Meet Hannah Redfern of Kilte Collection

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Redfern.

Hi Hannah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
For me, everything changed in October 2017 when my daughter was born. My world shifted from pre-motherhood—where I had worked in fashion and finance for years—to the joyful and sometimes scary reality of caring for a wonderful new human.

Not only was my day-to-day new, so was my perspective. My existing wardrobe and personal style didn’t match my new world. Nor did the old version of my career. I spoke with hundreds of women in a similar position and discovered that they felt the same way. With insight and thought came inspiration: a new approach to style and a business built to offer a flexible work life to women in retail.

That inspiration became Kilte. A collection and a company made for the woman who isn’t one thing—a mother, a partner, a friend, a colleague—but rather who is all of those things and more. That’s me and those are the women I admire.

I hope you’ll come along with us.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I can’t imagine starting a business is ever a smooth road. I believe that a big part of any business is dealing with challenges and hurdles. Probably the biggest nut to crack of starting Kilte has been customer acquisition. We have been fortunate to have had great organic influencer support, but we do not have a large marketing budget to support acquisition efforts. Because of this, we have taken the approach of seeding products organically and focusing our efforts on trunk shows, which has turned out to be a great source of revenue and awareness.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Kilte Collection?
From made-in-Italy to machine washable, and oh so much in-between, our sustainable luxury knitwear is versatile and beautiful, just like you.

MADE IN ITALY
Sustainably Sourced
Our washable, biodegradable superfine wool is purchased directly from the source. It’s combed, dyed and spun at our mills outside of Florence and Milan. Our organic Mongolian cashmere comes from farms committed to animal welfare and the protection of grazing pastures. It’s all 100% sustainable and 100% traceable back to the source.

MADE TO LAST
Responsibly Produced
Our alpaca, merino and superfine wool pieces are knitted at a factory in Florence, Italy that’s been run by the same family for generations. Our cashmere is knitted at a woman-run factory committed to working with independent brands. We know everything about our materials and process, and now, so do you.

MADE BY MOTHERS
Flexibility Woven In
One reason we started Kilte was to create flexible work options for women in retail. Our entire team, from production to design to marketing, are women who left full-time careers to be mothers. All of the styles in our collections are named after these amazing women. Our commitment to flexible work for women continues. Get in touch at careers@kiltecollection.com.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Someone once told me that luck is when preparation meets opportunity. I believe in this notion wholeheartedly. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to run a business I am so passionate about and know that it is a luxury to even be able to do this.

However, I spent a lot of time earlier in my career working extremely hard to have the proper training to be able to start my own business. From working in investment banking and private equity to going back to business school to learn more about entrepreneurial pursuits. All of these endeavors has helped prepare for me for my current career.

Contact Info:

• Website: kiltecollection.com
• Instagram: @kiltecollection

Image Credits
@morganpansing – photography @jamiekeller – hair and makeup @mylifeasmiracle – model @clarasettje – model @nicci.psd – social media