It happened in a night club in Ibiza back in 2013. Two friends came up with an idea for a brand. Those friends were Hugo Taylor and Charlie Morris.
Fast-forward to 2017 and luxury brand Taylor Morris is being worn by A-listers and trend-setters around the globe. How did they pull it off?
We chatted to Hugo Taylor about integrity, social media and the pursuit of perfection. Read on and enjoy!
The Taylor Morris brand is such a success story! With so many brands of sunglasses out there that are widely available, we want to know how you maintain integrity and luxury status within this sphere?
As an independent brand we are not governed over by a corporate machine. This allows for creativity to flourish and for us to design objects (not products) which are unique. No one wants luxury they can find on every street corner. Taylor Morris is a uniquely London designed product. Its designed from Charlie and I’s point of view. Thus when competing with other major fashion houses our product stands next to them looking entirely different. We give customer a choice on how they chose to represent themselves. I think our most recent collaboration with The Morgan Motor Company really represents this.
The luxury market is a tough environment to break into. What advice would you have for people looking to break into, or invest in, this space?
Luxury is not a price point, it’s a state of mind. The pursuit of perfection is slow and methodical. When we started Taylor Morris we started it with a resolution of continual improvement. We always want to upgrade the product without raising the price too much. My advice would be to love your product and spare no expense. I have recently started laser engraving our hinges with 2mm high logos. How many people will see them? Only a few but those who do will know how much effort we have gone through, that is what true luxury is.
What are your tips for utilising social media as a tool to grow your business and customer base?
Communicate. Make sure you are always engaging in conversations. Don’t post any pictures unless they are better than the last one you took. Invest in a good camera. Be inventive and fearless. Be informative. It is exhausting but entirely necessary. It is how you represent yourself so in essence think of it as your digital self. Make sure if you are bringing anyone into the Social Media team that they have experience and charm.
Describe your customer in 3 words.
Wise, individual, eccentric.
What are your go-to venues for a business meeting?
Our offices are in Knightsbridge so we tend to do more ‘out’ meetings around there. For Sushi we love Kiru in Chelsea, otherwise most the time at The Lanesborough. My late God Father Michael was manager there for a long time and every time I go inside that beautiful hotel I think of him.
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