Victoria Meadows was born in Liverpool,England amidst the modern music,entertainment and fashion set of the South Liverpool Suburbs.Living near to the birthplace of Sir Paul Mc Cartney and John Lennon's Auntie Me Mes house.Victoria's parents frequented the reknownly famous Cavin club and were also keen fans of the well known Ronny Scotts club in London.The music and fashion scene stands hand in hand which emphasising the whole bohemian style and contemporary living,rock chic styling known today as Festival chic or Rock chic which has been an inspiring fashion direction for Victoria.
The daughter of a wealthy automobile business sales manager father,who ran a large business with is father and brothers formed a basis for her future entrepreneur skills.With an Artist mother and former fashion designer Victoria's artistic skills where easily recognised by her mother and her teachers from an early age.In her own words she explains during an earlier interview.
"I can remember when in junior school if I painted or draw a picture.They would always end up on the walls of the corridor's and classrooms.I never draw just one picture I liked to draw a series based on colour,texture and theme.I was inspired by the great masters that I saw in Art galleries and books.
My mother went to Art college and I guess I was born with Artist genes.
I continued my desire to create by making numerous amounts of Clothes for my Cindy doll's and then followed this by making my own clothes.
I asked my mother to show me how to pattern cut when I was aged 5 years and have created clothes ever since."
Victoria explains her desire to become creative,studying ballet dancing from an early age. Inspires the designer today helping to make her work feminine and classic,floaty and gorgeous.Her designs have a heritage,artisan style which makes her work timeless and beautiful.Elegant characteristics are key trends in Victoria's soft accessory range.Music and dance have always been an inspiration which has influenced Victoria's artistic mood and final finished collections throughout her career.
Mixing Global Artifacts found during her globe trotting days has created a styling mood artitypical of many of Victoria's collection.The Western globe trotter meets tribal influences has dominated the Catwalks for many years of which Victoria has and does emphasis this in her work sometimes just in her colour palette,other times in her finishes and detailing.
Moving from Liverpool to Nottingham after studying Art at Liverpools famous Art college,she went on to completed a degree in Fashion/knitwear.After graduating
Victoria gathered experience designing for a number of companies,Sabre menswear in London an architypical English traditional menswear label.She freelance designed while at University living in Florence and New York for a period of time.Gaining a creative global globalisation inspiration, typical of her design style and trade mark.Victoria had gathered knowledge of marketing,fashion merchandising,and fashion design from her initial design jobs before she decided to create her own brand.
The Original Sample label was established in 1989 during the fashion grunge era of the early 90's.Victoria's work mixed ethnic inspiration with western style,upbeat and innovative styles adorned her fashion studio.The label helped popularise the knitted hat and scarf as a new and definitive stylish iconic look worn by the fashion elite.The knitted beanie become a fashion accessory not seen in the fashion scene since the 60's and 70's.Striped beanies and long Doctor who scarfs.Celebrities sporting bag hats and plaited hats,rasta tassel hats were worn and famed in a number of soap operas and game shows on TV. Tunic a line style sweaters and cardigans with vintage style cotton lace from Nottingham were trimmed onto a natural Eco cotton knit range.Mono tone colours were a strong colour inspiration black/ecru.Traditional Norwegian cardigans with strong tapestry floral braids and antique silver clasps adorned the early fashion range of Original Sample.
Inti ally being sponsored by the Princes Youth Business after failing to gain funding through local banks.The business started with a minimum grant and loan to buy machines and initially trade at craft fairs,music festivals and large organised raves.It was not long before Original Sample notoriety took hold and the business achieved a UK Princess Trust Award for being The best New Business venture in 1991.The prize was a quality position at a well known international trade fair in London.The show was then known as The London Show,it is now called Pure and is held in the Business design centre in Islington.It proved to be a success where the business started to wholesale to small independent stores and larger department stores throughout the World.Wholesale customers included Harrods of London,stores on the Kings road,Chelsea and further a field Sax's 5th Avenue in new York and many more.Victoria also won another award via the Princess trust which gave her the privileged to design and create fashionable ski hats for then young prince's Prince Harry and Prince William of which she received a personal thank you letter from Prince Charles.
The new label ventured down to London to create a strong retail customer base,starting to sell direct to the public at the infamously famous Camden Lock Market in North London,where the likes of Red or Dead label was formed and traded. Many a success story can be atoned in regard to starting sales on market stores.Marks and Spencers being one of the most famous market stalls turned Super power chain store known globally.
Victoria's customer base grew and incorporated famous musicians,actors and designers including Sade,Oasis,Take That.Popular soap stars for example Angela Grithiths who now has her own day time TV show.The famous actor Hughin Macgregor frequented Original Samples store and the acclaimed Robby Coltrain was also a customer.The fashion designer favorites who purchased at Original Sample has to be Christine Lacroix who used to purchase the vintage brick-brac which was sold to compliment the clothes.Not disimilar to the product rangeofthe label Paul Smith who also bought styles of the market store and who eventually bought wholesale for many year.Victoria Meadows has won two British fashion awards being the wholesale designer behind the soft accessories range for one of Paul Smiths awards with special empahasis on soft accessories.The award sharing continued when her customer French Connection gained a British fashion award for special emphasis on soft accessories.Being part of a team who has gained the famous acclaimed award twice has inspired Victoria to continue to design classic items with a fashion twists giving her products its uniqueness.Customers from the Parisian fashion celebrities also included Ralph Lauren who bought Victoria's Spring/summer sample range of 1995 to create cushions for his lounge.The range was based on the seaside of the 1950's era,Santi fa holidays using Linen and denim knit in traditional tuck knit textures and thin stripes.
The famous Anna Sui was also an earlier customer and she even explained how she was inspired by the early Original Sample soft accessories range.The bohemian styling and live style inspired the designer to work towards an Eco friendly early ethical business policy which continues today.
The business continued to grow opening another stall on Camden selling Interior design items which developed into two retail stores based in Nottingham. The business basis of the stores re created a small Camden lock style emporium,a re look at a 70s' head shop.The Originals stores sold artisan crafts from around the world.Including the Original Sample range which of t-shirts with vintage patches and tapestry backpacks,vintage style Norwegian cardigans and soft accessories,hats and scarfs.
The business later split into two and the wholesale company continued to manufacturer in the UK and wholesale globally.Eventually specialising in purely soft accessories hats and scarfs mainly for the Japanese market.
Victoria decided to slow the business down in the early part of the 00's to find a personal life after trading at the Pret a Porter static show for many years as she wished to find a partner and settle down which she achieved in 2004, getting engaged and having her first child in 2005.She continued to design selling freelance designs through a New York sales agent in New York.Selling designs to DKNY,Tommy Hillfigger and Donna Karen.She continued to create and has since established an on-line store based in New York.
Etsy.com is one of the worlds most vibrant handmade market place on line.Offering millions of unique items for sale.Connecting shoppers with independent creators and designs.Full of inspiring handmade goods.Providing a customer base for a large number of Artists and makers.The site comprises of handmade goods,craft supplies and 20
plus year old vintage goods and up cycled items.Sustainable ethical values are strong within many of there on line designer lead stores.
Victoria is the archetypical entrepreneur recently taking time off to spend quality time with her family.Undoubtedly her earlier fashion business has been an inspiration for her and a number of small business's that have since specialised in soft accessories manufacturing in the UK.However Victoria wants to concentrate on designing a broader fashion range.Wishing to spend more time sourcing quality production overseas to expand her new business which she has relaunched while being a full time parent for her young daughter.Ethical fashion using vintage fabrics and trims were possible using hand made processes to maintain a low carbon footprint for each of her designs is the philosophy behind all the products in the Original Sample range.
