16 Heather Fashions creates hats that are timeless in both design and quality. Here, co-founder Jon Stafford, tells us how the company got to a milestone sales moment When did you start up and why? We started Heather Hats in early 2013. Both my fellow founder Lee and I had many years of experience in hat manufacture, and we were keen to launch our own brand – Heather (named after my partner!) What prompted you to launch the business? Lee had launched his own millinery supplies business some years earlier. I had met Lee before then and we had kept in touch. I was looking for a new opportunity within the hat world, and it seemed like we had most of the attributes to make it work. What challenges have you overcome since the company’s launch? The two obvious challenges – Brexit and COVID. We lost many European customers initially with Brexit but they are slowly returning. COVID was a different problem and one we hope we will never have to face again. However, it did force us into streamlining our CRM systems and develop platforms for sales, purchasing and marketing. This in the long run helped us automate certain tasks and drive business growth. Tell us about your product offering. We sell hats, caps and small accessories mainly made from British Tweeds and Waxed Cottons. What are your most popular products? Harris Tweed products are very popular with our customers. We offer many different patterns and styles in this fabric, so we have something for every retailer. The best seller by far is the Highland Flat Cap, which we now offer in 14 colours! Have any styles taken you by surprise with their popularity? Apart from the Harris Tweed caps, we have been amazed at the recent success of our small accessories – hairbands, scrunchies and bag charms. How do you keep your designs fresh and current? Do you follow trends? Our mission is to create hats that are timeless in both design and quality. We consider trends, but we don’t strictly follow them. When developing new products, we aim to strike a balance: incorporating colours, shapes, and designs we predict will be in demand while maintaining an overall sense of enduring style. We also like to throw in a couple of Stylishly practical
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