People with Style
Sarah Holmes will be recognised by many as one of the trio of style entrepreneurs that owns Skintrade, Newport - one of the Island’s few truly successful, independent fashion shops. Brothers Simon and Dee Holmes first opened the doors of Skintrade in 1993 as a vintage clothing store. Over the intervening years it has evolved to become one of the leaders of the Island fashion pack influencing what trends and brands Islanders are wearing today. Before her days in retail, Sarah successfully completed a law degree but decided not to pursue law as a career path, instead joining her husband Dee in the family business a few years after it opened. Having grown up in Ventnor Sarah is passionate about the Island way of life, the great outdoors, miles of beaches and laid back vibe; something which you can clearly see reflected in the range of clothes filling the rails of Skintrade.
Style is?…
To me, style is being brave enough to know who you are and owning it. It’s so much more than the clothes you put on your back, it’s about you as a whole person; what you believe in and how you carry yourself.
Money equals success?…
I wish it was the other way around: success equals money! Being passionate and fully committed to what you do is the key to success, where the money bit comes in…well I’m still trying to work that bit out!
What does Island living mean to you?…
Island living to me is all about the summer. The fresh air, the countryside, the beaches, the festivals, the chilled-out vibe - I LOVE IT!
I’m a keen runner and every time I’m jogging down our winding country lanes I see something amazing, whether it’s the view, a little squirrel or some birds in the trees. It’s the little things like that which I really appreciate. I also love that “ahhhhhhh” feeling you get when you board the ferry home after a trip away… I hope that never goes away.
Icons or inspiration?…
Madonna, Karren Brady and Paula Radcliffe. That might sound like a random bunch, but actually they are the first three names which popped in my head. I really respect strong, positive, female role models. Women with focus and drive, girls with something to say that are not afraid to say it.
Also my parents were a huge inspiration for instilling me with a good work ethic; and my husband for always being my wingman.
Typical customer?…
I can honestly say that we don’t really have one! That is one of the joys of working with the public - you never know who’s going to walk through the door. We do however, have a wonderful bunch of loyal punters, ‘Regs’ as we call them. You really get to know some of them over the years. You see them go off to uni, come back, get married, have kids, it can be a real journey sometimes. I guess they do have something in common, that they don’t want to follow the pack on the high street and want to be a little bit different. For that we love each and every one of them.
Blunders? And what have you learnt?...
I suppose the main thing I’ve learned is that you can’t please all of the people all of the time. I am a people-pleaser in all aspects of my life and it can be pretty draining at times. As I get older I’m trying to learn that it’s OK to say no sometimes..... (But I’m still not very good at it yet).
Top tips?...
My top tips would be quite simple really: live, love, laugh and never take yourself too seriously. I also think it’s really impor- tant to smile… pass it on.
Facing the future?...
It’s been a really tough few years in retail, so I really hope that the worst is behind us, I don’t want any more grey hair let’s put it that way! I hope that Islanders will continue to support all the local small businesses, not just Skintrade. We need to support our town centres and keep the Island economy afloat… one T-shirt at a time.
14
www.styleofwight.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104