The Sunday Times covers Shattering Stereotypes.
“When I started, I was younger and much more carefree,” said Riley, 51, whose designs have been worn by Prince George on tours with his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Such exposure has led to a 14% increase in sales. The arrival of a new royal baby is expected to give sales another boost.
From day one, growth has come naturally for Riley. “It’s been done in a small organic way but I feel that suited me,” she said. With 25 staff in two shops in London and one in New York, Riley has attracted interest from external investors, but she is not keen on diluting her shareholding. “I’m probably very controlling because it’s my baby. I want it to be how I want it to be and at the moment I have total control,” she said.
Despite wanting to keep hold of her brainchild, Riley does believe in taking risks. “I do feel that I am a risk-taker, but they are very calculated risks.”
Her views support recent research which shows that female entrepreneurs consider themselves to be risk-takers when it comes to business decisions. In Shattering Stereotypes, a report compiled by Barclays in collaboration with the Centre for Entrepreneurs, 87% of women said they were happy to take risks compared with 73% of their male counterparts.”
Read the article here.