So while most of us know about our founder Anne's Oh My Love journey - starting the label from scratch back in 2009, taking it from market stalls to Topshop, then ASOS and the world wide web - there's a lot more about this amazing woman that we don't usually get to hear about. But that's about to change: each month we'll be spilling some of Anne's secrets and give you an insight into the aspirational life of our Parisian-born babe.
To kick things off we decided to sit down with Anne over a coffee in Shoreditch House to find out more about how she started up and what the future holds for Oh My Love.
Oh My Love is a bit of a (well-dressed) Cinderella story, starting on a market stall in Leeds and growing to become a much-loved brand and international etailer. How did all of this happen?
With a lot of hard work and determination! After getting a taste for making clothes whilst I was working with a friend at their vintage store in Leeds, I began selling a few handmade pieces on a
market stall. I couldn't find clothes I wanted to buy on the high street and I really believed in what I was doing, so I contacted Topshop and soon after Oh My Love launched as a concession in the Oxford Circus flagship store. This was the first big stepping stone in the Oh My Love journey.
Where did the name 'Oh My Love' come from?
I have a very creative friend called Steve. When I first started up, we got together to brainstorm ideas and we realised that I always say 'Oh my love'. It is a nice little phrase that represents me and my vision well, it's definitely been a labour of love!
Being Parisian-born and having visited many places in the world, why was East London your chosen location for Oh My Love's head office?
I met my husband (pictured left) whilst I was studying in Leeds, but we had both always wanted to live in a capital city. When I was ready to put a deposit down on a factory, a great spot in London Fields was available. A lot of my friends lived and worked nearby and I just loved the exciting atmosphere and personality of East London; it's such an inspiring place to be based. It also means we can manufacture almost all of our clothes locally in the UK, something that I really believe in.
Although the factory was initially shared with other businesses, soon enough I went on to make it exclusive to Oh My Love. This meant better quality clothing and a faster turnaround on stock as our Topshop concession grew. At the same time as this, ASOS began to stock Oh My Love online. It was all very exciting.
You describe East London as your adopted home, where are your top hang outs in the area?
I love the energy, the creativity and the laid-back atmosphere here: I see East London booming even more in the future. My favourite places include E5 Bakehouse where I nearly always grab lunch, Broadway Market, Shoreditch House, the Albion pub and Chez Rochelle.
As mentioned before, you have visited many places around the globe, are you going anywhere fancy over the summer?
I have a list of holidays and excursions planned. Barcelona, Ibiza, Croatia, Marrakech, St Tropez and even a couple of festivals including Glastonbury. I live for the summer!
You have a great sense of style, what are your three favourite pieces available on the website at the moment?
What does the future hold for Oh My Love?
Lots! We have amazing new AW collections launching soon, as well as a new collection of fashion-forward basics that are 100% made in Britain. We're also working hard on a new website design and will be bringing lots more brands onto ohmylove.co.uk over the next few months, including Jennifer Hope, Sick Girl and Waiste. I also hope to continue collaborating with talented photographers like Viktor Vauthier, Bella Howard and Kevin Morosky to create a strong visual identity for the website. There's never a dull moment!
There sure isn't. And we can't wait! Until next time lovers...
