Samuel Dougal has had a meterioc rise to fame as a designer and bespoke tailor. After graduating with a degree in Bespoke Tailoring from London College of Fashion, he went on to work for fashion industry giants Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy. He counts ex-Dragons’ Den judge Kelly Hoppen as his personal mentor and has created clothing for Beyonce, The Duchess of York, Madonna and Grace Jones. We caught up with him to find out how he has grown his business, how he manages his team and what it takes to stay motivated.
Have you always wanted your own business?
It wasn’t something that I ever envisioned for myself or even really realised was a possibility. However, once I had been in the job a little while and gained some confidence I decided that starting up on my own was the right (and obvious) move. I left the company I was working for and started out on my own a month later.
What was it like taking the leap from working for the likes of Alexander McQueen to working on your own?
It’s different working for yourself, you need to ensure you have a great work ethic and self control because once laziness gets hold of you its hard to escape from its clutches. Working with Philip Treacy and Alexander McQueen meant I learned from the best in the business, so I took what I observed and applied it to my own business. Both places provided incredible experiences and ultimately an injection of creative inspiration.
What have your biggest challenges to date been?
So far, my biggest challenge has been knowing when to expand in areas such as staff and space. Being a startup company, growing year on year, it’s been difficult at times to predict when I might need to invest in staff with different strengths and expertise.
What support have you had along the way?
I have a strong network of people in business around me, who own or run high profile companies. I find it helpful as you can learn from their mistakes or their triumphs and translate and tailor the information to your own. I’m lucky enough to have ex-Dragons’ Den star Kelly Hoppen as a mentor and investor in my business. I think it is important to surround yourself with people to talk to who’ve done it and more importantly succeeded. For me there is nobody better than Kelly for this, she is a very inspiring person both creatively and in business.
You got a really impressive client base, how have you built it?
My client base has been built completely by word of mouth – it’s very varied with the type of lady I dress; pop stars to business leaders, billionaires to mums. I’ve more recently taken on PR and we hope to grow by recommendations going forward.
How big is the team around you now? How are you finding managing people?
Currently I have a team of six. Honestly, I’m not naturally the best at managing people, but I am learning. I’m 26 years old, so I sometimes feel strange delegating to people twice my age. However, I know that it is all part of running a successful business – power is delegation after all, right?
What do you see for the future of your business?
My business was built on couture and I plan on continuing with this, but I’m launching a ready-to-wear line in February 2016. The next 12 months will be filled with new designs and fresh ideas. Within two years I’d like to be exporting internationally.
What piece of advice would you give anyone wanting to go it alone?
As a young entrepreneur, I’ve found it’s not knowing everything about business, but rather being fearless and completely passionate. Make sure you believe in yourself and your idea. Then once you’ve begun ensure you build the best team to support you.
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