BEHIND THE BOUTIQUE: LORNA RUBY

For International Women's Day, we're celebrating the inspirational female business owners at the heart of our boutique community. Enter Lorna Ruby, the brains behind eponymous boutique and much-loved style sanctuary, Lorna Ruby...

Ex-fashion agent Lorna Ruby runs a small but charming retail space in Devon, where she curates a dreamy offering of covetable pieces you're about to fall in love with (trust us, we already have). Stocking a mix of established and on-the-rise labels – mostly from France and Scandinavia – the boutique is the product of years spend in the industry. Insider knowledge, combined with inspiration from her travels, motivated Lorna to create her very own fashion destination in 2014.

Today, the must-visit shop is home to an ever-changing selection of on-trend and love-forever styles. From Bellerose's chic outerwear to American Vintage's staple knits, you'll find what you're looking for at Lorna Ruby. With this in mind, we were keen to learn a little bit more about the story behind the boutique. So, we asked Lorna about the experience of running her own fashion-focused business...

What is your background and how did this lead you to opening a boutique?

My now-fiance and I met working in fashion, on a whim, and decided to go into business together. We ran a successful wholesale agency for around 5 years before opening Lorna Ruby boutique.

How has the boutique evolved since it first opened its doors?

We are constantly changing and evolving. Over the years the shop has grown up with me, I guess! We are always striving to find the best brands out there and so this involves adapting our brand mix fairly often to ensure we have a consistently good offering. Lead the way and take your customer with you, that’s my attitude.

What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of running a boutique?

The challenges for me are not being able to switch off – there is always more to do. Also, being a mum and juggling the work-life balance is probably the hardest part for me.

But the rewards far outweigh this. Being able to travel lots for work, having the freedom in my work space to make it what I want. I love the creative aspect of my job!

Have you noticed a shift towards independent shopping in recent years & what do you think it offers that fast fashion doesn’t?

Absolutely. More than ever people are realising that fast fashion is not sustainable in so many ways and people have come to realise that it can be so fulfilling shopping with an independent retailer and having a more tangible experience.

What trends have you noticed always come back around?

Leopard print of course! Leather is also huge this season and even more so for AW20.

What makes your boutique unique?

I like to think our signature has always been that of a Scandinavian feel... with a big dollop of French! We have stuck to what we know and love in that respect and have kept a clean aesthetic in store. I feel that is what makes us unique.

We are currently a female lead team of five. We take every day as it comes with a strong positive attitude, which I hope comes across.