Eureka moment
Over ten years ago, I began buying and restoring old Dubied knitting machines for my studio. I'd travel to Scotland to collect them, often ending up in the pub with the machine owners, listening to their stories from the golden era of British knitwear. It was during one of these trips that I had my realisation: manufacturing had moved to the Far East in the 1970s, the knitters were retired, and the industry was at risk of vanishing. If no one stepped in, this incredible heritage craft could be lost forever.That's when I launched Genevieve Sweeney-to celebrate British heritage, shine a light on UK knitwear, and offer work back to the knitters who loved their craft. A decade on, we're now launching our own apprenticeship programme to pass these skills on to the next generation.

Finance

At the start, I took out a Virgin StartUp Loan to fund my first collection. It allowed me to test different routes-DTC, pop-ups, wholesale. Fashion is financially demanding, but I've grown the business cautiously. It's meant slower growth, but we remain proudly independent 10 years later.

Regrets

If I could change one thing, it would be hiring sooner. I waited too long to get help, thinking I needed full-time hires. Delegating those tasks, such as packing orders or paid ads, it would have made a massive difference to my time and the business.

What would you have changed?I believe everything happens in the right time. Yes, I would have loved to manufacture in-house earlier, but now-finally-we have the right studio, it's the right time and we are embracing every moment.

For further information visit  genevievesweeney.com [1]