#25 Simon Jablon - How I Built Luxury Brand Linda Farrow

Simon Jablon is the Owner and Creative Director of Linda Farrow. Simon’s mother (Linda) was a fashion designer in 1970's London, whose brand of luxury eyewear quickly rose to acclaim. However, the demands of raising a young family meant that her emerging business took a back seat and eventually lay dormant for 20 years.

Simon was fresh out of university when his parents asked him to clear out an old commercial warehouse in North London. It was there and then that he discovered boxes upon boxes of pristine vintage sunglasses that the family had completely forgotten about. His eyes lit up at the quality of what his mother had produced decades earlier, and despite close to zero industry knowledge or experience, he vowed to breathe new life into his mother’s creations.

This was back in 2003 and today, Linda Farrow is one of the most respected luxury eyewear brands in the world of high fashion, with flagship stores in some of the most valuable real estate in the world. Their designs are worn by everyone from Lady Gaga, to Beyonce, to Rihanna.

If you’re not well-versed in the fashion world or the luxury goods space, do not worry. It doesn’t matter. This podcast is a brilliant entrepreneurial story and it strikes at the heart of what it takes to build a brand from the ground up. From forgotten treasures in a dusty warehouse,  to a business of global significance. It’s about passion, drive, and walking the delicate knife-edge...that blurry line between greatness and lunacy.

I like to think of all creative work as an act of violence. To bring anything new into this world is a violent act. For it to be born and then not just survive, but thrive against all odds, requires an enormous amount of force, and this man is force of will personified. There is some sound advice in here for budding entrepreneurs, plenty of humour, and it’s just a wonderfully relaxed and open conversation. It’s a candid portrait of someone who exudes passion for what they do, in a way that only founders can.

Links:
https://int.lindafarrow.com/
Instagram: @lindafarrow
Nylon Magazine Article

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com