Founder of Velvet By Graham and Spencer, Jenny Graham, sat down with stylist Julia May Morgan to share her expert tips on how to shop, how Velvet has grown and where Jenny gets her inspiration from.
“The original premise was that we would design these twelve bodies and just change up the colour from season to season. Well, that was short-lived because when we showed them to buyers the first time, the response was so positive. I’ll never forget sitting in my tiny booth, surrounded by t-shirts, and this woman came in and was asking me questions, curious about the brand. She finally told me she was from Harvey Nichols and I almost fell off my chair! They ordered the whole first collection and that was a really big deal for me.”
“My favourite part of my job is still the creative process, watching a collection evolve from tiny swatches, colour chips and inspo boards to a final look book”. And she still considers it a family affair.
“I feel so lucky to be able to bear the fruits of years of hard work. Every morning when I walk into my office through the production factory, I know everybody’s names and some of them have worked with me for 30 years. When my daughter Anna was little, she used to run up to women on the street and say, ‘you’re wearing my Mummy’s jacket’. I still get a rush to this day when I spot someone in Velvet.”
When it comes to accessories, Jenny advises on keeping things simple. “I usually wear tiny gold studs that I picked up years ago at a piercing shop on Melrose. I think they were five dollars and I’ve had them forever. To switch it up, try some streamlined gold hoops.”
Always invest in great jeans: “Forget trying all the trends; find a silhouette that works on your figure and style around it. Aside from Velvet (of course) I like Acne and Frame denim. The darker the wash, the easier they are to dress up.”
If in doubt, keep it simple: “I have tonnes of tees (obviously) but try to keep my colour palette to white, black and navy. I always wash my whites separately, so they last and don’t yellow.”
Read more over at julia-edits.com
