Oh Faune, what can I say about this stunningly beautiful UK brand? If you are not already aware of their dreamy nightwear then you really must follow them on Instagram as, like I did, you will fall in love with their exquisite pieces (far too pretty to be worn just for bed). Delia and Nicola, the founders, both have a love of vintage and fashion and after having their own children realised there was a real lack of traditional, appealing and comfortable children’s nightwear available and so Faune was born (you can read more about their story and ethos here). Think vintage inspired, functional and yet delightful pieces, with the most sublime attention to detail (cotton lace trims, mother of pearl buttons and scalloped cotton lace). Each style is made from 100% pure cotton ensuring breathabilty and softness against a child’s young skin. When I met these two ladies in real life at the Shop Up event last Christmas, I was struck by how smiley, helpful and just generally lovely they were.
When and how did you 1st come up with the idea of Faune?
It was at the end of the Summer 2016. Like most working mothers we were struggling with our work life balance and needed a change. We have been friends since the age of 11, sharing a love of fashion and vintage growing up and so it seemed like the natural progression to start something together. Having both already resigned from our jobs it seemed like a now or never moment! It was very scary to leave behind the security of paid employment but also very exciting to start this new adventure with your best friend. The idea of Faune came from our own frustration of the lack of good quality traditional nightwear for our daughters and we noticed a gap in the market. We also wanted the dresses to be versatile for both night and day. After we found a beautiful Victorian nightdress at a flea market we knew this was what we had to do! It just evolved from there.
What were you doing before Faune?
Nicola still is a freelance womenswear fashion designer and Delia headed up a partnership team at a media communications agency.
How do you juggle family life with working at Faune? Any tips for my readers.
It is very hard to be honest as we only launched at the end of October last year and so are not in a place to pay for childcare. Luckily all our children are at school but it is suprising how quickly those 6 hours go! We often find ourselves working late at night and we are still trying to navigate school holidays! When starting Faune it was important that we fitted the business around our children and so wanted to make sure we were there for the school runs and be available for any school trips or events. It can be very hard at times to juggle everything but we are very lucky to have supportive husbands and family close by. Hopefully as we build the business and grow it will become easier to manage.
We decided from the start that weekends should be kept as family time which we try and stick to unless there is an emergency. It is important to make time for your family from the beginning as this was the initial reason for having our own business
What’s the best bit of running your own business?
Being your own boss. We can work appointments and meetings around school hours which is perfect. It is an amazing feeling watching a dream or an idea turn into reality and even better when you get do it with your best friend!
And the worst?
Never switching off!
6. What advice do you have for people wanting to launch their own business?
Research, research and research! It is so important to see what else is out there and what your competitors are doing. Take your time and don’t launch until you are completely ready, have patience and don’t run before you can walk. Always follow your instinct – if something doesn’t feel right then don’t do it.
Also, protect your brand. This is your baby and you need to look after it and grow it. Stay true to what you first set out to do and don’t get distracted along the way.
What are your favourite things on your site this season?
It is so hard to choose as we really do love them all. The Wren is the obvious choice for both of us as it such beautiful design and our brands signature style. It can easily be worn as a dress too which is an added bonus!
(Delia) My other favourite is the Skylark PJ’s. They are such a gorgeous shape and great for girls who still like pretty clothes but don’t want to wear dresses anymore. My daughter will most definitely be wearing the top with denim shorts in the summer.
(Nicola) I love the Sparrow. The intricate embroidery on the front is just so pretty and reminds me of a vintage blouse I bought from a Parisian Flee market years ago. This style looks beautiful on my daughters.
On an even more exciting note Faune will be launching their boys PJ’s collection in the summer.
Faune have very kindly offered up one of their bed jackets (The Willow worth £68) as a competition prize, hop on over to Instagram for details.
Shelley x
