Success by Design
'Success by Design', Hirer Magazine
September 2009, Issue 4
It’s a fairly loftly challenge for any aspiring business leader – to follow in the footsteps of Ultimo bra tycoon Michelle Mone.
But on meeting Gill Eastgate – who recently beat six finalists to emerge triumphant in the Scottish final of the JCI Creative Young Entrepreneur Award (JCI CYEA) previously won by Mone – you get more than a grasp of her abilities as the sharp businesswoman at the helm of one of the UK’s leading corporate clothing firms, NKD Clothing Ltd.
I met her at Malmaison in Edinburgh and what instantly came across is her passion,
enthusiasm and true love for her business. If these are the key genetic strands in the DNA of entrepreneurs, Gill oozes it.
Gill started out her career in corporate fashion design with Scottish Fashion International in 1998
where the business supplied corporate clothing to clients such as RBS. But Gill knew this wasn’t enough: “I felt I could do so much more and needed to follow a different path – the perfect opportunity arose following an introduction to corporate wear designer, Kay Davidson.” Together, Gill and Kay were successful in clinching a number of contracts, not least in rolling out a complete new staff uniform across all seven Malmaison Hotel locations in the UK in 2004.
In 2005, following a successful management buyout, Gill became the sole owner and director of the company, renaming the business NKD Clothing Ltd. “I inherited my risk-taking qualities from my dad” - an admission that brings tears to Gill’s eyes as she recalls his sudden death the same year.
Fighting such crippling grief while working to drive forward a new business sounds insurmountable, but Gill tells me she has her father to thank for her strength and unshakable sense of self-belief. “He was, and continues to be, my inspiration. I was devastated to lose him and in hindsight I did use the business as a means of channelling those feelings and turning something so awful into something positive that my dad would be proud of. My dedication to my clients prevails, but at the time I really did work all hours. Bu I know the business gave me focus and helped me get back on track”. Gill didn’t just get back on track. She grew the business by 500% in the first year. (Turnover for 2008 was £1.3m) This meteoric growth was so outstanding that even her accountant questioned her figures.
NKD Clothing Ltd went onto win more contracts, but when the company won a deal to supply seven of the prestigious Hotel Du Vin units, Gill demonstrated her entrepreneurial flair to not just recognise that her business needed a major shake-up, but to implement the changes that had to be made to ensure its survival.
Gill to this point was working out of a small business unit in Stirling. But her partner Ray Foreman, who has always been a tower of strength, found an ideal property in Edinburgh to create their new headquarters with enough room for stock, distribution and the new team they were about to bring on board.
Setting up the business on her own, Gill self-financed projects, negotiating with suppliers whenever she hit cash flow problems - suppliers who are now considered an extension to the NKD team. Gill has transformed the business, with 11 members of staff, dedicated project managers and an experienced design team.
NKD Clothing don’t have a brochure, they design client-specific concepts and bespoke corporate clothing, supplying the resulting garments from their onsite warehouse. Their service is like no other available from initial designs and organising manufacture, right through to delivery and follow-up visits and analysis.
This philosophy – together with Gill’s decision to personally lead all client pitches and presentations (she has visited in excess of 60 potential customers over the last five months) - means that despite the current economic climate, NKD Clothing is continuing to secure a string of orders across five star and boutique venues across the UK. The company has also scored a major first by winning a contract with FlyGlobespan to supply uniforms for their 300 strong cabin crew and pilots. NKD Clothing is also in the process of embarking on an ambitious global sales push, supported by its strong reputation in the UK market.
Gill said: “Although for the majority of my business I was on my own, the Scottish Enterprise mentoring scheme has been highly valuable. My mentor Christina Noonan has been invaluable in assisting me in international import and export trading. I would highly recommend this to anyone starting out or in their first five years of business. I was able to bounce ideas and because she was impartial she could offer great advice.”
Gill’s next big challenge will be to aim for victory in the International final of the JCI CYEA competition, which takes place later this year in Tunisia.
