Business

A flair for fashion

Published 31 January 2011

University of Brighton graduate Juliette Offenbach knew for sure that her fashion business was a success when Cheryl Cole rang and asked for her leopard linen 1950's style dress, which she wore on the last X-Factor.

Juliette said: "Cheryl saw a picture of it and called up saying she had to have it. I had to make a special one just for her as she's so tiny! It was amazing, as I'm a big fan. It also really helped to raise awareness about my brand."

Fashion has always been Juliette's first love. Both her parents were in the industry and all her work experience as a teenager involved fashion.

After school, she worked in different parts of the industry, including stints on the Daily Mail and the Telegraph's fashion desks, but felt she needed more business understanding before she could set up her own fashion label. So she started a business studies degree at the University of Brighton.

She did a sandwich course so she could do a year of work while she was studying and, after graduating in 2004, her first job after Brighton was at her placement, working for Condé Nast's Traveller magazine as a fashion stylist. She travelled the world and worked under an inspirational style director.

After Traveller magazine, she worked as a freelance stylist, styling the likes of Clive Owen, Daniel Radcliffe, Naomi Watts and Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt asked her to cut off a tag on his Galliano trousers: "I waited for him to take the trousers off, only to be told he that I should just cut it off with him still in them. There I was, scissors in hand, shaking and cutting the label off his crotch! All I was thinking was 'oh God please don't let me cut this perfect man'. Thankfully, he survived intact."

Her work as a stylist made her realise that much of women's fashion doesn't flatter their bodies. She thought she could do better and make more original clothes. So she started Pink Label London.

In the last year she has collaborated with best friend Charlotte Olympia on the 1950's-inspired outfits and is about to launch a bridal range.

Her advice for anyone who wants to work in the fashion industry is to get as much work experience as possible. She said: "This business is hard work, but I wouldn't want to do anything else."