Rosie Wolfenden and Harriet Vine started up their dream perspex jewellery business Tatty Devine after graduating from art college in 1999. When I met Rosie recently, several years since they bought their first shop in Brick Lane, things were beginning to really take off. I visited their store in Selfridges where you can watch your necklace be handmade by skilled laser cutting staff in front of your eyes. It’s a unique experience. Rosie has always felt that the space should be more than just a shop – it should be a meeting place to hear what their customers like and want.
“When we got our shop it enabled people to experience our ideas, our aesthetic. I think that was really important because word of mouth is really important. You’ve got to get out there and be seen – whether it’s a trade show, a shop or a website, it’s a meeting place and that’s key.”
And from their early days salvaging leather scraps from skips and bins, the duo have now been awarded MBEs in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for services to the fashion industry.
Truly fantastic news for two girls who are passionate about their products, staff and customers. If you follow your talents, that’s where it can take you.
The Tatty Devine online sale starts tomorrow.
The Tatty Devine story features in Start Your Dream Business published by Marshall Cavendish available in 2013 by Sarah Wade and Carole Ann Rice.
Find Your Dream Job 
Great to see that the book’s due for publication this year – well done!
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