The Derek Rose brand reaches 100 years in business this year. At the helm (or rather behind the scenes!) is Sacha Rose who joined the family business in 2003, the third generation. The brand originally started with traditional men’s pyjamas and now spans nightwear, loungewear, leisurewear, resort wear and underwear for men, women and children and has four standalone stores in London as well as stockists all over the world. And the Derek Rose manufacturing base has been based in Cheshire since 1976, where the company’s silk studio is still located.
Life before Derek Rose
I wanted a qualification when I was younger and trained as a corporate finance solicitor but as time went on I knew I definitely did not want to wait to become a partner in some law firm. I then worked in structured finance and hedge funds but being drowned under paper and the unimaginable sums of money; it did not seem tangible or meaningful.
As a child my favourite pastime was Meccano so I guess this was a sign that I wanted to build something not just handle other people’s money and shuffle paperwork.
My dad and sister were involved in the Derek Rose business and at that time, demand for the traditional product – pyjamas – for which the brand was known had started to wan.
Daywear (march delivery)
What is your role in the company?
It was apparent that product development and extension were needed – new products that epitomised quiet luxury and upheld all the standards of quality, integrity, trustworthy…and this was my starting point.
I am most definitely not a ‘front of house person’ – you could say that I have spent a great deal of my working life not meeting anyone! However I think my strengths are in leadership behind the scenes – I consider that it is my job to empower, support and challenge the talented people around me who are the best at what they do.
So how has the Derek Rose brand developed?
In a phrase from ‘inside the house to outside the house’. I consider that a new product introduction must be judged on its own merits – is it really good? – when you cannot see the brand name/label.
Why should anyone buy a white T-shirt from Derek Rose for example? Believe it or not when we decided to launch the white T-shirt it was only after nearly 3 years of research! Scrutinising the product, considering fashion and every single detail and in fact it became our bestselling product by a mile because we did it well. The product must be great in its own right so the end user can feel and know the difference.
Having said that some might view our product development as going at a glacial pace! However I am fine with that. When I joined the business I needed to really understand brand credibility and what we could embark on successfully. Why customers were attracted and loyal to the Derek Rose brand and to me that was a track record of function-led products beautifully designed. Now we have styles of sleep and lounge for men, women and children alongside our clothing, underwear and cashmere outerwear.
And now we no longer dictate the way people wear our garments – the demographic has changed tremendously and comfort is the most important thing of all. Our garments are well designed, mixing and blending into loungewear, apres ski, airplane travel – secure and comfortable. Being a tad paranoid about losing my passport when travelling I suggested a design feature of a passport holder within the clothing!
Jersey Sleepwear (march delivery)
Resortwear (April delivery)
So what does 100 years of the family business mean to you?
It hard to explain that sometimes I have ambivalent feelings – 100 years is a long time in business but what I do value are the merits that such a long heritage bring. The unshaking tenets of quality, high standards and principles that stay the course. A sense of belonging, more than just a nod to the people who preceded me and how we as a company treat individuals with respect and that we can proud of any garment bearing the Derek Rose name. That truly means a great deal.
Your greatest challenge?
I guess marketing and communication. I know now it is not enough to have a clear message but you also have to communicate it well and across a wide field of media. I freely admit that I am not a fan of some forms of media and so I have put together our first ever marketing team to put the message across over different social media platforms. I just need to know enough about the different areas of the business to properly support those who can do it so much better!
Transitional daywear
Time Out?
I love sport and do lots – I love tennis and rugby. I am half Swiss myself and my wife is Swiss so the pull of mountains is strong with that feeling of space – I spend as much time as I can there. That freedom and being in the open is just exhilarating.
And the future?
Well I always ask myself when we work on the Derek Rose products – is it good enough? We have progressed a long way since doing luxury pyjamas. Just recently I was in one of our London stores and a tourist came in to shop and was so surprised that we also sold pyjamas! I guess that shows how far we have come!.
*Fun Fact: Sacha Rose and Lucy Litwack (Coco de Mer) were at primary school together.
Sleepwear Gown
Plans for the 100th anniversary this year include a range of activities and limited edition celebration prints and a look into the Derek Rose archive and events.
