Jo Tutchener Sharp discusses developments and plans for Scamp & Dude, her unisex, ‘superpower infused’ clothing brand for kids and grown-ups.
Laura Turner: Can you tell me about the recent appointments at Scamp & Dude?
Jo Tutchener Sharp: We’ve grown rapidly over the last 12 months, so to make sure that level of growth was sustainable I invested in the team. Customer service is crucial, so we’ve upgraded our capability by hiring an expert in the form of Rebecca Pendlebury. Rebecca has 17 years’ experience running customer service teams, most recently as head of customer service for Henri Lloyd.
The next area I chose to invest in was marketing. Previously I’d been doing all the marketing, social and PR myself, as well as running the brand and designing the collections. As Scamp & Dude grew, this was no longer sustainable. Gemma Wells, former marketing manager for Topshop, now runs our marketing.
Fiona Parker, previously head of buying at Cath Kidston, has also joined as head of buying. She manages the production process and will locate and manage new factories for the new product categories.
LT: You recently opened your first standalone store in London. What led to this decision?
JTS: We were growing and I was hiring an in-house team – rather than working with remote freelancers – so I needed a physical space. I was originally looking for a studio, but a shop became available in Highgate with office space below it. It seemed like the perfect solution as the sales from the shop cover the rent for the office. As well as making financial sense, it’s also great to meet our customers face to face and have a branded space for meetings.
LT: What’s the store like?
JTS: It’s small, but vibrant and full of life. We painted the walls our signature pale green with flashes of neon pink and leopard and lightning bolt decals; I don’t think Highgate Village knew what hit it when we moved in! Our own branded collection makes up 95% of sales, the rest is from other brands such as Meri Meri, Maileg and Anya Hindmarch candles.
LT: Do you plan to open more shops?
JTS: As a family we are considering moving out of London. If we do, I may potentially open another wherever I end up, so I have a shop close to me as well as the Highgate store. I would love the next space to be bigger so that we can have more fun with the space and hold in-store events.
LT: Can you tell me about your current collaboration with Cowshed?
JTS: Before launching Scamp & Dude I ran my own PR agency, which I’d opened 10 years previously. One of my first clients was Cowshed, so it has always been on my radar. Cowshed creates natural but effective beauty products, so it was the obvious choice for a collaboration when I came up with the idea for my Superpower Spray. Plus, I really love the ethos, design, formulas and the story behind the brand.
LT: Do you have any other collaborations lined up?
JTS: Yes, we are collaborating with Superga to create some trainers for babies, kids and grown-ups, which launch on 1 September.
LT: What percentage of your business is wholesale?
JTS: We have 15 stockists including Liberty, Selfridges, Harrods and Alex & Alexa. We are also launching into John Lewis this month. Not including John Lewis, 90% of sales are currently via our website and 10% wholesale.
We are also working on a wholesale strategy for launching into the US and Australia, but we don’t want to rush into it, it needs to be done properly. I think it is essential to really understand a market before entering, supporting the launch with marketing and PR to give it the best possible chance of making a mark and succeeding.
LT: You recently completed your second year of trading with a 268% increase in turnover taking you over one million. Where have you seen the most growth?
JTS: Web sales have grown the most – 90% of our business has been on our own website, although this will change slightly when we launch into John Lewis. The adults’ collection has also seen rapid growth.
LT: Is social media important to Scamp & Dude?
JTS: Absolutely, the community we’ve built on Instagram in particular has played a huge part in our growth and success. We have a very engaged, loyal, vocal and supportive community and always include them in decision making so that they really feel part of the brand.
LT: What are your views on sustainable fashion?
JTS: It is vital that we all do what we can to ensure the fashion industry becomes more sustainable. This is a big focus for us and I strongly believe it should be for all fashion brands, big or small.
LT: Are you bringing out any new ranges?
JTS: We are currently launching a new beach collection – kaftans, sarongs, shorts and vests – as well as kids’ and women’s dresses for the first time. We’re introducing a collection of socks for Back to School and a backpack, too. New styles and lines for a/w 19 include jackets and a nightwear collection.
