{"id":167586,"date":"2020-10-12T08:49:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-12T08:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theindustry.fashion\/the-interview-jacynth-bassett-founder-and-ceo-the-bias-cut\/"},"modified":"2021-08-06T12:07:32","modified_gmt":"2021-08-06T12:07:32","slug":"the-interview-jacynth-bassett-founder-and-ceo-the-bias-cut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theindustry.fashion\/the-interview-jacynth-bassett-founder-and-ceo-the-bias-cut\/","title":{"rendered":"The Interview: Jacynth Bassett, Founder and CEO, The Bias Cut"},"content":{"rendered":"
Online womenswear brand, The Bias Cut places great emphasis on British and sustainable brands<\/strong> as well as promoting the purchases of high-quality investment pieces that stand the test of time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Bias Cut supports small and independent designers, from favourites Fabienne Chapot and POM Amsterdam, to WYSE London, and new labels such as Jakke, along with accessories brands Milk Tooth LND, Laines London and Hattie Buzzard.<\/p>\n With celebrity fans including Susanna Reid, Lorraine Kelly, Kate Thornton, Prue Leith, Gok Wan,<\/strong> Jane Felstead, and Charlie Brooks, the brand has grown organically over the last few years and developed a loyal customer base.<\/p>\n Last month, The Bias Cut revealed a total rebrand \u2013 complete with new logo, fresh website design and packaging to coincide with the launch of its new AW20 collections.<\/p>\n With revenues up by +102% since the relaunch, it\u2019s has embraced an effective strategy with its customer base, despite challenging trading times with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Founder and CEO of The Bias Cut, Jacynth Bassett tells TheIndustry.fashion more:<\/strong><\/p>\n Could you tell us a little bit about your background? What inspired you to launch The Bias Cut?<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite a love of fashion, at the age of 13 I decided I wanted to become a barrister. Committed to this, I went on to study Law at Cambridge. At 19 I became President of the Cambridge Law Society, presiding over a budget of nearly \u00a3100k and increasing sponsorship by 25%, and this experience simultaneously showed me that my path lay in wanting to run my own business.<\/p>\n Fashion was the obvious choice. However, I knew I also wanted to address an issue I was passionate about. I had increasingly grown saddened and frustrated at how my mum was feeling alienated by the industry as she aged. I realised there was a need and demand to disrupt the fashion industry\u2019s perception of age, and a gap for a brand that empowers women to embrace the best versions of themselves. And with that, the concept of The Bias Cut was born.<\/p>\n I started the business with my minimal savings, with no prior experience or contacts in fashion, retail or marketing. I developed, built and ran everything myself \u2013 from the website, to sales, to marketing. We started with just 4 small British labels, and now we have over 30, my eponymous line, and a global base of incredibly loyal and engaged customers.<\/p>\n You launched in 2016, what was the response like and what has changed since?<\/strong><\/p>\n When The Bias Cut launched, ageism and the importance of age-inclusivity in fashion were still relatively untouched topics. Very few labels wanted to be so openly associated with customers over the age of 40. They felt it would taint their image, which made it difficult initially to find designers whose values aligned with ours.<\/p>\n Some customers were instinctively resistant to the concept too. There were women both over and under 40 who immediately refused to even consider looking at a boutique that openly championed women over 40 \u2013 all on the perceived basis that younger is always better and desirable.<\/p>\n But there has been growth over the past 4 years; as a society we are increasingly recognising the importance of age inclusivity. This is translating into labels actively approaching us, and more and more consumers of all ages loving what we do. It\u2019s particularly encouraging how many younger women are engaging with the concept.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not to say there isn\u2019t still a long way to go \u2013 but there\u2019s been definite progress, and response to The Bias Cut has shifted to a predominantly positive one.<\/p>\n Who is your target audience? <\/strong><\/p>\n As we\u2019re age-inclusive, we proudly welcome customers of all ages. However, our core customer is 40s \u2013 late 60s\/early 70s. She\u2019s discerning, appreciates quality and style, and is looking for something different with a touch of attitude and playfulness. That said, at first, a lot of our customers lack the confidence so our aim is to help them develop their sense of style and self \u2013 and it\u2019s very rewarding seeing them increasingly experiment as they continue to shop with us and their confidence grows.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What is your brand DNA and what sets you apart from other womenswear retailers?<\/strong><\/p>\n The Bias Cut is an empowering, inclusive shopping destination serving and supporting customers who appreciate style and quality at any age. We offer online shopping with a soul and a purpose.<\/p>\n We sell independent, ethical and sustainable labels; our models are \u2018real women\u2019 of different ages, shapes and size; and we offer tailored features such as \u2018shop by body shape\u2019. Underpinning all of this, is our in-depth understanding our customer, uniquely curating our collections with her in mind. We know that a love for style doesn\u2019t fade with age \u2013 it evolves \u2013 but bodies and lifestyles can change, so we ensure our collections cater to that without compromising on modern style.<\/p>\n We are also unique in having a strong emotional connection with our customers. Not only do we offer personal 5* customer service, but we have a movement and community called Ageism Is Never In Style\u00ae. It challenges ageism in fashion, champions age diversity and has developed a following of thousands of members. This drives so much of our continued understanding of our customer, brand evolution and fuels our values.<\/p>\n What do you look for when you source new labels?<\/strong><\/p>\n We always look for brands with a unique point of view, and they must share our values of age-inclusivity, quality and sustainability. We particularly look out for labels that love colour and print, use beautiful materials, and are contemporary without being trend driven \u2013 often with dose of playfulness thrown in.<\/p>\n Are there any other new labels you are hoping to feature this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n This year we\u2019ve seen a huge surge in accessories sales, so we\u2019re keeping an eye out for new accessory brands. We\u2019re very excited to be introducing Laines London accessories this month, and we\u2019re also working on some exclusive collaborations with a few of our existing labels.<\/p>\n What's your bestselling item (or brand) and why do you think it sells well?<\/strong><\/p>\n At the moment, for obvious reasons, our best-selling product is our #AgeismIsNeverInStyle face coverings \u2013 with \u00a35 per mask sold going to Hospice UK. Aside from the coverings, our best selling items are knitwear and jewellery. Knitwear has always been very strong for us as we really focus on gorgeous quality (lots of cashmere) but with a fun twist. And this year our jewellery sales have soared as they\u2019re great personal treats and additions to outfits for zoom!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why do you think older women are so absent from fashion images and advertising?<\/strong><\/p>\n Ageism is engrained into every corner of society. Modern western culture has an obsession with youth, which surged with the emergence of the cool \u2018teenager\u2019 in the 50s \u2013 a new, highly desirable and profitable demographic. This caused older people to be increasingly side-lined and treated as irrelevant or invisible.<\/p>\n Since then, fashion and advertising has both fuelled and reflected our society\u2019s belief that youth is always preferable, and ageing is to be feared. It\u2019s \u2018aspirational\u2019. But as I always say, there\u2019s a difference between aspirational and not delusional! You can\u2019t age backwards, so it should be about encouraging consumers to aspire to be the best version of themselves today.<\/p>\n Tell us about Ageism Is Never In Style?<\/strong><\/p>\n Founded in 2016, Ageism Is Never In Style\u00ae is our movement and community, created to challenge the fashion industry\u2019s \u2013 and society at large \u2013 ageist attitudes, and to champion age-inclusivity. Ending ageism means ensuring we all have the choice to age however we wish to, without external judgment or pressure. There\u2019s no right or wrong, and our mission is to unite women and men globally of all ages to engage in the conversation, and to support and inspire one another.<\/p>\n To raise awareness and spark conversation, we have the #AgeismIsNeverInStyle hashtag, and free badges and charity face masks. We also have a community of over 4k members on facebook, content on our blog, and we recently launched \u2018Share Your Story by Ageism Is Never In Style\u2019 \u2013 a new sub-group connecting women over 40 with press and journalists to help them share their stories and commentary with a view to changing the narrative around ageing.<\/p>\n