary which is where you’ll find me hanging out with my little boy Ralf, usually once a week.
Exhibitions are a good way to pause, reset and reflect - it’s the best way to get the creativity flowing.
I was blown away by the immersive shows at The Lightroom; “Vogue: Inventing the Runway”, and “Hockney: Bigger & Closer”.
The Yoko Ono and Biba exhibitions were incredible, being such a lover of all things from the sixties and seventies !
“Accidentally Wes Anderson” was where I found the most exciting use of colour, inspiring our upcoming Arts Brights range.

What's the biggest challenge you've faced?

When designing a brand new product, I need to make sure it still holds our S&S key brand message and usp - no VPL, no wedgies.
We offer the world’s comfiest knickers already, so when you’ve got such an incredible product already, it’s quite a challenge to create an as-good-as sister product!
I’m definitely not here to compete with our hero knicker - but as a sustainable lingerie designer, my aim is to make sure we are always evolving the collections and bringing newness and innovation each season.
Our iconic bestsellers you know and love will always be there in new fresh prints and colours, while offering something new to add to your knicker drawer.
There are so many gorgeous laces, meshes, embroideries, fancy elastics, trims, hardware, bows to design with - but making sure every product is as sustainable, as well as comfortable as the original knicker is not easy! But through wearer trials, months of development, and perfecting the product.. watch this space ;)
Most lingerie garments are made up of elastane, polyamide, polyester, metal hardware, foam cups  - they are functional, close-to-body garments, our natural curves require ultimate comfort and support like no other piece of clothing.
I would love to be able to create 100% fully circular / biodegradable lingerie collections one day - new innovations and technologies are being developed all the time, so with an eye on this I’m hopeful we will get to that point in the near future.

Which women inspires you most and why?

My mum definitely takes the top spot.

She had me at just 18; a single parent, balancing mum-life, working a 9-5 and often studying in the evenings. She has such a positive outlook on life - always encouraged, taught me resilience, instilled confidence and self belief.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to work with so many inspiring women over the years too - mentors and peers who have empowered, supported and motivated me. I’m still good friends with these amazing women, always there to listen and give advice to each other.

What do you love most about working in a team with of women?

The S&S team provide a really inclusive, open and collaborative environment to work
In - we’re a close team of professional women who listen and support one another on the daily, we all have the same goal in mind, we’re about finding solutions and making it happen, we celebrate each other (from the small wins, to the big ones!).

Being a mother, it can be a challenge to get the balance of family life / career life just right - it is possible to do both really well, especially when you see that there are many successful working mums at S&S.

I feel very grateful to be part of the S&S team, honestly it’s a dream team !

How do you empower yourself and the women around you?

Trusting myself, and having the confidence to go for something I believe in can make me feel empowered !
I think by being open and honest, by sharing ideas, being an encouraging voice, or just telling someone they are doing a great job - making a positive impact on the people around you can feel empowering.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given, that you can pass onto young women? 

I got told “Dont be a yes (wo)man” early on in my career, “you’ve not been hired to just agree with me” - I was taken aback at the time, but I took that on board straight away (out of fear probably!), but it was such good advise. We are all individuals, with our own opinions, feelings, thoughts and ideas - so always seek the courage to believe in yourself.

What’s your hero product?

It’s so difficult to choose just one - I have favourites for different moments!

My go-to everyday essential is the Black High Rise ! It’s the most comfortable knicker I’ve ever worn, it also gives that retro aesthetic which I love.

I love the Classic Knicker for something comfy and so flattering, with less coverage than the HR. Black and Leopard are my faves, but Sand or Pinkaboo are perfect for under summer dresses.

My fave bra - The Crossover we have just launched ! It’s so dreamy in our buttery soft Tencel with flirty lace at the back, it’s the most effortlessly feminine bra.

And finally, what are you most looking forward to in 2025, in your personal life and at S&S?

Working on some incredible collabs with some wonderful people, launching brand new product ranges that have been in the works for a little while now (flirty and fun, and dropping in the most beautiful colours) - trying not to give away too much, but it’s very exciting!

Personal - Living by the seaside, the Winters can feel realllyyyyyy long, so I’m just looking forward to a sunny spring and long summer (hopefully!) - I want to get in as many beach days and sunsets as possible before my little boy starts school in September 🌞