International Women’s Month is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate women. In honour of this special month, Irene Forte interviewed the talented and trail-blazing Daisy Knatchbull.
Daisy Knatchbull is the Founder and CEO of The Deck. Daisy made history by opening the first tailor on Savile Row to cater exclusively to women, creating a space for womanhood on a historically male-dominated street.
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IRENE:
We are in your amazing new store on Savile Row. I am very excited to be interviewing you for International Women’s Month. I am a huge client of yours, always decked out in The Deck London. Can you tell us a little bit about how you started, why you started, and also the amazing transition into this amazing new space?
DAISY:
I founded The Deck in 2019. Having previously worked on Savile Row for another male tailor, I was intrigued by the fact that there was no one that had created a similar shop front space for women. A space that felt light and bright, where women could come in, be seen and measured by other women and talk about their emotional relationship with clothing in the way they want to see themselves. In 2016, I did a first attempt at raising the profile for women on Savile Row, becoming the first woman to wear a top hat and tails at the Royal Ascot. The event got a lot of press attention and a lot of great women started asking where they could go on Savile Row as there was no where just for women. That really sowed the seed in my mind. When we launched in 2019, we were very lucky that surprisingly, women did want things made for them. They wanted to come somewhere they could experience it just for themselves and bring their daughters or their sisters.
IRENE:
Great. Well, I have got I don’t know how many suits from you. I love the experience and I always want more; it is very addictive. This new space is amazing, and you have now got ready to wear.
DAISY:
You are a very good client and ambassador for us. We are doing a small capsule of ready-to-wear. As we have grown, it has been amazing to see the response from all over the world. We do trunk shows around the US, but to really reach that global customer, we decided to bring out a very small collection of jackets, and there are more exciting things coming at the end of this year.
IRENE:
Amazing. What have been your biggest challenges in being in the process of starting this business?
DAISY:
Starting your own business - full stop - is difficult, particularly as a woman. I mean, the odds are stacked against you. 1 in 100 businesses passes or succeeds in their first year. In addition, if you look at both of our businesses, going through Brexit and a global pandemic, it certainly was a huge challenge, also because you could not ask someone for advice. No one really knew what they were and how it was going to affect retail or the markets. Resilience and pushing through were key and overall, just hoping that the product and quality transcended all of it. Fortunately, what came out of the pandemic was a more conscious consumer, so for us, it has been wonderful. People have taken time to consolidate their wardrobes and invest in things that last for a lifetime and that they can pass down to the next generation.
IRENE:
Is there any advice you would give to an aspiring female entrepreneur?
DAISY:
Starting your own business has so many challenges, the highs are really high, and the lows are really low. I am a big passionate believer in female entrepreneurism and getting more women to start their own businesses, so whenever I am asked this question I always think about what really got me through the tough times and what still does. That for me is a great mentor network of amazing people that you trust. People that may not necessarily be totally engrained in the business like you are, but that have a view from afar and can guide and offer good advice. Overall, to have an amazing support network around you is key, particularly if you are a sole founder.
IRENE:
Totally agreed. What would you say your biggest high has been today?
DAISY:
I would say two things. Firstly, the feeling of seeing a woman trying on her suit, dress or skirt for the first time. Seeing how someone who doesn’t believe in their own beauty or can’t see how amazing they look and then they try their garment on and you see the way they stand and look at themselves. Also, the tears of happiness shed by so many of the brides and mothers of the brides. Overall, it is such a special experience because you really get to know your clients well. We spend a minimum of three and a half hours with each of them so you do share these really amazing moments. Secondly, having just opened our new space, one of the largest shop fronts on Savile Row, and having all our clients at the launch party, dancing, drinking and celebrating was a really big high.
IRENE:
The space is incredible, everyone has to come and see it. Where do you see The Deck in five years’ time?
DAISY:
We want to try and reach as many women as possible. So many women want what we have but don’t know we exist. We had clients who have come to us and said that they have never found a pair of trousers that fit them properly, which feels like a crime. For us, it is about how to get ourselves out to as many people as possible and one way was through launching this ready-to-wear capsule. We are also working on an exciting tech initiative that we launching in the second half of this year that will allow more people to experience The Deck from their homes. Overall, I would say to stay on Savile Row and have this flagship and just grow with it and suit as many women as we can.
IRENE:
Amazing. You always look very slick, and you are always decked out, but what do you do to look after your skin?
DAISY:
Well, we all aspire to have skin like you. I think there is so much out there around skincare and it is hard to not get lost in all the noise. It took me a while to work out, before your business, that actually the more natural skincare and using all these amazing oils and blends that you do is the way forward. It is something that my skin reacts so much better to in comparison to all the chemicals I have been putting on my face for years thinking they would save it. Also, as a founder, you are under enormous stress. You are not drinking that much water, and getting the most amount of sleep, so also prioritizing little things like that helps. Lastly, obviously, your wonderful products, which feel so natural, though-through, and easy to understand without overcomplicating it. They are the perfect way to have a really good skincare routine without having to spend so much time on it. Overall, that mixture of a good skincare brand and trying to get as much sleep and drink as much water as possible.
IRENE:
Thank you for taking the time to chat. I am very proud of everything you have achieved. It is amazing.
DAISY:
Thank you for being a wonderful client. More to come.
IRENE:
More to come, exactly.
