10 Questions with Tracey Samuel

Name: Tracey Samuel 

Job title: Designer The bonnie mob

What date did you start your brand? 2005

Why did you start it?

I was designing womenswear in Paris for Sonia Rykiel, doing a weekly commute to Paris from Brighton, I got pregnant with my Daughter Alice and knew that my Paris lifestyle wasn’t going to work with a baby! I couldn’t imagine myself waving goodbye to a baby on a Monday morning and coming home on a Thursday night!!

So I set up The bonnie mob whilst I was pregnant, Back then there was a really poor selection of baby clothes brands on the market, lots of acrylic knits in pinks and blues, tractors on T-shirts etc, so when I got pregnant and kidswear came onto my radar, I thought theres a gap in the market for well made, good quality and well designed baby and kids clothes.

It was Initially a project to keep me creative whilst I was on maternity leave, but it soon grew and has now become a family business with my husband Gareth working with me.

Did you always know you wanted to work for yourself?

Not really, I was always very happy behind the scenes working for other designers. I suppose it was a great apprenticeship to learn my trade inside and out. Having a good deal of experience probably gave me the confidence to go it alone.

Is there something that you know now that you wish you'd known when you first started your business? Or what one piece of advice do you have for anyone starting a business?

Always trust your gut! Don’t let someone else hijack your ideas.

What 3 words sum up your brand?

Sustainable, colourful, fun

What 3 words sum up you as a person?

Feisty, Honest, Loyal

If you had to choose three items from your wardrobe to wear for the rest of your days, what would they be?

A fluo pink Cashmere sweater ( I have a few ),

My patent leather peep toe wedge Prada heels ( I have worn them to death, they are the most comfortable heels I own, despite being completely trashed, I can’t throw them away),

My APC tuxedo style jacket, a complete classic and always comes round again in the style stakes ( again worn to death and seen better days)

If you came to my bar ‘The Staying Inn” what drink would you order and what one song would you request on my jukebox?

Oooh that’s a hard one, My current fave is a Classic Margarita, and it would have to be Azaelia Banks 212 on the Jukebox it reminds me of many a fun drunken kitchen disco with friends trying to do ridiculous dance moves!