StyleNest talks to the founders of Peaks of London, Jules McKeen and Sheena Gunn.
Stylish maternity wear and breastfeeding brand Peaks of London was founded by friends Jules McKeen and Sheena Gunn. Both mothers themselves, the ladies were sick of stylish women having to compromise on fashion when breastfeeding in public, as well as be able to fed their children discreetly and with confidence. At the time Sheena had a successful career in TV costume design, whilst Jules was a marketing pro, and so together they formed Peaks of London. The duo now create fashionable and practical clothing that stylish, breastfeeding mothers actually wanted to wear. StyleNest met up with the ladies to talk fashion, business and how sometimes there’s nothing better than a good old fashioned G&T.
Tell us about Peaks of London and how the idea came about.
Jules: As we were neighbours, Sheena saw me heading out in search of some stylish breastfeeding clothes and warned me I had a cat’s chance in hell of finding anything. With Sheena’s background in TV costume and design, and mine in marketing, we set up Peaks of London to meet this need.
Have you got any top tips for our readers who are may be feeling self conscious about breastfeeding in public?
Jules: We think it’s terrible that women are made to feel uncomfortable just for feeding their babies naturally. We also appreciate that not everyone feels confident enough to flash their cleavage or tummy every time they have a hungry baby on their hands. Our mission statement is ‘freedom for breastfeeding women’, so they can feed discreetly, stylishly and in comfort wherever they are.
Many women lose their confidence after having a child. Any top tips for dressing post pregnancy?
Sheena: Celebrate your changing body, show off new curves and accentuate parts of your body that you like, whilst disguising the parts you don’t. It might sound a bit ‘Gok Wan’, but your body just created a little person so respect it for the shape it’s in. And don’t be afraid of colour – a bright, colourful dress can give you a shot of confidence better than any narcotic.
What are your own personal styles?
Jules: We are different but complementary; Sheena likes rock chic: simple styles with a twist and a hint of rock and roll. I prefer sharply-cut, Stella McCartney, Acne and Preen type looks. The cobalt Drape dress which Sienna Miller has is closest to my look. There’s a bit of both of us in the Peaks of London range and we both love beautiful fabrics, bright colours and attention to detail.
With the weather picking up, what are the key items you’ll be wearing this Spring Summer?
Sheena: Still loving my Acne skinnies worn with fresh seasonal coloured silk tops and short sleeved cashmere jumpers and cardigans.
How do you juggle a successful business with family life?
Jules: Having supportive partners helps, as does hands-on family and friends. And a terrible addiction to any calendrical or e-mail services Apple and Google can provide to keep us on the straight and narrow.
Peaks of London is an ethical company too. Tell us, how important is this to you and how do you achieve it?
Jules: It’s really hard for any small businesses to be as ethical as they’d like, but we produce vertically (ie weave fabrics and manufacture on the same site) to cut down on transportation of goods, and the majority of our range is woven and made in the UK with the remainder in Portugal where we can ensure good working conditions. We’re offering marketing training to graduates and intend to partner with other ethically-minded British companies so we can encourage women to really buy British when it comes to fashion.
Work aside, what do you like to get up to when you’re not at work?
Jules: Sheena and her partner are all about music, whereas my husband and I have such small children that our surfing and snowboarding loves have been relegated somewhat. Both Sheena and I try to fit in as much exercise as we can as it seems to counterbalance the lack of sleep and the stress of the work/life balance. A good gin & tonic can however also work wonders.
Are both your families close? Do you often meet up together?
Sheena: When Jules and I lived opposite each other, we would see a lot of each other. My girls are quite a lot older than Jules’ boys and they love to play with them, often entertaining them whilst we talked business. Soon they will be old enough to babysit, then we’ll get more work done.
Are there any children’s brands you particular like to buy for your kids?
Sheena: I don’t have such a big say now that they are getting older. Being nearly a teenager, my eldest is getting into Topshop and I’m trying to encourage her to buy quality instead of quantity. My youngest one likes the Abercrombie/Hollister/Gilly Hicks brand as well as Boden.
What are your top three hero beauty products?
Sheena: I’m into ethical beauty products, so Nude, Night Oil and Belle Pierre Ruby Red Lipstick are great.
Finally, what’s in store for Peaks of London in 2012?
We have just completed our first wholesale season, and will deliver our Autumn Winter collection into outlets across London, Paris, Marseille, Dubai, Beirut, Antwerp, Brussels, Austria and Ireland so we’re really pleased how well it’s gone. For the spring next year, we will be looking to the Nordics, Australia and the US so watch this space. Finally we will raise a glass in our first office – in Covent Garden – next week so post-babies, we are growing a small Peaks family from the two of us.
For more information on Peaks of London or to shop online visit peaksoflondon.com