The Interview: Jemma Bramley, founder of Noughts & Kisses, on building a Northern fashion powerhouse

At just 17, most teenagers are planning weekends, not startups, but for Jemma Bramley, founding Noughts & Kisses was the beginning of a journey that would quietly reshape fashion e-tail. What started in 2011 as a passion-fuelled side project has evolved into one of the North West’s most distinctive fashion brands, dressing nights out across the UK - and proving that influential, culture-shaping fashion doesn’t have to be born in London.

Now, more than a decade on, Bramley has grown Noughts & Kisses from a teenage experiment into a purpose-driven business with a fiercely loyal community, a rapidly expanding team and a product-first philosophy that cuts through an overcrowded market.

As the brand prepares for its next phase, including hinting at wholesale partnerships and deeper physical retail experiences, she speaks candidly about evolving with the e-commerce landscape and building a brand rooted in both accessibility and aspiration.

You launched Noughts & Kisses back in 2011. What gap did you see in the market at the time, and how has that vision evolved over the years?

When I launched Noughts & Kisses at 17, there was no business plan or market gap analysis. I honestly had no idea what I was doing. It started as pure curiosity and a love for clothes. Over time, learning on the job and watching how e-commerce evolved pushed me to understand the industry properly.

As I became more aware of how customers shop, I began to recognise a real opportunity: premium-feeling, designer-inspired fashion without the heavy price tag. That’s when Noughts & Kisses became purpose-driven, not just a passion project. Today, the brand is built on that exact vision: elevated style made genuinely accessible.

The brand has built a reputation on flattering fits and pieces that feel elevated without the luxury price tag. How do you balance trend-driven design with that commitment to longevity?

We follow trends with intention, not out of pressure. We look at emerging silhouettes and styling that women actually want to wear, but we don’t buy into anything that doesn’t feel authentic to our brand.

If you look at our collections, you’ll always find a balance: modern design elements alongside shapes and fabrics you’ll reach for season after season. For us, “trend” should enhance your wardrobe, not replace it every few months. If a trend doesn’t have longevity, it isn’t N&K.

What’s the key to creating luxury fashion but at an accessible price point?

It starts and ends with fabric. You can have the best design in the world, but if the fabric doesn’t feel premium, it doesn’t matter. We spend a long time sourcing, testing and refining fabrics to make sure they suit the shape, the fit and the occasion they’re designed for.

We treat fabric selection like luxury brands do, but we operate with the mindset that great quality shouldn’t be out of reach. That discipline is what allows us to deliver that “luxury feel” without attaching a luxury price.

What makes the brand stand out in an overcrowded market?

Our product and price point are genuinely aligned, a lot of brands claim to be “affordable luxury,” but the quality doesn’t always match that statement. We don’t launch anything unless it looks and feels premium.

We’re also very careful with how we present the brand. Every touchpoint, from the photography to our packaging to who we work with, has to reflect that elevated feel. There’s no cutting corners - the perception has to match the product, otherwise it’s just another brand.

Noughts & Kisses is rooted in online retail. What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in the e-commerce fashion landscape since you started?

E-commerce has changed massively. Performance marketing used to be everything; Meta and Google could scale a brand almost overnight. Now, that landscape isn’t as straightforward. Email used to be a major revenue driver too; now it’s just one piece of the puzzle.

We’ve seen a shift toward TikTok as a discovery platform, the rise of influencer affiliate models like LTK, and a new generation of content creators who aren’t just “influencers” but true marketing channels. At the same time, platforms like Shopify have lowered the barrier to entry, which means there’s more competition than ever, but also more opportunity if you truly understand your customer and product.

Many digitally native brands are now expanding beyond online. Is physical retail part of your long-term strategy, whether through pop-ups, wholesale partnerships or standalone stores?

Absolutely. Physical retail brings a different kind of connection; customers can feel the fabric, try the fit and experience the brand in a way digital can’t replicate. For a quality-led brand, that matters.

We’re exploring more real-life experiences, and we’re also planning to launch through wholesale partners in 2026, including a major marketplace integration. It’s about expanding reach without losing who we are.

How have you built and nurtured your community over time and how important is social content and influencer storytelling to your growth strategy?

Being born in Liverpool has been a huge advantage. The city has a loyal, supportive community that has backed the brand from the very beginning, long before influencer marketing was a strategy.

We try to invest back into that loyalty with in-person events and opportunities to engage with the brand beyond a screen. Influencer content is also a big part of our strategy, but we choose to work with voices who genuinely share our values. It's less about reach and more about women who love the product and want to style it in their own way.

When was the moment you thought, ‘Ah, we’ve made it’?

I don’t think that moment has happened yet; I’m competitive by nature, mostly with myself, and there’s still so much I want Noughts & Kisses to achieve. That said, I’m really proud of our recent office expansion. Taking over the unit next door and growing our space feels like a physical representation of how far the brand has come. But it also reminds me there’s much more ahead.

From a founder's perspective, what has been your biggest retail learning - something you wish you’d known earlier?

You can figure out far more than you think. Whether it’s commercial strategy, buying, supply chain or marketing, if you’re willing to research, ask questions and learn from people who’ve done it before, you can build a strong foundation. You don’t need to know everything on day one; you just need the willingness to learn.

What categories or product areas are you most excited to expand into next?

Outerwear. We’ve only scratched the surface. There’s huge potential to expand our coats and jackets range into a space that feels designer-level without pushing into designer prices. Expect a lot more in that space.

What does the next chapter look like for Noughts & Kisses as you continue scaling? Any hints you can give us about what’s coming in 2026?

The focus remains on product; building wardrobes that empower our customer to own her style with confidence and longevity. We’ll continue introducing more in-person brand experiences, building our community interactions and expanding our retail reach, potentially through additional wholesale partnerships.