INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
We have interviewed Ducie, the woman behind the brand to celebrate International Women's Day. We discuss Ducie's inspirations, her female led business and her biggest challenge in the fashion industry.
International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women all of the world.
What does International Women's Day mean to you?
"It means the celebration of all mothers, daughters, sisters (real or otherwise). Wives, girlfriends, bosses, employees and all women in every shape, size, race and location on this planet, for richer or poorer. We are all equal and we all deserve to celebrate on this day! We love us!"
Who inspired you growing up?
"My Mum. Always obsessing over clothes! Always dressing up but not going anywhere haha. By the time she'd gone through every possible look, she couldn't be bothered to actually go out! We all know that one!"
Who is the Inspo behind Ducie?
"I take my inspo from everywhere, I walk around with a permanent mood board in my head- adding to it and taking things off. I get very into styles and then go off them. It's always changing. I could be inspired sitting in an Uber and looking out the window! You never know!"
What is it like being a female business owner?
" The juggle is real! Being a Mum and running a business isn't an easy job! I'm extremely fortunate to have a gold-star husband, and father of our three kids, who is not only a businessman himself but a super human all rounder! He helps me with all areas of my life so we're in it together. Two heads are better than one. I'm not sure how much help I am to him, but you'd need to ask him that..maybe don't"
What is your one piece of advice to women in business?
"See every challenge as a chance to grow into a better, more successful person. Don't expect to ever 'get there'. See the positive in the lows as well as the highs. It's impossible to have everything perfect all the time. The sooner you accept that, the less anxiety at every hurdle. Easier said than done! I didn't say I was actually doing this myself! I'm trying and that's the best I can do."
What are you most proud of?
"My immediate family and extended family unit. It's pure gold. Life is nothing without them. I'm equally proud of my business. I have THE BEST team. Everyone is so dedicated, full of energy and positive about pushing the brand forward. I love them all!"
What is your biggest challenge in the fashion world?
"That it's ever changing and therefore ever challenging. You can't just sit there and expect it all to keep going. What worked one year, won't work the next. You've got to constantly analyse, maintain, cultivate, evolve. It's never boring, that's for sure!"
Who is your female inspiration?
"Amal Clooney. Kind, smart, beautiful."
What do you like about running a female led company?
"We're all in it together. We're like a family or a sisterhood! We understand each other. We make each other feel good. We laugh a lot."
Have you ever come across any hurdles being female?
"Not really. Maybe I didn't notice? My Dad idolises women, so I guess that taught me being female was not an affliction but a bonus! Plus my inspirational Step Mum helped me get into a highly academic girls school where you were encouraged and believed you could become anything you wanted in life! So I guess I carry that around. I'm not a feminist in the sense that I think women are better than men. I respect both men and women equally. We need each other!"
Before we finish, what is your one piece of advice to young aspiring fashion designers?
"Work Hard."
Love Ducie x