“An urban explorer is someone who enjoys traveling around the world – seeing it, living it and eating it. They try to experience everything they can.”

Daisy Knatchbull

Founder of The Deck

Our Urban Explorer

Could you please introduce yourself to our guests?

I’m Daisy and I am the Founder of The Deck London.

Tell us more about the ethos behind your brand, The Deck.

First of all, our brand is made exclusively for women. There are so many pillars to our business, one of which being empowerment and giving our customers strength by helping them look their best, feel confident and dress the way they want to. Sustainability has also played a significant part in our brand, where we only work with natural fibers and incredible craftsmen that make only what is ordered so there is zero wastage. At The Deck, we also believe in longevity, versatility and durability. We create timeless, quality pieces that can be worn from day to night, passed down from one generation to the next, and we offer complimentary repairs for life to our customers so they can wear these pieces again and again. Since the pandemic, many people are tired of spending a lot of money on one item for an event. Rather, they want something that they can wear and build as the foundation of their capsule wardrobe that is going to last for generations and take them to every occasion.

Your love for fashion is evident in your career choices – from fashion journalism to styling and public relations. When did you first realise that you wanted to pursue a career in fashion?

I have always loved clothing and fashion as far back as I could remember. Being surrounded by all these beautiful things was really inspiring to me and so I gravitated towards this career path. My father always told me that the best way to understand any industry is to immerse yourself in all facets and really understand it. Hence, I went into styling, fashion journalism and PR to understand the industry from all angles, and where I wanted to sit. Through this, I gained a plethora of work experience that really gave me an eye for fashion and to really look for a unique gap in a saturated womenswear market.

Where did you get the idea to start your own brand The Deck?

I always wanted to make a difference in womenswear, and it is surprisingly through working in menswear and understanding the attention to detail and tailoring that allowed me to discover a niche in the womenswear market. At the time, I took a job as a PR Coordinator for Huntsman & Sons, a renowned men’s tailor on Savile Row, where I had such a profound experience learning about the exquisite craftsmanship that went into making a suit. I worked there for six years, and worked my way up to becoming the Communications Director. In 2016, I attended the Royal Ascot wearing a top hat and tails, which had never been done before, and it received plenty of press and positive feedback from other women. This confirmed to me that there was a suit shape gap, in menswear, but for women.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learnt as an entrepreneur so far?

The most important lesson I’ve learnt is that you can’t please everyone. That was a big one for me, as I always grew up with a slightly people pleasing mentality. In business, you’ve got to make tough decisions, and we have gone through two of the worst periods: Brexit and the pandemic. It’s incredibly tough and hard decisions have to be made. No matter what you do, you will always have people that are unhappy with the decisions you make and you just need to ride that. Through this entire experience, I have also learnt to be more resilient and trust that nearly everything is solvable. Expect nothing or expect everything, and know that anything is possible – both in the good sense and the bad.

What does a day in the life of Ms. Daisy Knatchbull look like?

It really differs each day! It seems like I do a million things – from going to see a client at their home, to discuss what sort of fabric they want for their tenth suit, to being with someone who’s buying their first suit. Then the next minute, I will be exploring the city in search of cloths for our next designs. I am also in the shop a lot, doing over 10,000 steps in one day on Savile Row, which I love, all the while getting a lot of coffee in between!

What does” Urban Explorer” mean to you and how do you think you fit into this term?

An urban explorer is someone who enjoys traveling around the world – seeing it, living it and eating it. They try to experience everything they can. And there is nothing I love more than going abroad to a new city and discovering its culture, the people and its food scene. If you ask my friends, they will tell you that I am someone who is known to always find the weirdest and wackiest things to do in London. It is easy to stick to the same places you are familiarised with, but finding that weird, quirky bar or somewhere you have never gone before takes someone that is adventurous and constantly craving new experiences. To me, that is being an urban explorer.

The Power of a Suit

Fashion can be so many things to different people. It can be a form of self-expression, a way to reinvent oneself or simply to fit into society. What does fashion mean to you?

Fashion, to me, is a vehicle for self-expression. I have days where I want to take more risks with fashion and dress unconventionally. And there are days where I want to feel comfy and tucked in, depending on my mood and the way I am feeling. In another sense, fashion is about supporting the planet. I genuinely think that if you are a fashion brand, you have a responsibility to allow future generations to enjoy this planet. I understand that not everyone can afford sustainable fashion but there are sustainable practices you can adopt, like buy once and look after it. There are many consumers who prefer fast fashion but if you are going to buy it, I believe that it is so important to learn to care for it, repair it, reuse it, and pair it with other outfits. I do believe that fashion is something that transcends seasonal style.

You are always so well-dressed and looking super confident and comfortable in a suit! Where does your fashion inspiration come from?

I think my own personal sense of style is quite androgynous and eclectic. There are some great women through history that have inspired me like Katharine Hepburn and Lauren Hutton, as well as some great designers I really admire like Diane von Furstenberg and Ralph Lauren. These incredible people have inspired me for different reasons, whether it be building a business or how to get the perfect drape. There are other brands and designers like Celine, Phoebe Philo, The Row that have given me inspiration in one way or another.

As an urban explorer yourself living in London, where do find inspiration when you feel stuck?

The Nudge is a very good website that I use a lot to find out what interesting things are happening in London. I also get a lot of inspiration from Instagram, recommendations from friends and also simply by walking a lot in different neighbourhoods where you will spot a gem in the city like a quirky little bar or delicious dumpling shop that you have never heard of in your life. Being in the midst of a lockdown, you suddenly have the time to walk around and really see and discover the city on foot more.

You’ve reached numerous accomplishments, but one of your greatest to date must be launching The Deck, the first women’s tailoring house on Savile Row. How does it feel to be the first women’s tailoring house on such an iconic and historical street?

It is such an incredible feeling to be amongst these industry titans, so to speak. This is the beating heart of British craftsmanship. For me, it was really important for The Deck to establish a home that would be here in 100 years’ time. I want The Deck to be a brand of tomorrow and I think that the best way to put it on the map is to be surrounded by these bastions.

As an entrepreneur and designer, what is the single best piece of advice you can give someone who is looking to start their own business endeavour?

My advice would be to build a great mentor network, and to not be afraid to reach out to people that inspire you. At The Deck, we advocate and support young women in business so I have set up a female founder’s network to empower other females in the industry or who are just starting out. We often think that the people we look up to are too busy to sit down for a quick chat and coffee, but you will be surprised by how many of these inspiring leaders make time. So overall, my advice to those looking to start their own business is to reach out to those that inspire you.

If you had the opportunity to do a cross-collaboration with any fashion brand, celebrity or organisation, who would you like to work with?

This year, I would like to take The Deck to a place where we do something that might be a little jarring or different, but still very true to our brand. We want to think outside the box, push the boundaries, and challenge the status quo. With this in mind, we are thrilled to be working together with certain collaborators this year, but I cannot mention one word yet so you will just have to watch this space!

Travel Inspiration

Where does your inspiration for travel come from?

Instagram is a great platform that fuels my travel inspiration. I think Instagram has the power to give people a lens into the incredible world that we live in when we become very insular. I am a little bit embarrassed to admit but I also use TikTok, something that I picked up during the pandemic, because I love the amazing video content that people create and really learning about the world seen through the eyes of these content creators! For example, understanding what this tiny town in the Philippines looks like and why I might want to go there, or what it looks like to dive with whale sharks.

What other destinations are on your bucket list?

There are so many places I would love to visit like Cappadocia in Turkey or The Galapagos Islands. Patagonia is also on my bucket list!

In 3 words, how would you describe London?

Cosmopolitan, Enigmatic, Multi-layered

Tags