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Hip, hip hooray, Evemy & Evemy is one today(ish!)

Sophie Carroll

Photo by Lens & Hound

Have you seen Evemy & Evemy’s social media this week? If not, I’d suggest you head over there as soon as you get to the end of this blog, because there’s a first birthday celebration going on and there are some amazing prizes up for grabs!

What is Evemy & Evemy?

Evemy & Evemy is a really lovely British brand headed by its founder Sophie Carroll. Sophie is a client of mine and I have to say she is an absolute joy to work with. The products she designs and sells all have really interesting stories, and are carefully thought through and created to ensure they exceed expectations and give the wearers delight every time to they use and wear them.

What products do Evemy & Evemy design?

There are many lovely products on the Evemy & Evemy website, but the Pluma Scarf is one I’m going to talk about today as I think it really shows what makes the brand special. To the person who doesn’t know, Pluma looks like a beautiful silk scarf with hand drawn game bird feathers. And that is completely true. But the feathers were actually drawn by Sophie’s mother who is an illustrator. I love

Evemy & Evemy

Photo: Lens & Hound
Model: Amber Zakrezewski

this connection, not just to the countryside and customers in terms of the drawings on the scarf, but also between Sophie and the talented artist and illustrator who drew them! I really do love products with stories and feel that this is one area smaller businesses can win on over larger businesses. But I digress. The Pluma is lovely, and there are other designs coming out too that are definitely worth adding to your wish list/autumn accessories collection. And have you seen the new socks? A real treat for feet.

The birthday celebrations…

So, now you have a bit of background about the company, let’s examine the birthday party… although this party is more like 10 days of celebration as the prizes donated from Hyde & Hare, Hiho Silver, Mackenzie & George and Doris & Co will be announced over a few days, to spread the joy. It’s easy to enter to win any of the lovely prizes – visit the Evemy & Evemy blog here to find out more.
And let me just take this opportunity to wish Evemy & Evemy a very, very happy birthday. I can’t wait to see the company continue to grow and develop.
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Eleven reasons to love the latest Hiho Silver Country Shows Journal

Hiho Silver Country Shows JournalWhy eleven reasons? I’m not entirely sure… but here goes. To be honest, there are more than eleven reasons to love the latest issue of the Hiho Silver Country Shows Journal, but these are my top eleven. The best thing is if you read it yourself. I would love to know your favourite bit…

What is the Hiho Silver Country Shows Journal?

Hiho Silver produces the Country Shows Journal. This online publication is produced at specific times of the year, for Hiho customers and fans to enjoy for free. There’s always a competition, some brilliant brand and product features, there’s usually some gin… and there’s always beautiful jewellery. The latest issue of the Hiho Silver Country Shows Journal is no different, but is also bursting with fashion, style, an inside out horse (it’s OK, no animals were hurt!) and a lot more. So… my eleven reasons to love it…

  • Harriet Edwards’ fashion feature. In her role as Hiho brand ambassador, Harriet styled the lovely Imogen Murray for the trot up at Burghley. Dressed in Musto, Dubarry, Joules, Mackenzie & George and Hiho, Imogen looked absolutely stunning… Harriet did an exceptional job. In this issue of the journal, Harriet also shows us some other potential trot up looks that made her shortlist. There wasn’t a look I didn’t like. Honestly.
  • The competition. Who doesn’t love a great competition? And this issue’s is, as usual, a complete corker. In this issue, Hiho has teamed up with Hyde & Hare and Teddy Edward to offer one lucky winner one heck of a prize haul. A new Foxley Bag from young British brand Hyde & Hare, who specialises in cowhide products, a £150 gift voucher to spend at Teddy Edward, and a Cherry Roller Bundle from Hiho. STUNNING.
  • The Cherry Roller options. I ADORE my Hiho Silver Cherry Roller and have upgraded and changed it as new beads have become available… and in this issue Hiho created an image to show all the options – from CZ roller beads in a range of colours to the World Horse Welfare Charity Bead, the Fairfax & Favor Bead, all the way through to the new solid gold and diamond 4 Star Bead, which launched at Burghley. Oh my. It’s a stunner.
  • Doris’s Burghley Picks. I adore the shopping villages at horse trials and this issue, Doris picked some lovely products that you could find around the tradestand village… but can also enjoy online and buy from the comfort of your chair.
  • Who doesn’t love a cocktail? And what about a gin one? Exactly. In this issue, the lovely people at Silver Fox Gin share a couple of delicious cocktails to enjoy, and there’s a brilliant story behind the brand too, and how it came to Hiho Silver Country Shows Journalbe.
  • Teddy Edward. Have you heard about this lovely British brand? I have heard so much about this brand, and it’s great to read a bit more about in the in the Country Shows Journal too.
  • Horse Inside Out. Before I started PR and marketing, I actually used to work at an event yard and then later as an instructor. As I went up through the BHS levels, I spent a LOT of time learning where the muscles and bones were… and attempting to compare a picture to a horse in motion was a bit tricky… but not with Horse Inside Out. With the ‘important bits’ painted on the outside of the horse, it’s a great way to understand how everything works together… and Gillian explains how it all works in the latest issue.
  • A Badminton recap. I love Badminton Horse Trials and I was so, so chuffed with how Hiho’s first sponsored best dressed at that trot up went. Sophie Callahan, one of Hiho’s brand ambassadors, commentated during the full trot up on Radio Badminton… and then wrote an article for the Badminton website, and here she relives it for us. It’s fab.
  • Sweet story. Rachel Bragg from Sweet Images Photography is a long term Hiho fan, so Hiho caught up with her and had a chat about her job, her favourite Hiho pieces and more. It’s a really great read.
  • Hyde & Hare is a new brand that produces a range of high quality cowhide bags that are real one offs. They are made from genuine cowhide that is completely natural and unique, and hasn’t been printed like many available. I love the feature about Piers Dickinson, the man behind the brand, and enjoyed finding out what Leonardo DiCaprio had to do with it… and there is something!
  • An Event Rider Masters update. It’s been such an amazing series for far and I can’t wait to see the finale at Blenheim…

So, there you go – eleven reasons to love the Hiho Silver Country Shows Journal… but I am sure you’ll find loads more. Have a read of it here, and don’t forget to enter the competition. It’s a really good one.

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A few minutes with… Piers Dickinson – Hyde & Hare

Piers Dickinson Hyde & HareHave you heard of Hyde & Hare? This new, exciting brand, founded by Piers Dickinson, is definitely one to watch. With a range of one of a kind bags and clutches made using natural cowhide, Hyde & Hare is set to become a name synonymous with luxury and lifestyle.

Tell us about you and your background?

I grew up in the rolling hills of Gloucestershire, went to school in Cheltenham, studied in Oxford and always had a deep desire to set up my own business. I found myself fresh out of university brimming with ideas but not yet sure what to do. Turning down the opportunity of a lucrative job in the City, I was offered the chance to travel to Kenya for a number of months helping manage luxury safari lodges.

It was here in this country steeped in history and unspoiled wilderness that I discovered a range of stunning, local cowhide products sold in the small boutique shop at one of the lodges. One evening after a few sun downers overlooking the Savanna, I sat chatting to a guest, an incredibly inspiring fashion designer, and that night the idea for Hyde & Hare was born.

What made you want to start a business?

I graduated in 2015 having studied Real Estate for 3 years and was always certain that this was the path I was going to take. Having been lucky enough to be offered a Graduate Surveyor role in the City it was the moment I read my contract and in bold were the working hours 8am – 10:30pm, this was the point where I realised I wasn’t cut out for this life which lacked any form of creativity! I then spent the next couple of months helping manage luxury safari lodges in Kenya where I discovered Hyde & Harethe beauty of cowhide and saw the potential of Hyde & Hare.

What makes your products special?

Sadly most people who produce cowhide goods use cowhide print, here patterns are printed onto a white hide using a computer and you can replicate it over and over again. You really lose the uniqueness, texture and feel of the natural material that cowhide is. We use the finest quality hand-selected hides, where each one is different in terms of the colour and pattern so we know each of our cowhide bags will be one of a kind.

If you had to sum up your business in five words, what would they be?

Handcrafted – Unique – Personable – Quality – Ethical

Do you have a motto or ethos?

Work Hard, Play Hard. Striking that balance in the early stages of business is proving very one sided. A lot of long nights and early mornings!

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring business owner, what would it be?

Take the plunge and do your research. You’ve got to be well versed in the modern marketing techniques such as email marketing and SEO before you start out as they will be vital in the early stages.

One thing that helps you run Hyde & Hare more effectively

For us Photoshop is the number one tool. Obviously as we shoot every single product we have this is a very time consuming process, having software such as Photoshop makes our lives so much simpler. I can’t fault Shopify too with such a large variety of apps at your disposal.

Best thing about running a business?

Being able to use your creative side, so many people are blessed to have this quality but the 9 – 5 prevents people using their creative side in the way they would like.

Worst thing about running a business?

Stock Keeping – For us it very difficult to do stock control as every single bag is different and only 1 is available. This means that each time one is sold we have to manually upload a new bag in its place, thank god for Photoshop.

Top business blog you follow?

By far Tony Robbins has one of the best business blogs currently out there.

Top business book you’ve read?

Hyde & HareI know other people have mentioned this book too but it is something special. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki is probably the most valuable book I’ve ever read.

One thing we might not know about you?

Helping run a luxury safari lodge I had the opportunity to meet some really interesting people. I was lucky enough to have breakfast with Leonardo Da Caprio everyday for a month.

Where can people follow Hyde & Hare online…

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hydeandhare/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hydeandhare/

Website: Hyde and Hare

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