A conversation about the influence of Japanese design, business, retail and gardens on Jake Hobson, founder of Niwaki. 

A few years ago, I had a conversation with Taymoor Atigetchi, founder of Papier, about the impact of his Iranian roots on the way that he does business. That train of thought stayed with me and stayed with me to the point of preoccupation. And so now, here is the second in our series of interviews with entrepreneurs working in and influenced by a variety of countries and cultures.
I want to look beyond the accepted cliches to understand and celebrate variety. I want to explore customs, political systems, climate, temperament, geography and expectations. What motivates, delights and disappoints? I hope to celebrate the breadth of style and approach the idiosyncratic, the different.

Today we find ourselves far far away, exploring a country as mysterious as it is magnificent – Japan. And to guide us is Jake Hobson, founder of Niwaki. What began as a trip to Japan in the 1990s has become an exquisite jewel of handmade garden tools, workwear and a thoughtful conversation about gardens and enjoying them. Their look is as distinctive as their approach, quiet yet impactful. And we are lucky enough today to be able to discuss Japanese style influences, the Japanese approach to doing business and the impact of Japanese retail on Niwaki.

Whilst it is simply impossible to summarise an entire nation in one conversation, I wonder if by wondering through the cherry blossom, we might just learn something afresh about design, about selling and about beauty. And so welcome to Up With The Lark And Niwaki - I do think that you are going to enjoy this one.

Niwaki: www.niwaki.com

The last decade has seen a great deal of change around the interrelationship of digital and bricks and mortar across the creative industries. Disciples of each approach are plentiful but for most, it’s all about the hybrid.

It’s about acquiring, delighting and retaining customers in both formats. It is frankly acrobatic to keep both elements flourishing. One of the tools in this hybrid toolbox is the Pop Up. And that is what we are going to be exploring in this episode with Rachel Carvell-Spedding founder of British Knitwear Brand, Navygrey.

Navygrey is as classic as its namesake. Timeless. Unrippled by trends and fads. A jumper to see you through the seasons, chapters and styles of life. Whether a blustery Norfolk beach, pacing down High St Islington or by the fire in the pub, these jumpers work. Carefully designed and carefully presented with B Corp approval this is a brand growing in stature.

And in amongst it all, it has been Popping Up. In great spaces and places, connecting with their audience and telling the stories that matter most to them. I am looking forward to asking about wool, about Made In Britain, about what growth looks like at this point of the business, the ever lasting power of bricks and mortar and the secrets to popping up well. 

Navygrey: www.navygrey.co

Today we will be speaking with Sam Paget Steavenson, co-founder of Botivo. This British non-alcoholic botanical aperitivo has joy, playfulness and vivacity in abundance across flavour, brand and approach to doing business. This is accompanied by a determination, an attention to detail and a focus that means the commercial side is thriving, the company is a certified BCorp and they have been in receipt of some serious funding to make expansion possible. This is, simply, a modern day case study of growing a brand and a business in the 2020s.

This is a great way to begin our new series on mental health, creativity and entrepreneurship. I have long wanted to explore this topic and am so so pleased that Sam agreed to kick things off. It’s not something routinely discussed and often only in hindsight. Creativity and entrepreneurship are adventures, magnificent ones which bring people alive, show them what they are capable off and offer a real thrill and sense of fulfilment. But there are also real challenges, bumps in the road and tough times.

In this series we will look at different aspects of the life of a creative entrepreneur - some light-heartedly and some more challenging. In today’s episode we are going to look at Patience and Persistence. We are going to find out about the trials, tribulations and opportunities of working in the emerging non-alcoholic industry. We are going to dive into Botivo ‘Yellow Hour’ and discover more about the engaging energy of their brand and storytelling. We will hear about the flavour profile and how it takes a year to make a batch of Botivo. And we are going to explore the importance and place of patience alongside the necessity for persistence and determination. And in all of this, how can we keep focused on great mental health as a maker, creator, artisan and founder.

In this episode, we are exploring the alchemy, the mystery and the magic of partnerships. For me it is such an intriguing element of creativity and of entrepreneurship. How do they work? Is it about divide and conquer? is it about contrast, connection and friendship? How are decisions made and conflicts resolved? How can you nurture and enliven them in the long term? How do they impact creativity? Can they be more profitable? Faster moving? More impactful? 

We are very lucky that in this episode we are joined by Arabella Preston and Charlotte Semler co-founders of two brands - Votary and Verden. Both of these brands are elegant, intelligent, considered and clean. Both have strong identities, stories and frankly cult followings. 

This is the story of a professional relationship that became a friendship. A chance conversation about skincare became a walk around the Selfridges beauty hall and then that moment of 'shall we?'. Skincare brand Votary was launched in 2015 and thrived. Some years later in 2021, Verden was launched offering fragrance for bath, body and home.

We are going to explore these two exemplary brands, their story, their interrelationship and the partnership that binds all of this together. So if you have ever had that moment of wondering about someone that you would like to go into business with or if you are ten years down the line and simply interested to know how others share decisions, celebrate their differences and relate to risk and to failure and chance, then this is for you. 

Votary: www.votary.co.uk
Verden: www.verden.world

In this episode I speak with Pip Durell founder of With Nothing Underneath to explore having singular focus at your business grows, how to lead, the reality of what it takes and how to celebrate the journey .

Start ups are exciting and much discussed but there is something particularly intriguing about those companies that make it to adolescence. You realise what really matters, you start to understand yourself better, you analyse what ‘works’ more effectively, your team becomes increasingly essential, your confidence grows, so does the risk. In my experience, something happens at around the five to seven year mark. And that is where we meet today’s guest. Pip Durrell is the founder of With Nothing Underneath.

I’m sure that she needs no introduction. Her shirts are renowned. Her Instagram feed documents life as the founder of one of the most successful brands in this generation; we feel that we know her. Her beautiful shirts are worn far and wide by the great and the good, I imagine her enviable press clippings as a teetering mountain and her Elizabeth Street shop is delight. Beauty and brains – the ultimate combination sit at the core of this brand. Perhaps that’s its magic. The style, the glamour, the beautiful women sit confidently alongside BCorp status.

Too often, people feel that talent is enough. That creativity is enough. That financial investment is enough. That great connections are enough. None of these are true. Dedication is the name of the game. And Pip demonstrates that dedication consistently. This isn’t luck. This is grit. 

In this episode, we talk about doing one thing well. Dedicating yourself to one thing and having singular focus. We are going to find out about the With Nothing Underneath Woman. The value of bricks and mortar. Sticking with a singular vision despite all the distractions and temptations. And what’s next for this adolescent brand. 

With Nothing Underneath: www.withnothingunderneath.com

Gemma Moulton is the founder of East London Cloth. Gemma has crafted a visual narrative, a sensibility, a place and space all of her very own. It is both timeless and of the moment. It draws intelligently and interestingly on the past. The business has evolved quickly from making curtains, to café curtains by post and now as a fabric house of its very own. East London Cloth has made the old, new.

Time. The Right Time. Good Timing. The Right Moment. The Passage Of Time. The Right Age. Time is money. Time flies. In the nick of time. Time For A Change. Timing and business. It’s something that I think of often. It is often the olive in the martini. Get the timing right and talent sings, businesses flourish. Gemma Moulton has a great sense of time and of timing.

In the spirit of making Up With The Lark And a more interactive experience, I asked you what you’d like to ask Gemma. And without fail, every question related to her sense of style, her confident aesthetic, the space she has created. So in this episode, we are lucky enough to be able to ask Gemma all about her distinct visual narrative, her space in East London, the fabric collection, the photography and how she has made the old new in each and every area of the business.

East London Cloth: www.eastlondoncloth.co.uk

We ask Ben Watkinson, Creative Director of GF Smith, about the power of paper, the work of a paper merchant, resilience, innovation, company culture, longevity and what the next one hundred years might bring.

When I begin work with a new client, their specific understanding of success is a vital first step. Often I find myself ushering people towards adding ‘longevity’ to the list. In an era where everything seems to happen ever faster, comparison is rife and the state of the world makes it hard to visualise what the future will hold, this is not an easy aspiration to have. But it is a highly valuable one. 

Today’s guest certainly has achieved it. Let me take you back to 1885. George V was on the throne here, Mark Twain published Huckleberry Finn, the football association recognised professional footballers, the Glasgow Boys first exhibited collectively and George Frederick Smith founded a new paper merchant called GF Smith and S on to supply printers with the finest papers.

For over 135 years, GF Smith has been obsessed with the simple beauty and limitless possibilities of paper. Their desire is that, through the hands of the design community, they can bring creativity to life and constantly innovate with one of the world’s oldest materials.

Today’s guest is one of the custodians of this great legacy. Ben Watkinson is the Creative Director of GFSmith. ‘Founded in 1885’ isn’t a marketing slogan; it’s an approach to doing business.

If curiosity is your north star, you will enjoy this. How does being self-taught impact the life of a creative entrepreneur?

Those who live a life of creativity are often driven by something quite simple - curiosity, wonder and questioning. There is an innate desire to want to understand something, to work something out, to communicate and to explore. 

For some, this takes them on a path to art school, to foundation degrees, exams, tests, the affirmation of professors and educators. For others, the path is all together quite different. This is the path of the self-taught creative. It is this enticing topic that we are going to explore today. What prompts someone to explore a particular creative path or discipline? What encourages them to make it their livelihood? Where do you begin? How do you put ideas into practice? What part does the recognition of your peers play? When do you feel successful? How do you retain that desire to learn when you are further down the line? Too often we hear about the glory moments, the highlights, the 'ta da' experiences. But in this episode, I am delighted that we are going to hear about the journey, the approach, the grit and the reality. And, of course, some of those fabulous 'ta da' moments too. 

We are joined by Nicholas Balfe, founder and chef director of Holm in Somerset. He is a self-taught chef and his story is a fantastic one. Holm can be found in a former bank in a quaint Somerset village. It is inspired by nature, its surroundings and is driven by provenance, sustainability and warm hospitality. It is enticing and beautiful. I imagine it to be the physical representation of Nicholas' curiosity. 

How to ignite original thinking to action and how to keep that independence of thought at the heart of all you do as your businees grows. 

I think that we would all liked to be described as original. I think we also like to think that our designs, branding, website, shop or investment strategy meet that threshold too. But it is a high one. There are certainly those who veer away from the herd, who shake off what is expected and forge their own path, laying brick by brick by brick. These people imagine, test, mess up, question, engage, focus and encourage. So while todays guest might not fit squarely into the ‘creative arts’ sector, I was so intrigued by the concept that I couldn’t resist a chat. 

Lauren Scott-Harris is the founder of EARNT. To my mind, EARNT is a verb. It is an attitude, a movement, a community of change makers who believe that actions speak louder than money. They help brands unite with causes to get good things done. Those that take part gain access to the best limited editions, the most sought after experiences and widely coveted tickets - creating a new kind of VIP. With some great early adopters, such as the River Café and Desmond and Dempsy, the concept is evolving and growing.

This is an idea built on belonging, on using influence to actually do something and of making that set of ideals a practical one. We are going to find out about where the idea came from, what the early years have been like, the contradictions and challenges they face, how we can test original thinking and keep independence of thought alive as the inevitable growing pains kick in.

Earnt - www.earnt.co.uk

How do we tune into clients? How can we read them quickly? How can we take feedback well? How can we be collaborative? How can we help them tell their story?

I always enjoy the dedications and acknowledgements in books. Such hidden treasures. Recently, I had the pleasure of wolfing down Thomas Heatherwick’s latest book ‘Humanise – a Maker’s Guide To Building Our World’.  It is a point of view. A statement of intent. Perhaps, a manifesto. I have re-read it a few times, it is a spine broken, weighted with post its, lines and scribbles in margins favourite. And as I dove into the acknowledgements, I found a line which prompted today’s conversation:

"Thank you to Ben Prescott, the book's designer, [who] was wonderfully collaborative and intuitively understood what I have been trying to express."

And I am delighted to say that we have graphic designer and founder of BPD, Ben Prescott joining us today to explore that very point.

Ben Prescott is the salt in the recipe when it comes to brand building. Vital. Unassuming. Impactful. His approach is thoughtful, quiet, with a range of references so broad ranging and enticing that his presentations are works of art in and of themselves. He reads people with ease and draws their story onto the page, the website, the packaging, the shop window. He is commercially mindful and excellent at the tangible, the hold it in your hand, the it will last and last. What he does, works.

BPD has worked with brands including Marfa Stance, Alex Eagle, Kinjo, the V&A, Broadwick Hotel in Soho, Twig Hutchinson and the Festival of Fashion at the Fife Arms. And in each and every instance, he has shown true expertise in reading the client.

We are going to examine that idea, the importance, the relevance, the practical application of reading clients, understanding briefs and taking feedback. Whether you are on the service side of the arts or someone who commissions, collaborates or briefs others, you are going to enjoy this one.