
Loading summary
Tom Edwards
In April, Monocle hosts the Entrepreneurs Live in Shanghai, a one day conference bringing together founders, investors and innovators shaping businesses across China and the wider region. Join us there and visit monocle.com conference for more. Hello and welcome to the Entrepreneurs on Monocle Radio. The show all about inspiring people, innovative companies and fresh ideas in global business. On today's program is there a new playbook for great British brands. Historically, two of the UK's most successful exports and most beloved institutions have been bespoke tailoring and the private members club, both with deep roots here in London, just down the road in Mayfair. These have also been built traditionally for a pretty narrow and often male elite. Today those assumptions, and indeed those worlds are changing. Opening up to new audiences, meeting wildly different expectations and often traffic driving entirely new ways of doing business, but always while holding on to the craft, the unrivaled hospitality and attention to detail that built their reputation. Coming up today, we'll catch up with a founder who is quite literally tailoring a centuries old industry for a new kind of customer. On Savile Row and beyond.
Daisy Knatchbull
The American consumer want to buy into and enjoy the very best that Britain has to offer. I love the idea of a woman sitting in Charleston saying that her Savile Row women's tailor is coming to see her for a trunk show. It's quite fun.
Tom Edwards
And we'll hear from a former corporate executive who's rewriting the rules of the members club, replacing bricks and mortar with a roaming experience. First, community of genuinely like minded individuals.
Toby Gvain
So we wanted to be inclusive and non judgmental and engaging and that's really important to me. And so if you get that community right and the values right, people will keep turning up.
Tom Edwards
This is the Entrepreneurs with me, Tom Edwards, You're listening to the Entrepreneurs now. Regular listeners to this program will likely remember our next guest. Daisy Knatchbull is the founder and CEO of Knatchbull, the first and only shopfront exclusively for women in Savile Row's 200 year history. Today, with ateliers throughout Britain and Europe, Daisy runs more than 20 international trunk shows a year. In 2023, the brand launched its first ready to wear collection, offering a stylish, sustainable alternative to fast fashion alongside its made to measure service. Monocle's Tom Webb caught up with Daisy. In between her many trips abroad to discuss flying the British flag in tailoring and her business rebrand, Daisy began by telling Tom that what she's been getting up to since her last visit almost
Daisy Knatchbull
three years ago, we're Famous for all the custom that we do on Savile Road. Dresses, skirts, jackets, trousers, suits. And about two years ago we introduced a ready to wear line that kind of was born out of all the data that we had in the bespoke where we were able to understand kind of really how a woman's body is shaped. And so our ready to wear fits incredibly well. And it's all informed by data colors and shades of colours and where a button sits and things that are missing that maybe are more functional and that comes with us on these pop ups around the world with all the Savile Row tailors and the beautiful ready to wear collection that complements really well what we do in the bespoke. So silk shirts, cashmere jumpers, trench coats and also some suiting dresses, skirts. We really want to be offering the modern woman everything with the assurance that the quality is paramount and the craftsmanship is the best of British. And we're really holding ourselves to keeping that quality and the customer service and all the goodness that we offer as we scale.
Tom Webb
So how are you flying the flag for Britain around the world if you're not doing fashion shows, you say you're doing trunk shows?
Daisy Knatchbull
Yes, trunk shows. So these are pop ups where we will build out as if we had a mini store. But often we do them in clients homes around the world, which is really fun. So two weeks ago I was in some someone's home in Miami. A week after that we were in two beautiful homes in Palm Beach. Next week we'll be setting up in San Francisco, Louisiana, New York, Texas, the Bahamas, where there's demand will go. And really flying that British flag is really important for us. We are the first shop front for women on Savile Row, a street where the bastions of British tailoring sit. And in 2026 we sit there holding the largest shop front. We're B Corp certified, we have some of the best crafts women in the world at our fingertips and we're determined to really redefine the luxury retail experience that is somewhat broken. Where all we're hearing in the news, and we can see somewhat is that quality is tanking and the prices are increasing and the consumer's tired of it. They are lusting for something real, for something authentic and for something where they can really feel the quality of what they're paying for and don't feel cheated.
Tom Webb
And how are you able to maintain that quality? Because other stories in the news, it's very difficult to find the right people, the right staff, the right craftsmen. How are you able to find talent in this environment, it's.
Daisy Knatchbull
Well, it's never easy to find exceptional talent. And if it were easy, everyone would have it. We really try and define ourselves in having incredible people that work with us. We're now a team of 45 people, 42 women and three men who are somewhat in the minority there. But it is an incredible team that's ever growing. And for us, it's almost holding true to what you believe and what you know and what you do that attracts the talent. I think that you can only pull the wool over someone's eyes so much. I think talent sees, sees through that. I think in the same way of a consumer, they're attracted to people that have values and morals and beliefs and follow through and act upon those. And I think that's why we've been really lucky to attract some of the best talent from all over the world. I mean, between my six tailors, you know, you have some of the best tailors that have worked in some of the greatest fashion houses in the world. My head tailor was Queen Elizabeth's tailor for the longest time. We feel very lucky and privileged to have that level of talent. And I think that's because of what we're doing. It's not just clothing. It's important mission. It's a belief system, it's an ethos as well as being in retail. It's something that people can truly believe in. And clothes, we always say clothes won't change the world, but the women that wear them will. And if we can make them feel the best versions of themselves and give them a confidence and make it feel like a kind of modern armor, we really are helping someone to be happier and better.
Tom Webb
And you are creating for all situations, all environments, the businesswoman, the modern women. In which regions do you find that some of your tailoring performs better than others?
Daisy Knatchbull
It's funny, there is, you know, you do see the geographical lean where you might in Texas have someone. I mean, these are large stereotypes, but you might have someone that loves more color and more fringing and more kind of extras and things that make it sparkle or shine or whatever it may be. To the busy New York executive that loves black, wears lots of black, and is able to wear pencil skirts because they wear a lot of heels. In England, we don't love necessarily wearing heels in the same way our American cousins do. And the British woman leads, leans more towards a midnight blue. And then looking at someone who might live in a warmer climate, whether that's Abu Dhabi or Palm beach or The Bahamas, they're looking for more pastel shades and the same with age. In Palm beach, there are lots of different demographics, but if we look at that older demographic living in Palm beach, they're very big on their pastels, big on their whites. So it's lovely. You start to really build a portrait of kind of what people in each cities look like and what they like and what they enjoy. But then again, this is what I love. By the next minute, you'll have someone walk in who wants the entirely opposite thing. And that's wonderful. We can make yellow velvet dresses in the middle of 30 degree locations. And we can make beautiful linen suits in the middle of a minus 8 degrees in a trunk show we did in Toronto. So again, we're not held by trend or season or anything like that. We really are somewhere where you can, your wildest dreams of what you'd like to wear can come true. And we can either guide you and handhold you the whole way, or we have women that really know what they want and we can facilitate that and make that happen.
Tom Webb
And you are spending a lot of time in the US and it is a very important market. Why do you think it's growing? What do they love about British fashion? Why is the US market important to you?
Daisy Knatchbull
The US market has always been kind of central to our strategy. I mean, now it feels that the whole world in fashion are doing trunk shows. Trunk shows originate from Savile Row where trunks would be packed and sent on boats over for fittings. And so it feels very fitting that we continue doing these trunk shows over in the U.S. the American consumer, you know, the Anglophilia that they have over there for all things British is lovely. And I think it's important and I think that they want to buy into and enjoy the very best that Britain has to offer through not just beautiful fashions and the great designers we've had, but the cloths and the tweeds and the, you know, things that make the UK and British fashion so wonderful. And I think that as Savile Row's first shop front for women and now a global luxury womenswear label, we feel very proud of the fact that we come from the beating heart of Savile Row and we always say there's nothing cooler. I love the idea of a woman sitting in Charleston saying that her Savile Row women's tailor is coming to see her for a trunk show. It's quite fun.
Tom Webb
Now, loyal listeners will remember you on the program three years ago. There's been a lot of change since that moment. Not least a big rebrand a couple of years ago. How did that go for you and what did your loyal consumers make of it?
Daisy Knatchbull
It's funny because doing anything like a rebrand is very scary for so many reasons. You build a lot of cachet as a business. We were to those that listened three years ago. If there are any of you, I'm very grateful. Following on my story, of course, they're there right now. We were the deck. And it's funny because when I launched this business, you never imagine, and this is nearly seven years ago, and this is pretty. I don't want to talk too much about all the macro stuff going on politically. Brexit, Covid. This is before any of these things existed in our minds. And the deck felt fitting. It was four suits and a deck of cards. At the time, I was focused solely on suiting women. And at the time it was a very different world. I remember Lady Gaga wore a suit on the red carpet nine, eight years ago around the MeToo movement. And it was seen as a huge kind of statement. Whereas today all we see is suiting on the red carpet, which is lovely. And we've had some amazing designers through time do suiting. By no means are we the first people to do this, but it was a very different world to the suiting that we see now in every High street store and every designer today. So it was amazing to be quite early in that again. And the deck was about changing up the deck, reshuffling the way we think about tailoring, prioritizing women, putting them on top. And it was a lovely analogy and image. And we worked a lot, lot with the suits of a deck of cards, the spades, the diamonds. I never imagined that we would be sitting here today employing 45 people and doing trunk shows around the world with the business doubling every year. It just, it's not something you ever imagine. The stats are so heavily against you. One in 100 businesses past their first year being a female founder. I could do a whole hold show, hold up with you, just on how that, you know, is rigged. 2% of EC funding today goes to female founded businesses and so on and so on. And so the idea of sitting here seven years later, holding the larger shop front on Savile Row and talking about with you, expansion and where we're at felt like another world. And so the deck served its purpose at the beginning, but more and more clients were asking why it wasn't my surname. And it felt very odd, the idea that I would name anything after myself. And slowly I came to realize that it looked less egocentric than I thought, and it was more that people really want. Wanted to feel part of something. And by having a name, it felt that natural. Savile Row felt like something that was going to be around for many, many years to come and stand amongst the bastions of British tailoring. But also now, as we grow, building out as a global luxury womenswear brand, having this name feels like it comes that my own personal values imbue themselves into this business as I step away, as we grow, and allow my incredible team to flourish and carry on that mission not just through years to come, but through my lifetime.
Tom Webb
If we go back nine years, 10 years, when Lady Gaga was walking around in a suit, what would you like to have told yourself back then that, you know, now?
Daisy Knatchbull
I think at the very beginning, I raised money before I launched privately. I raised a small sum. And I remember going to investors and people kept saying, so you're doing men's suits for women? Okay, talk me through that. You know, and the idea that we were going to be a shop front on Savile Row for women, and it feels like a lifetime ago, the fact that anyone would ever question that or understand it. So I think looking back now, it's feeling proud that there are, you know, Savile Row has made for women forever. We are by no means the first tailor to make for women, but the menswear tailor's focus was on menswear. They could always make for women. And. And that was how it used to be today, to see women's mannequins in the windows of Savile Row, other Savile Row tailors, to see a woman win the Golden Cheers award, which for our industry is, these are all things that are not because of us, but we're part of that change, and it is an honor. And so looking back, I think I would never imagine that we would get this far. And it's taking a moment to feel incredibly grateful to be part of that
Tom Webb
and finally to look forward this time. What's on your radar? What are you most excited about for the rest of the year?
Daisy Knatchbull
Well, it feels like the rest of the year will be over in a second. A lot. There's a lot of very exciting things that we have upcoming. Definitely just more growth, sustainable growth, meeting more incredible women and doing some exciting things to meet more incredible women. So I can't say too much, but if you are interested, please follow our journey and tell your friends and watch closely, because I think there's some very cool things about to happen.
Tom Edwards
That was Daisy Knatchbull, the founder and CEO of Knatchbull Savile Row. And you can find out more about the business and what it's got up its well tailored sleeves by heading to natchball.com. You're listening to the entrepreneurs. Toby Gvain is the founder of Goudium, a private membership community for the over 40s. After years in corporate finance and luxury lifestyle services, Toby realized he wanted to build something that put expensive experiences and happiness first, rather than profit for a few. Inspired by his love of travel and music, he set out to create a space where people could dance, explore and meet like minded souls without judgment and all with a respectable curfew. He stopped by Midori House to discuss Goudium, his other venture, Solara, and the creative freedom that comes with building not one, but two businesses centered on joy. Here's Toby.
Toby Gvain
Gaudium is the Latin for joy. And I wanted to create a platform to give people over 45 then so that in their midlife years, whatever that number is to them, it's different to different people some joy. You know, people who've been super busy, whether it's in the workplace or raising families, maybe they've fallen on tough times, maybe they've been through difficult relationships, lost someone they love, whatever it might have been. I said, look, we can't have enough joy in the world. It would be a miserable place without it. So how can I create some joy? And it started off by being club nights for the over 45s, so taking over nostalgic nightclubs with our DJs and our music and saying, you might ought to be in there for a while, but it's time to go back and let's go and hit the dance floor. And then somebody said to me, you know, you're doing this on the side for your friends and your friend of friends, but actually it's a concept that's got a lot of appeal and you should broaden this out and go much more mass market. And so I decided to take the original Guardium off and develop a private membership club, which we'll come onto. And I wanted Solara to be the core dance platform for everybody.
Interviewer
So are you a kind of. You're a nostalgic raver, is that fair to say?
Toby Gvain
Yeah, I mean, yeah, raver sort of conjures up all sorts of images, doesn't it?
Tom Edwards
I mean, I was not using that
Toby Gvain
pejorative though, just to be clear, you know. Yes, I seem to be part of a dying breed of men in their 50s who still love to dance. And that's something that my wife and I always did. And actually, we're very lucky. We traveled a lot, we've lived in New York, we spent 10 years living in Madrid. And we got to that point in our lives where we felt that London, sadly, as much as we love this great city, it's quite an ageist city. You reach a point where there's not too many places where once you get a certain age, you feel comfortable going and dancing there. So we thought, well, how we're going to have to create this for ourselves.
Interviewer
I love that. So it's not as late night. It's kind of tailored for that. Slightly more.
Tom Edwards
I don't know, I say more machine
Interviewer
sounds weird, but slightly calmer or just, I don't know, People don't want to go too wild. Right?
Toby Gvain
Yeah, it's really interesting. So, personally, I'm a night owl and I love being out late, and that was obviously what going clubbing in the 90s was all about. But, you know, we recognize that times have changed and people have different perspectives. And so although the original club nights were club nights, it's now Solara. Just sticking with the music theme that has become really a daytime rave. I mean, we kick off at four in the afternoon and we finish at 11. People want to dance, but they want to be tucked up in bed by midnight with a cup of tea. So he just got to adapt to the market.
Interviewer
I may be betraying my own age here, but I love this idea. Gaudium. Let's come back to that. So it kind of. It's interesting. It sort of changed iteratively, even in a relatively short period of time, as you say. And then this taps into some of your experience in the sort of private. What would you call it, in the sort of private membership community from before and some of your past lives. Tell me a bit about how you have distilled some of those experiences and those learnings, Toby, into making Gaudium a kind of 2.0 of those.
Toby Gvain
So I spent the first 15 years of my life working in a very busy job in finance. And the best part of that was that it took me all over the world. So I did a lot of traveling. I met a lot of people, experienced a lot of cultures, and that became a very important part of who I am today and the people I like to hang out with. I then spent 15 years working for a travel and lifestyle concierge firm, and that was all about, you know, building a service platform for people to be able to reach out and get stuff done, go to restaurants, book tickets to shows, book travel, etc. I suddenly got to that point in my life where I felt that I needed to exit the corporate world. I couldn't really comprehend how this was just the beginning of the end. As I entered my 50s, I thought very strongly this is actually the beginning of the next chapter. And it's a really exciting chapter. And so the opportunity to create new experiences and a lot more joy and places to go to, people to meet and get people to come along on that journey. I sort of felt I'd learned enough along the way as to how I wanted to structure that. So that's why it's funny because I used to look out on the original club nights and see a lot very happy people, but most of them were women because they were either people coming without their husbands who thought, actually I'm in my 50s and 60s, I don't want to go clubbing. But I thought, well, how can we actually make this more inclusive? And the way to make it more inclusive is to create more events across art and theater and live music and wellness and sport and travel and bring people together and understand what it is that makes them tick and where they want to spend their time.
Interviewer
There are some sort of red threads that run through lots of the things you've done, but many of them, I think, speak to this idea of fostering a sense of community. The powerful impact of face to face, interacting with people, getting out in the world and meeting. Why do you think that is, Toby? Was that. I don't know. Did you grow up that way? Did you always have that kind of curiosity about people? Why do you think you've returned to that? Well, maybe you disagree, but that seems to me something of a core value. Why do you think that's been so foundational?
Toby Gvain
I really love meeting people. I love just being able to find like minded, adventurous souls and to chat about the stuff that we love. And I think if you look at London as a city, there's more private membership clubs here than any city in the world. But actually these are bricks and mortar clubs where you pay a huge amount of money for the privilege to walk into the building to then spend a huge amount of money. And actually not many of them have understood the power of community and the power of how you look after one another and that sort of level of empathy and how you engage with people. And so a lot of people, they're going there with their friends, but they're not necessarily meeting other people. So we wanted to have this sort of roving club that has no bricks and mortar where we could go wherever we want and bring people together and to be inclusive and non judgmental and engaging and make sure that people were carving out the time to spend their precious time doing exactly what they want to do and meet new people across so many different areas that we've put together in Tagio. And that's really important to me. And so if you get that community right and the values right, people will keep turning up, they'll enjoy it, they'll want to see people again and they'll meet people that are not part of their network. Some people are very comfortable with their family and their friends and they say they don't have enough time in their lives. Other people are still ambitious and keen to do more. And I guess that's what we appeal to.
Interviewer
And it's interesting because this is a bit of a narrative. It reminds me of conversations that certainly here at Monaco we have. Whether that's with leaders in luxury brands, certainly in premium hospitality, which is people are looking for something extra. I don't know if it's a reaction to the digital realm and the sort of ennui that has gripped people with that life, but this, the primacy of experience, the importance of offering people something beyond. It's not just a product, it's exactly as you said, it's about a sense of community. It's about doing something that brings joy. Given the name, is this the perfect time for Gaudium? Do you think because of. Yeah, people's frustrations with the digital realm and the soul, sapping tone of social media, etc. Do you think that that in a way helps the idea of Gaudium?
Toby Gvain
I think there's an information overload in the digital age and we're all huge fans of the different channels that we use. And I'm a massive fan of Monocle Magazine. I'm not just saying that because I'm here. So we get our stories and we get inspired from various different mediums, but I think that actually what people in our community crave is the opportunity for someone else to curate an inaccessible experience that they're not otherwise going to hear about, they don't have to plan it themselves. It's very much personalized because if we saw this and thought of you type approach and people love that because they know where they want to be spending their time, but they actually are so frazzled with how to manage their time and where to get access that if we can come up with a number of different events that appeal to them, that's certainly very appealing.
Interviewer
How do you go about that curatorial process then, Toby? I guess you can choose things you like and you have presumably colleagues who also, whose judgment and values you respect and trust. And they have the autonomy to find fun things that will galvanize people. But what's the actual mechanics of delivering that, that service? I find it really interesting.
Toby Gvain
Look, it starts with a strong network. You know, if you, if you love people as I do, and if you've traveled a lot and if you've worked at the coal face for different businesses, you know, you naturally stay in touch and you keep those with you. And I've been very keen to say to all of our founding members, you know, let's evolve this community together because it is a community. There's no such thing as just us as the original founders of the business saying that it's got to be this way and only this way. You know, you will have your own networks, you will have your own friends who are involved in different businesses and different brands and different venues. And so if you trust us, and trust and integrity are such an important part of this community, then let's evolve it together. And people feel quite protective about it, about who they want to see and how they manage it. So we'll come up with a lot of original ideas and we can talk about some of those if you like. But we also say to people, let's make this a two way street. You know, you'll get as much out of this as you put into it.
Interviewer
Give me an example. I mean, maybe, maybe you can't pick favorites, but have there been specific examples where you felt that exactly what you wanted to deliver has happened?
Toby Gvain
I'll give you a couple. So somebody came to me. So one of the fastest growing sports in the UK now is Padel. The UK has been a bit late to the party, I guess, you know, it's been all over the place, but it is growing and growing fast and a lot of our community love to play it. And so someone came to me and said, hey, I'm great friends with a five time Wimbledon Grand Slam doubles champion who takes paddle clinics and maybe we just organize something in Portugal and get him to come down and wouldn't that be fun? And I said, it would be fun, but it would be better to go to Sweden because he's Swedish, so why would he, why not go to his homestead? You go to Stockholm, let's Go and play Padel on his Padel courts with him and his son, who's one of the top ranked players in the world. But then let's go and live the life of a Swede in Stockholm. So let's go and get out on the water, let's go and find a cool place to dance, let's go and sample some great food. You know, the number one restaurant in the world right now is Franston, so let's go and eat at Franston. So we put together this three to four day break which is paddle and play and total Stockholm immersion. And of course people jumped at it. Why would they not?
Interviewer
Just a final thought in terms of your own ongoing bid to source inspiration. You mentioned that you're, you know, you love travel, you're curious guys, you're always on the lookout. Do you have to, if you're running a business particularly like this, make the effort to seek out other, I don't know, service providers who offer a benchmark of excellence in this space? I mean, here at Monaco, we dabble a little bit in the, the odd curated weekend, as you'll be aware. But how do you sort of. Or do you need to separate just your personal experience and what you learn as you go through the world and meet your friends and move around?
Tom Edwards
Or do you have to kind of
Interviewer
put that business hat on and be like, I need to look at other people who are innovating or maybe you find someone who does what we do, but they do it a bit different and see if there are learnings from them. How does that work?
Toby Gvain
I think part of the problem in the event and experience space is that it's been talked up a lot and it's been hyped up a lot and it's not entirely transparent. There's multiple layers involved. And so one of the things that we've insisted on from the beginning is we've got to go directly to source. So it's either going to be initially my friends and my network or the friends and the network of the members that come into the community. I get the best job because I get to go out and do the recce and meet the people, because I want to make sure that everyone's going to be well looked after. How our community is looked after is incredibly important. And the first impressions they get, these are people who've traveled and done a lot of things in their lives and they know how they want to be looked after. So I need to make sure that that's going to happen. And I don't think for our purposes. I'm sure it works for others. For our purposes, if we were to outsource to third parties where we don't have complete control of that, it wouldn't work.
Interviewer
Yeah. A critical lesson. What are you most excited about, Toby, if I can put you on the spot?
Tom Edwards
As I said, you've already greedily got
Interviewer
these two separate, fun new businesses. I don't know. Or is it. Is it one of those events that you've mentioned? Is there a date in your diary that you're kind of. Is there something that's ringed in red on your desk calendar that you can tell us about?
Toby Gvain
I just get a huge amount of, you know, and I say this rather selfishly, perhaps as an entrepreneur, but I just get a huge amount of joy out of seeing people having a great time. So whether, whether it's sitting in a private dining room in London watching a group of strangers hit it off and laugh and have fun, I always say to people when they come in, we're not here to talk about work. We're not here to talk about our kids if we've got them. We're here to talk about ourselves and what motivates us and what we enjoy day to day. And I also, without wanna sound greedy. I love standing up by the dj, looking out onto a sea of people who are just dancing all afternoon and having the best time. And I go home at night and I feel really contented. If I can bring a little bit of joy to people, whether it's on the dance floor or in any of the events that we organize, then I feel I'm contributing a little bit.
Tom Edwards
That was Toby Gvain, the founder of Gaudium. And you can find out more by heading to gaudiumevents.com or email the team at infooudium events.com. And that is all for this episode of the Entrepreneurs. We'll be back at the same time next week. The program's produced by Laura Kramer with audio editing by Jack Dewars. You can listen again and find out more@monacle.com that's where you can subscribe to Monacle magazine and ensure you're reading more about better businesses every month. You can always follow us and catch
Interviewer
up with the archive of past shows
Tom Edwards
wherever you get your podcasts. If you'd like to get in touch with the team, do email Laura. She's on lrkonical.com I'm Tom Edwards. Goodbye and thanks for listening to the entrepreneurs.
Interviewer
Sa.
Episode: Knatchbull Savile Row’s CEO on Bespoke Tailoring for Women and Flying the British Flag in Fashion
This episode of The Entrepreneurs explores how heritage British institutions like bespoke tailoring and private members’ clubs are evolving for new audiences. Host Tom Edwards and interviewer Tom Webb feature two entrepreneurial voices: Daisy Knatchbull, CEO and founder of Knatchbull Savile Row (the first Savile Row shopfront exclusively for women), and Toby Gvain, founder of Gaudium, a private membership community reimagining social experiences for adults over 40. The episode delves into innovation, inclusivity, craft, and the ongoing elevation of British style and hospitality in a global context.
[03:15]
“We really want to be offering the modern woman everything with the assurance that the quality is paramount and the craftsmanship is the best of British.”
— Daisy Knatchbull [03:06]
[04:27]
"We are the first shop front for women on Savile Row, a street where the bastions of British tailoring sit ... we’re B Corp certified, we have some of the best craftsmen in the world at our fingertips and we’re determined to really redefine the luxury retail experience."
— Daisy Knatchbull [04:49]
[05:54]
"Clothes won’t change the world, but the women that wear them will. And if we can make them feel the best version of themselves ... we really are helping someone to be happier and better."
— Daisy Knatchbull [06:51]
[07:39]
“What I love ... by the next minute you’ll have someone walk in who wants the entirely opposite thing. We really are somewhere where your wildest dreams of what you’d like to wear can come true.”
— Daisy Knatchbull [08:40]
[09:31]
“There’s nothing cooler. I love the idea of a woman sitting in Charleston saying that her Savile Row women's tailor is coming to see her for a trunk show.”
— Daisy Knatchbull [10:17]
[10:52]
“The deck served its purpose at the beginning, but more and more clients were asking why it wasn’t my surname ... as we grow, building out as a global luxury womenswear brand, having this name feels like it comes that my own personal values imbue themselves into this business.”
— Daisy Knatchbull [12:50]
[13:56]
“To see women’s mannequins in the windows of Savile Row ... to see a woman win the Golden Cheers award, which for our industry is—these are all things that are not because of us, but we're part of that change, and it is an honor.”
— Daisy Knatchbull [14:38]
[15:06]
“Please follow our journey ... because I think there’s some very cool things about to happen.”
— Daisy Knatchbull [15:20]
[16:39]
“I said, look, we can’t have enough joy in the world. It would be a miserable place without it.”
— Toby Gvain [16:50]
[18:26]
[19:26]
“How can we actually make this more inclusive? ... Bring people together and understand what it is that makes them tick and where they want to spend their time.”
— Toby Gvain [20:36]
[21:16]
“If you get that community right and the values right, people will keep turning up, they’ll enjoy it, they’ll want to see people again and they’ll meet people that are not part of their network.”
— Toby Gvain [22:08]
[23:20]
“It would be better to go to Sweden because he’s Swedish ... So we put together this three to four day break which is paddle and play and total Stockholm immersion. And of course people jumped at it. Why would they not?”
— Toby Gvain [25:51]
[27:14]
“One of the things that we've insisted on from the beginning is we've got to go directly to source ... How our community is looked after is incredibly important.”
— Toby Gvain [27:14]
[28:22]
"I just get a huge amount of joy out of seeing people having a great time ... I go home at night and I feel really contented. If I can bring a little bit of joy to people ... then I feel I’m contributing a little bit."
— Toby Gvain [28:26]
The tone is insightful, candid, and optimistic—balancing British heritage with modernity, and tradition with inclusivity and innovation. Both guests are guided by a clear mission: Knatchbull to empower women and uphold the legacy of British tailoring, and Gvain to create genuine, joyful communities for midlife and beyond. The episode highlights how businesses can thrive and grow by putting authenticity, diversity, and personal connection at their core.