Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - Page number 127 - November/December 2021

127 UP AND COMING Tell us about your product offering. I started with just gloves for women and men then added purses, wallets and bags in A/W20 as I wanted something to sell in the Spring/ Summer seasons also. What are your most popular products? The most popular products are definitely the gloves! Have any styles taken you by surprise with their popularity? The Ziggy lightning style has been very popular. How do you keep your designs fresh and current? Do you follow trends? I don’t really like to follow trends, and prefer to offer colourful quirky, timeless designs What sets you apart from your competitors? There are really no other gloves with designs on them, all the others on the market are very plain. How are you finding the current climate in the UK? Is it affecting business? It’s been a difficult S/S21 season with bags as no one has really been going ‘out out’ much. How do you view the future of independent retail post-pandemic? I’m really optimistic. People seem to like shopping local and supporting small business more. I’ve also had lots of comments regarding my customer service – I personally reply to emails within a day. I don’t make people wait for a week for a reply! Are you active on social media? How is this important for the business? Yes, very active! It’s where most of my business comes from and how the brand has become noticed. Do you have any advice for new businesses starting out in the world of gifts? Only really to stick to products you yourself love and have a passion for. It then becomes an enjoyable business. What can we expect in the future from the company? More new exciting designs and perhaps some collaborations… 127 MABEL SHEPARD T: +44 (0)7464 436 933 www.mabelsheppard.co.uk