In Episode Seven, Season Two, of Passport to... demi-fine jewellery designer, Monica Vinader, and FLOWERBX Founder, Whitney Bromberg Hawkings join CF Founder Sheena Bhattessa to discuss what it means to be a woman in business today.
Bridging the gap between fine jewellery and fashion, Monica Vinader launched her eponymous jewellery line in 2008 (in the midst of a financial crisis), along with her sister Gabriela. Fuelled be a passion for design and creating, right from the off, Vinader has placed craftsmanship at the core of her work and brand, creating simple, affordable, striking pieces using real stones and precious metals.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS WEEK’S EPISODE
FLOWERBX Founder, Whitney Bromberg Hawkings, and Monica Vinader, Founder of eponymous jewellery brand, Monica Vinader, join Sheena to discuss what it means to be a woman in business today. Exploring the perks of being an outsider and why it’s a good idea to ‘fail fast’, in this episode the pair share their experiences and learnings exclusively with CF.
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Six years later, in 2014, Whitney Bromberg Hawkings founded FLOWERBX – following a two-decade strong career in the luxury fashion sector. Filling a gap in the market, today, the online flower delivery service (which covers 23 countries across the US and Europe) sources the freshest flowers, direct from the growers, and delivers them to your home or office. “Not being a florist has helped me disrupt the florist industry.” “Being an outsider does help you do new things inside.”
The London-based businesswomen’s outsider status (Vinader is originally from San Sebastian; Bromberg Hawkings from Dallas) has proven helpful in many ways. “It puts you out of your comfort zone”, notes Bromberg Hawkings, which seems (based on the success of their respective companies) to be a very good thing. Both women are very “international people, and, as such, their companies are able to speak to international clientele, which only strengthens their global appeal.
“Travel has shaped my view on how I do things,” remarks Vinader. Taking inspiration from the world around them, and finding support in one another, listen to this episode in full now to learn more about the female founders behind two of our favourite brands.
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