Your background prior to JDB Fashion?
“I have over 25 years in retail buying and sourcing. I started working for Topman and then moved to John Lewis where I trained in many departments, from linens to fashion accessories, such as hosiery and socks, before moving to fashion and lingerie. From John Lewis, I moved to Figleaves.com which was at the concept stage, where I was the sole Buyer setting up the assortment from the start. It was a great experience having autonomy of the assortment and I learnt a vast amount from others about setting up a business. I took a career break to bring up my children, which I juggled with volunteering at the Cherie Blair foundation, where I helped women abroad set up their own businesses in retail. This was a very rewarding experience”.
Your route to this sourcing and consultancy role?
Being a Buyer for many years, you are always on the lookout for new fabrics, innovative designs and new suppliers that have the necessary service and skills you need. So, by compiling my business experience, knowledge of specialised factories, and understanding in buying/production management, I can help brands and businesses grow. It’s exciting when small new brands come to me, to not only assist with sourcing but also the best ways to approach launching a new business. I am passionate about delivering fantastic products with a great service.
And what services do you offer with JDB Fashion Agency?
As I have extensive fashion experience in multi categories, at JDBFashion I deal with all womenswear groups such as denim, knitwear, jersey, woven as well as lingerie and swimwear. I can offer a full service from finding fabrics and designs that are perfect for the brand values, to costing at the suppliers I know. All the factories I deal with are Sedex audited, and some are GOTS, OCS, RCS*. Finding sustainable fabrics and factories is something I work a lot on as so many brands and businesses are B Corp and this is a priority for them.
A Typical Week…in your life
Although I don’t have a typical week, I always start the day with either a 30-minute yoga session or HIIT workout. I then like to keep on top of my emails, and I aim to answer promptly to both my customers and factories. Each day I review my projects and ensure everything is on time and running smoothly. I then may have customer meetings with brands or Zoom discussions with the factories. I make time to keep up to date with the latest trends and compile trend analysis for my customers on what is happening on the high street. I attend trade shows and fabric shows in London and abroad, which is always fun and gives invaluable insight into the latest innovations and trends which I pass onto my customers.
If you were not working in this field, then what do you think you would have done instead?
I would be on the brand side of the business as growing a brand or a department is always exciting and rewarding.
What is your greatest challenge?
Pricing at the moment is a challenge with inflation running high. I always negotiated hard for my customers and try and find new ways of cutting costs.
Your proudest moment so far in your career?
Setting up Figleaves’s assortment from the start of the business to a £22million turnover when I left. You only get this autonomy in a small business, it was very exciting seeing Figleaves grow and gaining market share, while overcoming the challenges of a small business.
The one product you cannot live without
Two! Face cream and a comfy bra.
Time Out?
I love going out to dinner and catching up with friends and family, and if I can mix that with a little competitive shopping then everyone’s a winner.
You can contact Julia on julia@jdbfashion.com or 07748 652590.
*GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard); OCS (Organic Content Standard); RCS (Recycled Claim Standard)
