We caught up with Frannie Liddle, co-founder of Window Fleur to discuss her brand, her style and of course, sustainability.
You launched your own business, Window Fleur, in the midst of a pandemic - how did this impact the way in which you established your brand?
Starting Window Fleur during the pandemic has made it a tough undertaking for sure! And you might not guess this but the greatest challenge of all has been getting our hands on the plants themselves. As plant lovers, it’s been great to see a huge boom when it comes to interest in gardening but this has put massive pressure on the plant suppliers - with some of the biggest players totally running out of plants! At the same time with so many events in the horticultural world's calendar cancelled, plant growers greatly reduced their growing numbers which again affected the plant supply later into the year. But we stayed positive and used that extra time to focus on our service and open some great dialogues with our customers to take their ideas on board to make Window Fleur a brand that not only brightens up peoples homes but really fits into peoples hectic lives. Each lockdown throws up a new set of challenges and setbacks but you just have to try and change your mindset and set different measurable for success. It’s all about those little wins.
How does your background in graphic design complement your work for Window Fleur?
Being a Graphic Designer has been a massive help when running Window Fleur. It allows me to create a lot of our design work myself, and gives me free rein to be as creative as possible with Window Fleur. My design training has also given me that eye for detail and colour which I hope is reflected in our plant choices and styling.
How do you sustainably source your materials?
We do our best to work with local suppliers, and ensure that all our packaging is fully recyclable. In all areas of the business we try very hard to consider sustainability, and the impact it may be having on our planet. We often choose plants that attract pollinators to try to increase their food supply in cities. We have created our summer ready-planted refill in collaboration with Burt's Bees!
In the horticulture world there can often be a lot of plant wastage, so we have partnered with a local charity where we donate any leftover stock and they use it in local community gardens around London.
How would you describe your personal everyday style?
The nature of my work is often very practical so I often pick an outfit that doesn’t get in the way during the day-comfort is key! Staples have got to be, a good pair of dungarees, layers to suit the temperamental English weather, all paired with some good gardening gloves... very glam! Fashion has got to be one of my greatest loves so I try to make sure the most functional and versatile work look still has a fun, and fashionable element. Even though at the end of most days I'm totally covered in soil, I still try to enjoy all my clothes and not split my wardrobe into work wear-something that’s a plus side to not working in an office! Everything goes in the wash and comes out as good as new.
What are your top tips on how to live a more sustainable everyday life?
I always have a bag for life in my handbag so even when I do a last minute pop to the shop, I don't ever need to use a plastic bag. During lockdown I fell in love with walking, so I now try and walk everywhere I can, to reduce my carbon footprint.
Which is your favourite Oramai piece and why?
It's got to be the 'Cartagena Dress' it's so effortlessly beautiful and cool for these hotter summer months!
Frannie is wearing our hand-embroidered 'Plant a Tree' T-Shirt made by our charity collaboration with Saheli women.
