With graduate jobs ever harder to find, more and more young people are carving their own career paths by starting a business. And who better to collaborate with than the friend who has already been with you through thick and thin?
The dynamic two-piece
Model Nell Robinson, 28 (left), and fashion merchandiser Ann Marie Clarke, 31, attended the same school in Kingston, Jamaica. They became firm friends when Ann Marie’s shoe broke at a beauty pageant and Nell came to the rescue. Moving to London for work, they hit on the idea of a rock-inspired swimwear line. Bang! launched this year and is already a favourite of Cara Delevingne and Rihanna.
ANN MARIE We were a few years apart at our Catholic girls’ school, but our friendship was cemented in 2003 when we were seated next to each other as guests at a Miss Jamaica World pageant. My heel broke and I was in need of spare shoes. Luckily Nell lent me a pair that she had been carrying in her bag.
The idea for Bang! came about one evening at a rock-inspired bistro. We were discussing the influence music has on fashion; we realised that there weren’t any swimwear collections tapping into this trend and started brainstorming. In our first collection, we have used distressed denim, faux leather and skull motifs.
Nell is a more outgoing person than me and as a model she is a public figure, which is why she’s in charge of publicising our brand. She is also perfect for modelling the brand as she is known for her work with lingerie and swimwear. I’m in charge of business strategy, projections and sourcing. Designing the collection is something that we split 50/50. We decided from the beginning that we’d only follow through with ideas that we were both 100 per cent on board with, to avoid fall-outs.
We don’t keep work separate from our friendship; there’s so much crossover, which makes it more of an enjoyable experience.
NELL We are both highly motivated, but our backgrounds and working styles are different. Because she worked for Debenhams and the Arcadia Group, Ann Marie is used to a corporate environment. As a model, I’m used to working in different locations, with an unpredictable schedule. Ann Marie brings structure to our business while my informal approach creates a fun element.
Nowadays, customers want more from their online shopping experience, so I write a lifestyle blog, where fans of the brand can read about style, fashion, travel and culture and see where we get our inspiration. It’s a great way of developing a relationship with our customers.
I’d always wanted to start my own line. Ann Marie was the perfect person to do it with – not only does she have a background in fashion merchandising but she’s also one of my closest friends. We agreed at the outset never to let business ruin our friendship. Within working hours we keep conversations business-oriented and save our girlie catch-ups for evening drinks.
We haven’t taken out huge loans, which would cause stress and put pressure on our relationship. As a small business, we have high production costs, so we are only just starting to reap the benefits as sales pick up. At the moment we put all the money we make back into the brand so that we can keep designing new collections. Working with a friend means that you mustn’t be afraid to have those difficult conversations about money or responsibility. We’ve had minor disagreements but have always resolved them; you have to sit down and have that lengthy discussion.
bangswimwear.com
