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Work Flow…With Jane Shepherdson CBE

Written by Amira Hashish on . Posted in Fashion, Finance, Latest, Lifestyle.

By Amira Hashish

Jane Shepherdson is a trailblazer in the fashion industry. With more than 20 years of experience as brand director of Topshop and CEO of Whistles, she has a wealth of knowledge to impart and is passionate about nurturing talent. 

Having transformed the High Street retailers into global fashion brands, she is using her experience to find a way to enjoy fashion without damaging the planet. She joined rental and resale platform MY WARDROBE HQ in 2019 as Chair and has taken it to new heights. 

Also the director of the London Fashion Fund, which champions small businesses to change the future of the industry, she is a true pioneer. We can think of no one more brilliant to kick off our series of Work Flow interviews with inspiring business leaders. Here she joins Amira Hashish in conversation…

What inspired your route into retail?

I’ve always loved fashion, but discovered early on that I didn’t have the talent to actually design clothes so I found the next best thing, which was being a buyer. That entailed working closely with a designer and putting a collection together that would both delight and sell.

Tell us about your latest projects…

Having left traditional retail behind, after realising the incredible environmental harm we were causing, I have moved into fashion rental. I am currently the Chair of MY WARDROBE HQ, a luxury fashion rental platform, which fulfills both my desire to make beautiful designer pieces available to many who could not afford them and to enjoy fashion without harming the planet quite as much.

I’m also a Director of the London Fashion Fund, an organisation that funds small fashion businesses that will change the future of the industry both socially and environmentally. It’s a real privilege to meet and work with super smart entrepreneurs who are changing our relationship with fashion and hopefully the future for all of us. We have invested in businesses who are growing cotton hydroponically using 80% less water. Now we are partnering with the big High Street retailers and even a small business making leather from microbial weaving. It’s a revelation!

What do you love most about what you do?

I really love meeting people with ideas. Especially those who have an idealism and optimism for our future. If I can help them in any small way, I get great satisfaction from that.

If you had to pick a career defining moment what would it be?

Well, this is going back a long way but when we first showed our Topshop Unique collection on the catwalk at London Fashion Week. It was a huge moment for the whole team. We felt that we had proved that Topshop was a hotbed of creativity and that we had gained huge credibility within the industry.

How do you manage your time?

I’m not brilliant at managing my time and consequently I like to get things done as soon as possible, which doesn’t always work. I feel like I am always rushing but perhaps that’s the way I work best?

Do you have any advice for those keen to follow in your footsteps?

Only do something you are passionate about. Don’t just follow the money. This is your life, you have to engage with it fully.

What’s the biggest lesson you have learned along the way?

The best thing that you can do is to surround yourself with people who are absolutely brilliant at what they do. Don’t fear their brilliance, bask in the reflected glow of it.

Who has been the most influential person in your career?

I’m not sure there has been one person who has influenced me but I have been hugely influenced and astonished by the talent and creativity of those in my team. I have learned so much from them.

How has the fashion landscape changed over the years and what does the future of the British High Street look like?

The fashion landscape has changed almost unrecognisably in the last five years. The combination of e-commerce and Covid has meant that we have all changed the way that we interface with brands and they have had to catch up. Visiting a High Street store is no longer necessary, so their presence has to offer something more than a physical representation of an online store. We expect experiences, a showcase, theatre and visual stimulation. In my opinion, we aren’t getting much of that yet, but things are changing.

Where do you go to get away from it all?

I love to travel. I took a year out and did a road trip around the West Coast of America a couple of years ago. I spent all my time hiking, canoeing and generally exploring the incredible physical landscapes the US has to offer. I’m off to Corsica for the month of June. We are driving there with our dog, Dexter. We will be stopping in Paris for a few days, Nice for a weekend, and then going back through the Alps or walking in flower-filled meadows. Contrast is everything.

How to Achieve a Healthy WFH Lifestyle

Written by Anya Cooklin-Lofting on . Posted in Latest, Lifestyle, Wellbeing.

By Anya Cooklin-Lofting

Falling into a less-than-ideal routine while working from home is unsurprisingly easy, especially over the winter. Long, dark mornings do very little to inspire early rising, pre-work jogging or green smoothie breakfasts while cool afternoons call for pantry raids and frothy coffees. The eradication of our commutes keeps us at our desks longer, eroding quality family time and racking up our Zoom time.

Cultivating a healthy lifestyle when you work from home is incredibly rewarding and by setting achievable goals, you can bring more fulfilment and productivity to each day. The key is to make and keep promises to yourself that helps to build self-trust, thus self-respect and a sense of pride in your day. 

Here are a few tips for elevating your WFH schedule, prioritising a holistic attitude to your health and your productivity.

Keep Tabs on Your Overtime

It’s easy to work longer hours when there’s no rush to get home. Before the pandemic, leaving the office in the evening signalled the beginning of the race to hit that gym class, get back home, prepare dinner, squeeze in some wind-down time and get a full 8 hours of sleep. These days, we’re working smarter and using the time we save from our sofa-to-desk commute to tackle some life admin, get our endorphin fixes and pre-heat the oven. However, try not to fall into the trap of working overtime just because you can. If, like me, your dining table doubles as your desk, it’s important to keep tabs on the hours you spend there. If your choice of evening activities is a toss-up between binging a new series on Netflix or clearing your work inbox, why not try something new? Removing yourself from these patterns can help to curb the urge to burn the midnight oil. 

Commit to Your Commute Time

Once you’ve put healthy boundaries in place around the time you spend at your desk, it’s time to look at how to enrich your spare time. Using your usual morning commute time to read, learn a new skill or language or get in a yoga session will set you up for a productive and happy day. Knowing that you’ve accomplished something before work, even if it’s just some time taken for yourself to think, provides a sense of ownership of your day. It’s easy to let work take over, so reclaiming some time before the workday starts is crucial.

Keep Moving

Moving your body throughout the day will improve your concentration, keep you physically healthy and will contribute to a more positive mindset. You don’t have to join a running club or go to a spin class to feel the benefits. A lunchtime walk or a mid-morning stroll to the local cafe for a coffee will blow away the cobwebs. If your work diary is fit to burst with unending calls and Zoom meetings, why not take one or two of those calls outside in the garden or while you walk in the local park?

Stay Hydrated

Coffee doesn’t count here! Make sure you have a glass of water on your desk at all times while you work from home. Not only does keeping hydrated help to keep organs functioning properly, but it also improves our cognition, our sleep quality and our moods. If you feel you need a reminder to drink more water throughout the day, why not invest in a beautiful glass carafe for a deskside visual cue?

Create an Inspiring Home Office Space

Finding inspiration and motivation in a plain, under-loved home office is next to impossible. Make sure your workspace, be it an entire study or a corner of the dining room table, makes you feel creative and confident. Houseplants make great deskfellows, as do framed family photographs, special stationery and a really lovely paperweight. Bring art, soft furnishings and good lighting into the mix and you have yourself a haven for the working hours that will keep stress levels low and cheerful industriousness at an all-time high. 

Give Yourself Some Closure

At the end of the working day, it’s important to create physical distance between yourself and your laptop and other accoutrements of your employment. If your living room has taken on more of a multifunctional role since the beginning of the pandemic, ensure all signs of work are packed away neatly, ready for the morning. Dedicate a drawer to store your laptop, pens and notebooks to keep work out of sight and out of mind, allowing you to truly switch off in the evening. If you work from a dedicated study or office space, clear the space of clutter and close the door. You’ll thank yourself come the morning when you have fully decompressed and feel refreshed and ready to take on the next challenge…