Just one glimpse at oil cloth polka dots, rose speckled fabrics and robin-egg hues and you know you’re dealing with the unmistakable Kidston brand. Cath Kidston is one of the UK’s largest creative entrepreneurs whose company is expanding in leaps and bounds, evoking all kinds of warm, fuzzy, nostalgic feelings of days gone by with her beautiful prints.
Make yourself a fresh cup of tea my darlings, snuggle in deep and join us for a sneaky couple of minutes as I share with you today the inspiring entrepreneurial story of the dream-boat designer that is Ms. Kidston. Ahh, go’wan….
Like all stories, Ms. Kidston’s influence began when she was a wee girl at home. Her bedroom walls were adorned in that signature robin-egg blue accented with candy cane stripes and dainty rose motifs; with all that going on, it’s easy to see where Ms. Kidston’s love for fabric and patterns began.
The young Cath made her way through boarding schools across England before making the brave and life changing decision to move to London at the tender age of 18. She quickly found small, creative jobs here and there across London before meeting and working for interior designer, Nicky Haslam. The rest they say, is history.
Although, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Ms. Kidston. At the age of 37, Cath was diagnosed with breast cancer. Having lost both her parents to cancer when she was a teen, one can only imagine what dear Cath went through in the following months. All we know is she battled through it and came out stronger on the other side. So strong in fact, that after recovering from cancer, she took the first step to becoming an entrepreneur by opening her first store. Now if that’s not enough inspiration to get you out there and do what you want my lovelies, I don’t know what is.
Ms. Kidston and her budding brand leaped from strength to strength in the following months. She started from scratch, using vintage fabrics to create fun and lighthearted pieces for every day life; from swimsuits to revamped second hand furniture. After putting in her share of elbow grease, it wasn’t long before the Cath Kidston brand was gaining attention. Her dainty floral patterns even made their debut in her Cath’s first book, Vintage Style.
In recent years, her style was fast-tracked to fame and her brand quickly expanded. Nowadays Cath’s name can be spotted atop of a whopping 113 stores around the globe; from across the UK, to Germany, Ireland, Spain, Korea and Japan to name but a few. And not just in home wears – the Kidston brand has branched out to mobile phone cases and even beauty products. Let’s be honest – we want all of it. And for the most part, most of us have invested in a piece or two of Cath’s modern-vintage, retro-tastic items.
But the creative gene doesn’t stop there. A little unknown fact – Cath Kidston is cousins with none other than the uber creative Kirstie Allsopp who we all know and love, as well as Kirstie’s sister, Sophie Allsopp, a well known face on Canadian Home & Garden TV. The force is strong with this family.
So tell me, who is your entrepreneurial influence? Whose story gets you wanting to step outside of your comfort zone? And more importantly – what is stopping you from taking that next step? After all my lovelies, we only live once, so we might as well give it socks.
