Women Who Win: Daisy Knatchbull on Building a Women-Only Tailoring Brand on Savile Row and Why Agility Is Her Secret Weapon

British entrepreneur Daisy Knatchbull made history when she became the first woman to open a tailoring house with a shopfront on London's Savile Row dedicated exclusively to women. Founded in 2019, her eponymous, B Corp-certified brand has redefined the business of suit-making for a modern female clientele, challenging convention by reshaping traditional tailoring through a contemporary lens. The goal? To empower women through clothing. Here, Daisy Knatchbull speaks to Lily Russo-Bah for our latest Women Who Win about building a pioneering business, navigating change, and why agility remains her greatest asset.

I began my career at Huntsman on Savile Row, which has a long history as one of its most prestigious tailoring houses. I worked for five years as the brand’s communications director. During that time, I was immersed in the deeply traditional world of men’s bespoke tailoring and noticed the lack of similar alternatives for women; this was a catalyst for founding Knatchbull in 2019: it was built to provide women with the same voice and understanding in the world of tailoring that men have enjoyed for centuries on Savile Row.

The one thing I would never compromise on is the integrity we bring to our business. Whether that’s how our clothes are made, their quality, or the impact our business has on the wider world, it has always been of the utmost importance that Knatchbull is an antidote to the prevailing culture of throwaway fashion we see in the wider industry today. We support responsible textile producers with transparent supply chains and are proud to be B-Corp certified – which reinforces this commitment on a daily basis and ensures our continuous accountability and transparency. As a business, we consistently strive to uphold our integrity to our clients and the incredible community of women that surround Knatchbull.

Starting your own business will always come with its challenges. The highs are high and the lows can be very low. It’s all part of the ride and that’s what makes it so exciting. Knatchbull was born in a historic time period not just for retail but for the world. First Brexit, then the global pandemic – two huge moments that usually aren’t experienced in one single lifetime. However, with challenge comes opportunity, and through the various challenges then and since, Knatchbull has come through stronger than ever. It has taught me an enormous amount – most notably, that no matter how much you want to, you cannot control external factors. Being agile and willing to pivot, particularly as a growing business in a volatile political and economic zeitgeist, is key.

Without question, one of my proudest moments was opening our store on Savile Row. In doing so, Knatchball became the first women’s-only tailoring brand to have a shopfront on the street in its more-than 200-year history. Not only that, but we now hold the largest shopfront on the entire street. Savile Row is synonymous with the very best of tailoring, but for generations it was a world designed almost exclusively for men. To establish ourselves there was not only a significant milestone for the business, I also feel incredibly proud that we have created a space where women can feel seen, heard and understood in the world of bespoke tailoring, Savile Row and beyond.

It would be impossible for me to choose just one piece from our collection as a favourite. Most days you’ll find me wearing one of our made-to-measure or ready-to-wear suits with a pair of trainers. They are the foundation of my wardrobe as they transition so effortlessly throughout the day. I might wear a suit with a simple T-shirt or one of our knits for a more relaxed daytime look; a crisp cotton shirt for a meeting; and then a silk camisole underneath a jacket for dinner in the evening. That’s what I love so much about what we do – our clothes provide such versatility; they work hard in your wardrobe to give you options.

We will always be a womenswear tailoring house with its roots and foundations in Savile Row. However, Knatchbull today has evolved beyond just that, and into a global luxury womenswear label servicing clients around the world for all their sartorial needs, and being able to grow the brand alongside our incredible community has been such a joy and a pleasure. Fundamentally, the very core of what Knatchbull does has not changed. We’ve expanded our ready-to-wear offering to include more dresses and skirts, which I particularly love during the summer months in London, including the most perfect knit dress and lace skirt I can’t stop wearing.

The consumer today wants more businesses like ours. They have become more conscious shoppers; they turn to more ‘quiet luxury’; they seek out authenticity, fair pricing and a commitment to looking after our planet. Knatchbull has been and done all of those things since the start.

Entrepreneurship can still feel like a more difficult path for women – whether that’s access to funding, representation in leadership, or simply having the confidence to back themselves from the outset. As many of us have unfortunately heard before, only two per cent of VC funding goes to female-founded businesses. There is clearly a lot that still needs to change, but importantly, the number of women starting their own business is on the rise.

Female founders are now cited as one of the solutions to the climate crisis. Why? Because women put purpose at the heart of their businesses more often – to serve people and planet – not just profit. I am fortunate to know many extraordinary female founders who are building innovative businesses across every industry. What continually strikes me is the depth of talent and creativity that exists. The more we can celebrate those stories, create strong networks and encourage women to back themselves and their ideas, the better.

The idea of having the perfect work-life balance feels almost mythical to me – and I am still yet to add children into the equation. Having seen the effects stress has had on my body from a health perspective in the past, I’ve made a huge effort in the last couple of years to work on this. You have to accept you can’t be there for everyone in the way that you want to be, and that sacrifices sometimes have to be made (which really isn’t easy), but having the right people around you really helps.

I am very strict on my time these days, and making sure I prioritise the moments outside my work life that really matter too. Not just with friends and family but for myself. Having a good workout routine, drinking less, and getting more sleep have all had a profound impact on my life. The next step is to try and bring in some form of mindfulness which seems to always fall to the bottom of the to-do list, which is ironic as would probably have the most profound effect on finding that balance.

As a founder, celebrating success is sometimes something you don’t make enough time for. I’ve really tried to make more time this year to step back and remind myself how far Knatchbull has come. My favourite way to celebrate the success is with the incredible team of 65 people who work for it – and who without, this business would not exist.

London is truly one of my favourite cities in the world. There is so much to do, and so many incredible areas to get lost in. You can never get bored. For a long time, I lived in Little Venice on a houseboat there. It still remains one of my favourite neighbourhoods and is a must for anyone visiting or wanting to do something different on a weekend. Nothing beats getting a coffee and walking down the canal pathways on a summer’s day.

To visit Knatchbull visit 32 Savile Row, London W1S 3PT or call +44 (0) 7939 968 835 for information or to arrange an appointment.

Photography by Silvia Olsen

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