Blossoming business

Bloomin’ lovely

Sabi Studio is the Stokesley-based jewellery brand bringing beautiful bouquets to our ears. Elysia Fryer checks in with Jessica Hall, the creative brains behind this blossoming business…

LUXE: What can you tell us about Sabi Studio? SABI: The name Sabi is derived from the Japanese design aesthetic ‘Wabi-Sabi’, which celebrates beauty in ‘imperfection’ and in nature. As Sabi earrings are hand-painted by me in my studio and are completely one of a kind, each pair is totally unique and they are ‘perfectly imperfect’. Sabi launches collections monthly, updating the website with over 200 bespoke designs which change seasonally with the colours and flowers in nature. Designs tend to sell rather quickly, so we also offer a specially curated, made to order service, also inspired by the seasons.

LUXE: You recently celebrated Sabi’s first birthday. What have you learnt about being a young female entrepreneur in the North East since your launch last year? SABI: It’s so important to connect with other small businesses for support, encouragement, collaborations and building local trust through word of mouth and recommendations. Doing so has encouraged a huge rise in my local sales. Our region as a whole, and the smaller communities within it, are a very supportive place to own a small business, which I feel so grateful for every day.

LUXE: Can you tell us a little bit about you? SABI: My creative journey started when I finished school with a real passion for art and design. Following my studies, I enrolled into The Northern School of Art, where I studied graphic design for a year, before specialising in illustration. After college, I was accepted into Leeds Arts University where I studied printed textiles and surface pattern design for three years. After graduating, I was very lucky to land a dream print design job in Manchester for a renowned print studio. Working there enabled me to travel to trade shows in Germany and New York and sell my work to companies globally. Even now I will walk into well-known high street stores and see my bedding or curtain designs and the buzz never gets old. When COVID hit, I was furloughed immediately. I made the move back to the North East and that’s when I set up Sabi. I had no idea it would blow up the way it has and I am so grateful that my small business has enabled me to leave my job in Manchester to focus on Sabi full-time. I’ve gone from working in my Mum's garage to a studio space in beautiful Stokesley, with other fabulous small businesses and the River Leven on my doorstep.

LUXE: You’re based in glorious North Yorkshire. How has the natural landscape that surrounds you influenced your designs? SABI: It's incredible to be able to step outside and be within a short distance of beautiful woodland, the coast and the hills. Nature has always been a massive inspiration to me, even in my print design career. I used to joke that my job was just to draw flowers all day, but to be honest, that’s exactly what I did! Now with Sabi, my designs are heavily influenced by flora and natural colour palettes as well as the journey through the seasons. I am constantly introducing new floral shapes and colour schemes into the monthly collections. Whenever I am feeling burnt out or uninspired, I can take a five minute drive to a beautiful scenic spot to recharge and gather inspiration.

LUXE: Can you walk us through a day in the life of you at Sabi Studio? SABI: Being self-employed means I can enjoy living my days quite freely. Some days I have to remind myself that just because no one is going to tell me off, I can’t turn up late to the studio and wear tracksuit bottoms every day! I’m also still getting used to being my own boss, so self discipline is something I’ve really tried to focus on this year. So most days, I’ll wake up and take my old dog for a slow mooch around the neighbourhood before heading to my studio in Stokesley. I’ll start the day there with a big coffee and check my emails, responding to any customer queries or ordering any stock I may need. I’ll then start hand painting slabs of clay which are then cut, baked, glossed, sanded and assembled. I always try to film behind-the-scenes videos as my followers on Instagram really enjoy watching me paint and the process behind their earrings. I’ll then end my working day by packing any outstanding orders and taking them to the post office.

LUXE: What can we expect to see from Sabi this spring/ summer? SABI: The summer collection will be filled with vibrant colours and lots of hand-painted florals and fruits. Last year the orange design featured in British Vogue and it's been a long-awaited comeback. I am aiming for new products to be released this summer too, so make sure to keep an eye out on our social channels.

LUXE: Where can we purchase your beautiful pieces? SABI: Over on sabistudio.co.uk where you can browse the current collection or check out our archive for inspo.

LUXE: What’s next for Sabi? SABI: After a year of building Sabi to be my full-time job, in the coming year I would like to combine my pattern design skills to create products such as stationery and homeware, along with new hand-painted products. I also plan to hold workshops with customers when restrictions ease. That will be a lot of fun and a great way to engage with the Sabi audience.

Why the North East is so important to Sabi Studio >>

Your favourite places to unwind and enjoy downtime in the area? My favourite place to eat locally is The Truffled Hog in Stokesley. It’s the perfect place for after-work drinks and nibbles. To get a bit of a change of scenery from the studio, I love to while away the hours here editing photos while sipping coffee and tucking into sweet treats. I also love to get out in the great outdoors - two of my favourite fresh-air spots are Guisborough Woods and the beach at Saltburn. I definitely enjoy a bit of self-care when I can squeeze it in. I love a good pamper at Convey Salons in Stokesley.

Three places you take visitors? Saltburn beach, Roseberry Topping and Cod Beck Reservoir in Osmotherley.

A shout out to another local business doing well in the area? Wedding caterer turned takeaway during the pandemic, Damon from Big D’s BBQ has shown true resilience with the transition. For the best BBQ food imaginable, check out: @big_ds_bbq.

And finally, your three luxe things in life? Red lipstick for instant confidence, Barcelona - my dream city to live, and my Anthropologie Perasima mug - the perfect size for a big cup of coffee to start the day.

Marmalade merriment

Jo Malone’s limited edition Marmalade Collection is the nostalgic summer treat we’ve all been waiting for. A happy memory in a bottle - these scents certainly take you back to your childhood. Thoughts of family gatherings, village fêtes and a gentle, warm breeze. From ‘Tangy Rhubarb’ to ‘Orange Peel’ and ‘Elderflower Cordial’ fragrances, you’re spoilt for choice this summer. Launching 1 May 2021. £55. jomalone.co.uk

Just because saving for retirement is difficult, it doesn’t mean you should give up; and the current reliefs and allowances on pension contributions should give cause for optimism

Are you planning on retiring?

If you expect to retire on a final-salary pension and with no mortgage, your perspective on retirement may well be rosy; if you are grappling with debt and worried about having insufficient pension savings, it may be a different picture. For some, the question is not how to retire successfully, but how to retire at all, given that there may be precious little in the way of a state safety net to fall back on. Research from the Financial Conduct Authority in 2017 revealed that around 15 million individuals were not saving anything towards their retirement and would have to rely entirely on the State Pension in their later years.1 The introduction of pension freedoms has helped somewhat: figures for 2018 show that nearly 80% of working-age employees were contributing to a pension.2 Of particular concern is the group of pre-retirees aged 55–64, only half of whom have given thought to how they will manage in retirement; and only a quarter know how much they have in their pension pot.3 These people may only have a few working years left to build their nest egg. In the UK, 31% of adults have no private pension provision; and the State Pension is the main source of income in retirement for 44% of retirees.4 Why do so many people fail to plan their retirement? According to BlackRock’s latest survey results, 57% of people aren’t currently investing. In the UK, 58% of non-investors say they don’t have enough money to start investing; and 42% are too worried about their financial situation today to think about the future.5 Those able to put some aside really should: people massively underestimate the amount of money they need to save. According to BlackRock, those who were asked to calculate how much they would need for their desired retirement income of £26,000 a year estimated they would require £233,000 in savings; and yet they would need a pot of £525,000 for this income, even including the State Pension.6 People also underestimate longevity and therefore how long retirement could last. Only 7% of people aged 55–64 today expect to live to 90, but research indicates that half of them can expect to live that long.7 The obvious implication is that many retirement pots will run out too soon. Many experts are warning that the end of final-salary pension schemes, chronic underfunding of defined contribution pensions, and increasing life expectancy are creating a perfect storm that threatens to destabilise the financial wellbeing of the coming generation of retirees. The solution is to plan You have to ask yourself: how much will I need, and how much can I afford to put away? Then you need to factor in any other sources of retirement income and you can see the size of the gap you are trying to fill. Obviously, the younger you are, the longer the investment time horizon and the most you will have to gain when thinking ahead. However, middle age is a time when incomes are at or near their peak, so there are significant opportunities to catch up. Subject to limitations, people in the UK can make pension contributions of up to 100% of their earnings or £40,000, whichever is lower. While paying the maximum may seem a tall order, remember that the government rewards you for saving into a pension in the form of tax relief. Worryingly, according to BlackRock’s research, 50% of people are unaware that the government boosts pension contributions; the research also showed that fewer than a third of people are aware of ‘pension freedoms’ changes and how these impact on their retirement prospects.8 This is further evidence that lack of awareness remains one of the key barriers to making adequate retirement provision. It’s vital savers know and understand all their options for using their pension; but also that they make the most of the current tax breaks while building one. Finally, 61% of non-investors recognise that their outlook would be better if they started investing now; and 76% of investors who use a financial adviser report having a sense of wellbeing.9 If you feel you would benefit from a financial review of your individual requirements, I offer a no obligation review to suit each individual needs. This review could be via a zoom meeting, telephone call or face to face at a Covid-secure venue, at a time and location convenient to you. Please contact Patrick McLaughlin Wealth Management on 0191 5482830 or email patrick.mclaughlin@sjpp.co.uk.

1,3, 7 Financial Conduct Authority, Financial Lives Survey 2017 2 Institute for Fiscal Studies, October 2020 4 Financial Conduct Authority, ‘The financial lives of consumers across the UK’, report 20 June 2018, updated January 2020 5, 9 BlackRock, 6th Annual Global Investor Pulse Survey, February 2019 6, 8 BlackRock, Global Investor Pulse Survey 2017

Crafting a future

Stuart Coupland’s luxury leather business has flourished in difficult trading conditions as his personalised craftsmanship flies high across the North East, the UK and beyond. Elysia Fryer finds out more…

Luxury leather goods create a legacy of their own. There’s something incredibly special about investing in a new handbag or wallet, particularly if you’re shopping in the high-end market. And as we as a nation consciously steer away from the repercussions of ‘fast fashion’, there’s never been a better time to shop smart and invest in something that will truly stand the test of time. Personally, as I’m sure many of you did, I spent many a lockdown weekend rearranging cupboards and wardrobes, ‘decluttering’ to make space. I was surprised to find that I was storing throw-away fashion pieces from years gone by, many of which definitely did not ‘stand the test of time’. It led me to think about my future purchases, to move away from quick fixes and really spend some time making my next move. In the process of my wardrobe overhaul, I was delighted to come across Coupland Leather - a business with quality craftsmanship at its heart. And when I learned that Stuart, the brains behind the brand, was based here in the North East, I jumped at the opportunity to have a chat. Like many, 28-year-old Stuart Coupland from Norton, has had an unusual couple of years in business. But out of weird situations come wonderful things and these turbulent times have allowed him to turn his passion into a reality. “I’ve had multiple business ideas bubbling away for some time now,” explains Stuart. “But I either didn’t pursue them, they didn’t work out, or life just got in the way. “So it’s definitely something I’ve always wanted to do, but I just needed to find the right business and the right moment.” The pandemic has been a challenging time for everyone - for business, for our wellbeing, and for our social lives. But for some, it has given them the creative freedom to bring ideas to life. To take the plunge and trust that ‘everything happens for a reason’. Coupland Leather is a business that Stuart has had in mind for some time now, taking him back to a 2018 summer holiday. “My girlfriend and I were on holiday in Turkey; during our stay, a handmade watch strap from one of the shops in the hotel caught my eye. I spoke to the guy behind the counter and he told me that it wouldn’t fit my watch, but he went on to explain that he could cut it down and make it work. “I wasn’t expecting such a service and it got me thinking about ‘the perfect watch strap’ for me. I asked him if he could change the buckle and before you knew it, I’d basically customised this strap for my own watch. I was really impressed. “I went home, did a bit of YouTube research - as you do - and I collated a list of what I needed to be able to set this up as a business, or at the time, a ‘side hustle’.” Before long, Stuart had taken the plunge, kitted himself out and started making leather goods. He knew he was passionate about it, but had to test out his skillset. “I made my first wallet - it was horrendous,” he laughs. “So I chucked it all in a box and forgot about it for a while. Was it going to be another great idea of mine that never really takes off? “I had just got a new job as a sales manager for a marketing company. Before that, I worked in IT sales and at the same time, I was a retained fireman in Norton. In my new role I found that I had a lot of spare time as I was no longer on call in the fire service, so on evenings and weekends I decided to pick up the leather thing again.” What started as a hobby quickly turned into a small business for friends and family. Stuart found himself making watch straps and card holders as gifts for loved ones. “I was just getting my head around the craft really, but I was really enjoying it and I was determined I was going to make it work,” Stuart says. “Because I already had a large business network around me, it spread quite fast and I ended up being quite busy. By the end of 2019, I’d sold about 80 products and had Rockliffe Hall as a reseller. Fast forward to early 2020, in January I got called into the office and was told the marketing business was going into liquidation and that we no longer had a job.” This career setback gave Stuart the space to sit back and really think about how he could put his creativity to the test. “It gave me the motivation to pick my phone up, ring everyone in my contacts and pitch to them about my leather products. I gave myself 10 days to prove that the concept would work, and in that time, it really started to take off.” “If I’m going to be totally honest, a lot of it was pity sales, but it was fine because it gave me the confidence to give it a go. Six weeks later, we were put into a national lockdown and everything went out of the window.” Or at least, it could have gone that way. Determined to give Coupland Leather the chance it deserved, Stuart continued to lean on the people around him and put his all into spreading the word and crafting more luxurious leather products.

“Bizarrely, in 2020 - amidst a global pandemic - we had about 670% growth on 2019, almost seven times the turnover from the previous year. It was nuts,” explains Stuart. “So far this year, we’re almost halfway to hitting last year’s turnover. It’s really starting to get going and it’s a very exciting time. I just had an Italian leather magazine through the door this morning and we are featured in it - it was a bit of a ‘pinch me’ moment I’ve got to be honest.” And as Stuart’s business continues to pick up momentum, he continues to launch new products and form partnerships with well-loved businesses across the region, the country and beyond. “At the moment, we’re stocked at Rockliffe Hall, Alnwick Garden, Master Debonair, Owen Scott Bespoke Tailoring in Huddersfield - and then we’ve got a couple of other tailors interested in Leeds and in London, so we’re definitely spreading our wings. “80% of our business comes from outside of Teesside, so we’re very much a national business. I have sold into Australia and America too, which is great.” Coupland Leather’s reach is far and wide, but its heart is firmly rooted in Teesside. “I’m Teesside through and through,” Stuart smiles. “The Tees Valley business community is incredibly strong, and I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in now if it wasn’t for the people surrounding me - from friends and family, to business networks. “Everybody is more than happy to support and help each other, which is really special when it comes to setting up a new business. We’ve all been navigating through tough times together, but being able to lean on one another has been so incredibly inspiring and uplifting.” Stuart is a familiar face within the Tees Valley business community, and with that, he’s a big supporter of local charities. Coupland Leather does everything it can to give back to those in need, and to those who have supported him along the way. “I started going to Business Network International (BNI) meetings when I was 18. When I first attended there was a lady called Diane, who was in the BNI for Butterwick Hospice. From a very early stage, I was always attending corporate events and supporting Butterwick in any way I could. I would see people getting certificates for the support they gave, and I always thought, ‘I want one of them’. “So when we set up Coupland Leather, I got in touch with Butterwick and came on as a corporate supporter. I also support MAIN, which is a Middlesbrough-based autism charity. It’s great to give back, and to be able to do it in partnership with organisations close to my heart, is just wonderful.” Coupland Leather’s North East homage goes beyond the charity and corporate worlds. It’s a heritage business, and it’s history is found within Stuart’s own family. “The Coupland crest was actually designed by my grandad - it’s been hung up in his house for around 45 years. I was having a cup of tea with him one day and I saw the crest as I was leaving, so I asked him if he would mind if I used it in my logo. In January I had a conversation with him and showed him some of my newspaper clippings. I told him that over 500 people were walking around with our family crest in their pocket, and he welled up, bless him - he was over the moon with it. “Beyond that, we’ve named all of the wallets after family members, so it’s very personal to me and my loved ones, as well as the customers. “When things are busy, like in the run up to Christmas when we produced around 150 products between October and December, I brought my mum on as temporary staff. She loves to get involved, so does my partner Meg, a photographer and real creative genius, who helps with my imagery, branding and marketing.” So, Stuart’s ‘lightbulb’ moment came during a holiday in Turkey, and business has somewhat boomed ever since, with a few hurdles and challenges thrown in between. “Last year was all about the product itself - trying things out and getting the quality right. I had done all of my research into the world of leather. We use vegetable tan leather, this is what you find on things like a saddle or a chesterfield sofa. It’s 60-70 years old and it’s a ‘looks better than it did when you first bought it’ kind of leather. “I buy that in the plain, uncovered version, then I dye it to the acquired specification. It’s a very traditional, natural way of doing it, and the leather is much more hard-wearing. “We launched our very first handbag in December. Our first sale was with a lady who got in touch to say she was looking at Gucci handbags but came across Coupland Leather and decided to put her trust in us. “I thought, ‘Wow, someone has chosen me over a major brand’ - my head got a bit bigger, I couldn’t believe it! I know that when somebody buys from the likes of Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Mulberry, they get the full, luxury experience. So it got me thinking, ‘How can I make the Coupland Leather experience better?’ “And so that is what this year has been about. We’ve invested in some really nice boxes. When you buy a handbag, it comes in a black box with the Coupland Leather crest on the top of it. You open it up and your name is engraved inside. It’s all very personalised, with a care sheet inside and the certificate of authenticity featuring a wax stamp of our crest. It’s the whole experience. “These big brands have huge budgets - I don’t have that, but my unique selling point is making it as personal as possible and giving people the luxury of choosing exactly what they want when it comes to the leather and the design. “With a recent bag, I’ve actually included the customer’s signature. I lazer engraved a digital image onto the inside pocket, so in a sense, they’ve signed their own handbag. How cool is that?” Stuart’s business has come at a great time for savvy shoppers who have an eye for design, sustainability and timeless luxuries. Shoppers are constantly on the lookout for something new and unique. Something they can invest in, go on a personalised journey through the manufacturing process, get to know the brains behind the business and really put their trust in the quality every step of the way. It’s something you can find joy in purchasing, share with loved ones and pass on to future generations. It’s the direction many independent businesses are following, but it’s not easy to get it right. The beauty of Coupland Leather is in its local, family heritage - and as it's our job to champion the North East and all it has to offer, we’re incredibly proud to say we’ve got another jewel in the crown. A carefully-considered craftsman with his heart in Teesside. couplandleather.co.uk

Stuart’s business has come at a great time for savvy shoppers who have an eye for design, sustainability and timeless luxuries