In Conversation With Faye Oakenfull, Founder Of Fayeeo London

Wall hanging commission Fayeeo London

As part of Women’s History Month, we wanted to highlight some amazing female founders that are taking the business world by storm. Faye, Founder and Creative Director of Fayeoo is a designer based in London who creates beautiful bespoke quilts, wall hangings, artwork, clothing and more. Faye tells us about her business journey and shares her top tips for young entrepreneurs wanting to start their own business.

Tell us a little bit about you and Fayeeo

I have always known I was going to design and my first love was menswear. I studied menswear full time since leaving school. I did my undergrad at Manchester School of Art and then my MA in Menswear Knitwear at the Royal College of Art. My work was always a marriage of my love of traditional textile techniques and storytelling with my love of menswear. After graduating I joined the menswear design team at Paul Smith for a year before going freelance. Fayeeo was born in 2018 after a trip to India reminded me I wanted to design for myself again. Fayeeo was originally set out to be a menswear inspired womenswear label, but I found myself taking a sidestep into making quilts in 2020. I've been obsessed with quilts since I was a child. They have the power to tell the story of who made them and who for, as well as being passed down through generations as a family heirloom. I started to create my own 'modern' quilts in lockdown. Since then I have been working on both my own designs and commissioned pieces to tell other people's stories. I also create wall hangings, textile artworks, soft furnishings, accessories and (eventually) clothing. 

Where did your love of stitching, quilting and design first begin?

I'm lucky enough to come from a very creative family. My dad is an exhibition designer and my mum studied jewellery design at art school. Mum looked after us full time and was always working on personal projects when we were growing up. She was a keen quilter and also made ragrugs, so craft was a huge part of my childhood. I'm pretty sure she took school competitions more seriously than we did! She also volunteered for North Yorkshire AIDs Action for many years after the loss of her Uncle Walter (my great uncle) in 1993. In 1996 she travelled to Washington DC to see the largest ever display of The NAMES project AIDs Memorial Quilt. This quilt is the largest piece of community folk art in the world (currently weighing 54 tons) and celebrates the lives of people who have died of AIDS-related causes. Later that year, mum was involved in organising a smaller display of the quilt in my hometown of York. I was only 5 at the time but remember how impressive and beautiful the huge panels of the quilt were. I've been obsessed with quilts and the idea of storytelling and healing through stitch ever since. 

Faye’s Mum (on the left) with the original panel of the North Yorkshire AIDS Memorial Quilt

What’s been the toughest day since the launch of Fayeeo?

The toughest part of Fayeeo has been getting the ethics right. The original presale of the Darling Tee (can you read about it on my website here) was with Everpress last June. The day the presale ended, an ex-employee of Everpress spoke out against racism they had experienced within the company. I made the decision to pull the presale and have all my customers refunded. Although this was a (in the grand scheme of things, minor) setback in terms of practicality, it was absolutely the right decision. We need to be allies wherever we can, including in business. It forced me to find a new supplier and I relaunched the presale for the following month with the amazing support from my customers. 

I know ethics and sustainability are a very important part of Fayeeo, could you tell us more on how you implement that?

Sustainability stopped me launching Fayeeo for a long time. I was so worried about how best to start a product-based business responsibly. A year in and I've realised it's all about balance. My T-shirts are completely climate neutral and I use organic cottons where I can, however, realistically there is no simple answer to sustainability. Cotton still needs to be grown in hotter climates and shipped across the world to us. Instead I try to make products consciously and transparently. I save all of my waste to turn into my Hot Mess artworks and bigger offcuts from quilts have recently been used to make a range of quilted cushions. Making products in small batches saves me over-making and gives the option of making more to fill demand. 

Tell us about your other project, ‘Hot 4 The Spot’

Hot 4 The Spot was an accidental viral Instagram account I started in summer of 2019, paying homage to the polka dot Zara dress we were all wearing (I'm sure you know the one. You couldn't step out your front door without seeing it). It was originally a joke with my friends after 2 of them turned up to work wearing it. It quickly got out of hand and before I knew it I was being invited onto podcasts and being interviewed by The New York Times. It was a dress for everybody type, every occasion and as it covered 90% of your body it was the ultimate man repeller. It became a symbol of feminism, an exclusive club for everyone who had it and a great big finger up at pitting women against each other in the outdated game of 'who wore it best'. It was such a fun thing to be a part of. I decided we had to seize the opportunity to do some good out of the moment and teamed up with Free Periods organisation in their fight against period poverty to organise a 'Wear The Dress Day'. On the 22nd August 2019 everyone put on their dresses and donated to Free Periods. We worked with Glamour magazine and hosted a panel event at Vogue House where I was in the company of amazing women like Amika George and Reni Eddo Lodge. It was by far the weirdest and most amazing thing I have ever done. 

Faye in a Christopher Kane dress at a Hot 4 The Spot event

You credit your time in India to becoming excited about design again. Can you tell us more about the key moments and people that inspired you?

Rajasthan blew my mind. It's the most vibrant place I have ever been, rich in colour, traditional textiles and craft. It has a spirit we have lost in our modern world and it was a sensory overload. The places, the smells, the sounds and the people are unmatched. I'm lucky to have travelled a lot in my life, but for a colour and textile magpie like me, India really is a special place I will return to time and time again. 

Faye’s trip to India in 2018, the main inspiration for Fayeeo London

Tell us about your standout moments of success since launching Fayeeo

I can't think of standout 'moments' as such, (especially as I still feel like I am just at the start of my journey!) however, it's true that with a small business every sale does give you the push and the confidence to keep going. I think everyone struggles with imposter syndrome, so having your work well received makes all the difference. Being trusted to tell people's stories with personal quilt commissions will never get old. 

What is the main piece of advice you’d give to female entrepreneurs looking to start a creative business?

Build your brand on your strongest product before trying to offer too much. I've quickly realised I can't do everything at once and that my product range will grow in time. Focus on nailing the thing you do best, and the rest will come later. And remember to have fun! - creativity should be play, so if it's feeling like a chore then take some time out and don't force it.  

‘Martini Quilt’ Fayeeo London

You can find more of Faye’s amazing designs and shop here.