Alice Ruby Ross & Rebecca Monserat on bedtime magic, the 'Forivor' story, and creating with care

In this episode of Out of the Clouds, host Anne Mühlethaler welcomes Alice Ruby Ross and Rebecca Monserat, the founders of Forivor, an award-winning sustainable children's brand known for its innovative, dual-sided bedding designs that transform from educational nature scenes by day to magical, enchanted worlds by night.

To begin, Rebecca and Alice share their fascinating personal journeys and how they crossed paths and led to their working together and their wonderful friendship. As they tell it in their own words, it all started with Rebecca growing up in a 400-year-old house without electricity and surrounded by nature in rural Wales and Alice being raised in West London in a creative Anglo-Indian family where their dining table was the center of artistic expression. The pair describe how they first met (through a mutual friend named Roxy), and what was initially a professional relationship quickly evolved into a deep friendship and business partnership that has sustained them through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.

The conversation turns to the origin story of their brand. It began with Rebecca having a half-awake vision while trying to write a story for her goddaughter while on a train journey that was taking her from London to Hong Kong. The products she dreamt up — children’s bedding — originally featured a unique day and night concept, with one side depicting accurate natural landscapes with hidden wildlife, accompanied by educational fact cards, while the other side transforming those same creatures into mystical creatures with enchanting stories. The brand name is a tribute to Rebecca's father, Ivor (as in, “for Ivor”), who passed away in 2005. 

The two founders then tell Anne about their in-person research process, which included visiting the Anglesey Sea Zoo to observe British marine wildlife for their "Legends of the Sea" collection, and how their immersive approach brings authenticity to their designs. And Alice, who creates all the illustrations, explains the delicate balance of making the creatures on their bedding designs both scientifically accurate and magically transformed, while Rebecca details the educational components that connect children to the natural world.

The pair also candidly address the challenges of working toward sustainable manufacturing, particularly their ongoing efforts to eliminate plastic from their supply chain and create products with minimal environmental impact. They articulate an acute awareness of the irony in their efforts to try and save the planet while simultaneously creating more products — a tension they navigate thoughtfully by focusing on longevity, education and exploring how their brand concept might live beyond physical goods and focusing on quality of life over forever growth. They summarise their philosophy as such: "The business is there for us to enjoy our life within it, not for us to serve the business." naming their approach prioritising creative fulfillment and. As Alice and Rebecca look to the future, they share their desire to expand Forivor's mission beyond products, potentially through workshops and experiential offerings like a Forivor Camp where children can connect directly with nature.

Throughout the conversation, Alice and Rebecca describe their work as "an ode to children's imagination," meant to celebrate the magical thinking that comes so naturally to young minds while also nurturing their connection to the natural world. The interview concludes with the three women reflecting on what grounds them (nature for Rebecca and people-watching for Alice) and what brings them happiness.

A warm, inspiring conversation with two talented women whose friendship is a bedrock for creativity, sustainability and the power of storytelling to connect children with the natural world.

Selected links from episode

• Forivor website
• Anglesey Zoo - Where they researched marine wildlife for their "Legends of the Sea" collection
• Environmental Justice Foundation - Where Rebecca previously worked
• Katharine Hamnett - Designer Rebecca worked with
• X-Trillion - Documentary about plastic pollution by Eleanor Church
• The Great Pacific Garbage Patch - Referenced when discussing plastic pollution
• House of Hackney - Company that gives the environment a place on their board
• Faith & Nature - First company to give nature a seat on their board
• Fashion Reimagined - Documentary about sustainable fashion featuring Amy Powney
• Mother of Pearl - Amy Powney's sustainable fashion brand
• "My Family and Other Animals" by Gerald Durrell - Rebecca's favorite book
• "Magical Changes" by Graham Oakley - Alice's favorite book
• "Trouble for Trumpets" - Book that inspired aspects of Forivor designs
• The Beatles "Blackbird" - Song that represents Rebecca
• Eric Clapton "Promises" - Song that represents Alice
• The playlist from guests of Out of The Clouds answering ‘What song best represents you?’

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