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How Urban Gilt came about
To understand the brand it helps to understand the story. Meet Lisa and Hadrian, founders of Urban Gilt. Two people drawn together by fate.
Lisa was working hard in the City. London was still exciting but friends were having babies, the spontaneity of urban life was fading. Meanwhile, Hadrian, a product designer, was planning an escape from the restrictions of the corporate world. It was time to pack it in and ride into the sunrise.
Before he got on his motorbike he met Lisa on a blind date. Suddenly he had a pillion passenger and, before long, a new adventure began...
Lisa:
"I was working hard in the City as a business analyst. I love London, the pace of life, the fact that anything can happen. I'm a natural explorer. I like adventures. But as I hit my 30s friends were having babies, moving out of London, and I missed that spontaneity, so my thoughts turned to a long-term dream of going travelling or starting my own business. Then somebody set me up on a blind date..."
Hadrian:
"I was working hard too, as a product designer, but had hit a wall. I got adult chicken pox, quite badly, probably due to stress and overworking, so I decided to quit work and go on a little motorbike trip. London to Tokyo. Sounded appealing. Then, just before I left, I said yes to this blind date..."
Lisa:
"So that was it. We hit it off. Simple as that. Kindred spirits. And within four weeks we were biking through Europe laughing, chatting, totally inseparable, and we still are."
Hadrian:
"It was revelatory. We had so much in common. Discovering new places, trying new food..."
Lisa:
"It was fun, but it wasn't that comfortable – numb bum was an issue – so we ditched the bike and headed to South America and the US. Then one day in San Francisco..."
Hadrian:
"We were having a coffee and suddenly the mist lifted and, it sounds like a cliche but it really was a Eureka moment. We were both, we are both, slightly obsessed by fashion, and by what people wear, and how they use clothes to express themselves. And we both had ambitions to run our own businesses, so..."
Lisa:
"....That's what we did. We stopped travelling, flew back to London and have spent every day since focusing on creating a fashion label: Urban Gilt, a brand for people like us with a love of clothes but also that insatiable desire for the unexpected, to always look your best and to be ready for anything. To live life to the full."
Hadrian:
"The graphic T-shirts and tops were a natural place to start – great tees are the cornerstone of a modern wardrobe – and we're already designing our first womenswear collection with lots more to come: accessories, menswear, jewellery. We love it. And it goes to show you should never turn down a blind date!"
