INTERVIEW
Face to Face with Jo Hooper, Founder of NRBY
We so enjoy speaking to the founders of brands that we love and admire. One of these is NRBY, launched by Jo Hooper in 2019. Many of the values that lie at the heart of NRBY resonate very strongly with us, particularly Jo’s take on a new informal luxury, her focus on textural, sensorial feel good materials, her reframing of comfort as an aspirational lifestyle choice, eschewing of ephemeral trends, and a brand that is defined by an inclusive attitude not by age. Here we talk to Jo to find out more...
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IM I would love to know more about your inspiration behind the brand, and where you felt the gap was when you launched in 2019?
JH I was on a trip to New York and my inspiration came from a sense of the zeitgeist of a desire to kick back, a feeling at home, a sense of joyful personality, a desire for a sense of wellness. With, even then, with more women working from home, there was a sense that things were changing, women were dressing differently, and were looking for everyday solutions that made them both feel and look good. I really felt passionate about the ‘noble’ natural fibres, cashmere, silk and cotton, fabrics that last and endure. We pursued a spirit of lightness and brightness, colour and texture.
IM Lots of brands are collaborating with other brands to create interest, what is the NRBY take on ‘ brand buddy ups’?
JH Our collaborations really express who we are, and are born out of shared passions. I have always been passionate about ballet, so our collaboration with The Royal Ballet world renowned Principal Dancer Marianela Nunez feels authentic, rather than a forced brand ‘buddy up’. Nela is a wonderful brand ambassador for us, and a genuine friend of the brand. The way that she moves and wears NRBY, is a real joy and pleasure. I think this says a lot brand about us as a brand, that a collaboration that is about embracing the world of art and culture is so much more powerful and emotionally resonant for our customers.
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IM I read an interview where you talked about one-mile dressing. Do you think that this concept is more resonant now?
JH Definitely, the name gives it away, NRBY (nearby), where women can wear pieces that take them effortlessly from home to work, for coffee, for meeting friends, in a way that they feel ‘pulled together’ and confident, every day.
IM You talk a lot about an ageless approach, e.g. how your dungarees appeal to women from 17-70. It feels as if the brand is more about capturing an attitude rather than age…Could you elaborate a bit more on this? It seems as if this is a trend in the market, this notion that age is increasingly irrelevant.
JH Even in the recent past women would get to a certain age and feel that they had to dress in a certain way and conform to an idea of what they should be wearing. The rules have changed now, and there is more freedom to express oneself. However, with that also comes a certain degree of uncertainty about what to wear. This is where NRBY comes in. Our store team are very skilled in encouraging customers to try new things, and discovering for themselves that they can look great in pieces that perhaps they would not have tried if they had not had inspiration from the store team, in a way that really gives the customer confidence. One of our customers recently wore our velvet trouser suit to her investiture and said she felt fabulous, confident, yes, but also, a little bit quirky, funky and unexpected, where she was felt she was doing things her way.
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IM So, if age is not a determinant of what defines the NRBY customer. Is there anything that you feel does characterise them?
JH They are most definitely a broad church. They do have a desire and appetite for something different, but most of all an appreciation of quality, and an understanding of what true value is. They appreciate that they are buying pieces that will last and last, and can be handed on. They understand that there is a cost attached to the fabrics we use, and our attention to detail such as our French seams.
IM You talk a lot about comfort/ease effortlessness, but with spirit, a stylish, energising comfort, reframing the idea of comfort not as passive, but rather comfort as something active, that allows us to live life to the full.
JH Comfort is a key consideration for us. A perfect example is our velvet jacket. It is cut in a way that feels really relaxed and comfortable, it can be dressed up with velvet trousers and heels, or jeans, t shirt and trainers. It also feels now that with the growth of active wear, there is greater appreciation of the importance of comfort, and performance from our clothes. We want pieces that work with our bodies not against, where we can move freely, effortlessly and easily.
IM So NRBY is not about being trends led, but more about personal expression, and an independent mindset. A more timeless approach?
JH Obviously we have an eye on general fashion trends, and it is vital for us to keep moving on and remain relevant but most definitely we plough our own furrow. I am really inspired for example by DrIes van Noten, where there is a sense of craft, gorgeousness, decoration, and an idea of pieces that are loved and worn forever. The aesthetic is colourful with exquisite attention to detail.
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IM It feels that the brand has a very sensorial dimension, tactility, and a richness of texture, not just look great, but feel great. Was that something integral to your original thinking?
JH From the outset we have embraced natural materials, not only because they feel good, and they last, but also that they take colour and print so beautifully well, and make the colour and prints sing, and colour and print are so important to NRBY and to our customers. For example, we have avoided, although it was a trend that endured for some time, the ubiquitous, ‘ditsy floral’. Our prints are more distinctive, more colourful and painterly, more about an artistic mark making, which definitely helps to set us apart, and offer our customers something genuinely different, special and unique.
IM You have also embraced bold colour, again, was that something that was important in expressing a bolder/less neutral, more visible presence for not only the brand, but your customer?
JH Definitely, as a brand we absolutely steer away from neutrals. It is interesting that in periods where the economy is more challenging fashion brands tend to retreat into the safety of neutrals. We embrace colour wholeheartedly, and find it more joyful and uplifting. Our colour palette is very clean and pure, bright, not muted and joyful. We went to the Kaffe Fassett exhibition and found it so inspiring, his use of colour, which is so optimistic, celebratory, and this is something that our customers really love.
IM You talk a lot about having less, rather than more, fewer better things. Pieces that we treasure and love and make us feel special, and bring us joy? genuine value…, would you say that defines the NRBY take on sustainability?
JH Our take on sustainability is that it is really difficult for customers to navigate the complexities of the sourcing and sustainability principles of brands. Rather, we believe it is about changing customer behaviour so that they seek out brands that will last, that will continue to look and feel great, rather than a disposable mind set. Our wish is that our customers wear our pieces and gain huge amounts of pleasure and joy, and then pass them on for others to enjoy.
IM You have a modern take on luxury, more informal, relaxed, not so formal, and aligns NRBY, with other, very successful brands who have adopted a similar approach, like The Pig for example. How important is that to how you define where the brand sits in the market?
JH The notion of what luxury truly is has most definitely changed. For me luxury is a moment where I can have another cup of coffee, and enjoy a moment where I am not rushing onto the next thing. I think it is also about the versatility of the pieces that we own, and how they make us feel special, like our beautiful velvet opera coat. This for us is a signature pieces where it can be worn and enjoyed in many different situations, such as weddings, as well as a dressed-up night out where we might want to feel more informal. I believe this is a more thoughtful approach, which speaks to a new luxury mindset.
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IM Why did you decide to open a store? What role do you see your store performing?
JH The stores are a really important touchpoint for us, and we really believe in the power of the one to one relationship with our customers, and the chance to engage with them IRL.
Stores are also an opportunity to express another dimension of our brand. So, for example in our new store in Kings Road due to open in a few weeks’ time, we have chosen beautiful found vintage pieces, that align with our values of surrounding ourselves with things that last, and are beautiful forever. We want our customers to dwell, and enjoy the time they spend with us. We won’t have a conventional cash desk, but rather, we found a lovely vintage drinks cabinet, that will also double up as a wrap desk, whilst our customers can enjoy comfortable seating and a really relaxed space, where we can get to know our customers even better in an environment which is fun and surprising and an experience of positive reinforcement of our brand spirit; friendly, personal, open and easy.
IM Can you tell us a bit about how you chose your location for your store, and the thinking behind being in very much a neighbourhood location, where it feels more local, personal, with a strong sense of service.
JH Neighbourhood, and ‘nearness’ is a principle that lies at the heart of the brand so we love the idea of local neighbourhood rather than conventional high streets, where we can meet our customers where they live, shop and play, where we walk towards them in their neighbourhoods.
IM Can you tell is a little more about the next phase for the brand? You obviously have a very strong brand story, a progressive, heritage brand, but looking forward, what does the future look like for NRBY?
JH We find that the bolder, and more courageous we are, the more customers love us, so there is a sense that we are in tune with what our customers are looking for. We want to grow organically, where we build our brand community, and increase our visibility. I think the idea of grand long-term plans and fixed strategies are less relevant in a world that changes so quickly and where new challenges emerge every day. We are fortunate in that we are a small, agile, tight team, that can move and adapt quickly. That is really important to the culture of our business, where can maintain a sense of fun, and enjoyment of working together. We obviously get offered a lot of opportunities, but we reflect carefully on those, and only pursue those that feel right for us, and partnerships that align with our values as a business. We rely, as a team, very much on intuition and trusting our instinct, which has served us really well to date.
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