Three Minutes With Sarah
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR GLADSTONE / HELLEN?
I’m the H in the G/H!
I design, cut the patterns and organise production of our clothing, and some other bits.
A decade ago, I moved home for a new adventure, which happened to be a few miles away from where the Gladstones were running their businesses. I had coffee with Charlie and we hit it off, bonding over a love for craft and products with provenance. Now, I’m Creative Director of the businesses they co-founded in Hawarden. Gladstone / Hellen feels like a natural progression in our relationship. It’s an amalgamation of our knowledge, expertise, passion for creating products with provenance.
A THREE SENTENCE BIO TO SUM YOU UP, PLEASE?
I’m a practical, country gal. Often found making stuff or ‘getting stuff done’. I’m a visual person, a creative; I like to do things, go places, see things and make things.
TELL US A SECRET YOU’VE NEVER TOLD US BEFORE.
I’m actually really good at whistling.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE PIECE OF CLOTHING?
I have a favourite ‘of the moment’, I wear it all the time, forget about it, then dig it out again. Recently I’ve fallen back in love with a French workwear jacket I picked up in Leeds when I was a student. I’m definitely most comfortable in my ‘scruffs’.
DO YOU HAVE ONE STYLE SIGNIFIER THAT YOU USE EVERYDAY?
I’m rarely without a neckerchief, mainly by a fantastic maker called Jeanette Orrell. Other than that, I’m never without my best accessory - my red Labrador, Mabli!
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PRODUCT FROM THE LAUNCH COLLECTION?
It’s got to be the Welsh blanket, which signifies my love for traditional crafts. I did so much research for my MA degree into the origin of traditional Welsh blankets, the Welsh woollen mill industry, Welsh cottage and country crafts. I became a magpie for all things Welsh craft. The idea of having something steeped in so much history, made at a traditional mill, with our G/H brand label on is very cool!
TELL US ABOUT SOMETHING THAT YOU’VE MOST RECENTLY DISCOVERED?
I’ve been doing a deep dive into the British manufacturing scene and I’m loving it. I’ve learnt about manufacturers in places you would never think to find them, mills I never knew existed.
HOW DO YOUR WEEKDAY MORNINGS DIFFER FROM YOUR WEEKEND ONES?
Other than a slightly later start on the weekends, they don’t tend to vary that much. Wake up, make a coffee, get back to bed. During the week, I have a Power Hour of laptop time before getting into work, my most productive hour before my day starts. So, I either get back into bed and A.open my emails, or B.watch the latest episode of the Kardashians!
