An interview with Lucy-Ann
In line with Earth Day, we sit down with Lucy-Ann who is our technical and production manager here at Fleur of England. After working for the brand for 10 years we sit down to discuss her job role, from career highlights to factory workers’ welfare and sustainability goals for the future.
How long have you been working at Fleur of England and what do you love most about it?
I have been working at fleur of England for 10 very happy years now! I’ve been in the lingerie industry since 1987 and am completely in love with it.
The working environment at Fleur of England is one of my favourite parts of working for the business. We have such a lovely office atmosphere, as well as, wonderful extended relationships with both our wholesalers, customers, and the factory.
The changing of seasons with Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter launches means there is always something exciting and new to be working on and I love the fact that every week brings a new challenge. Despite being in the business for 10 years, I feel like I am constantly learning!
Can you tell us more about the factory and how often do you communicate with them?
Our factory is located in the fabulous city of Porto in Portugal. We’ve been working with the same one now for over 20 years. I communicate with the factory and its workers daily. I consider them as extended members of our team. Communicating with the factory consistently ensures that we are always working in unison together on a vision for the best outcome.
We are so fortunate that the factory and its workers emulate our values when it comes to ensuring impeccable design, quality, and fit, and it’s so rewarding to see the final product when we know every aspect of production from original design to finished product always had those core values at the very forefront of its vision.
What is your greatest achievement at Fleur of England?
Something I pride myself on and would be my greatest achievement would be Fleur of England’s impeccable fit. We have samples sent back to us at the office at many stages of the production process so that we can fit the bras and garments in-house. We try them on our staff, which are real women of all different sizes and ages so that we can ensure the best possible fit for our customers.
Working in the lingerie business for over 35 years now, my roots are in design and manufacturing, so, I feel a great sense of pride when I visit our factory. The workers have as much passion for our product as we do. They are excited to see the new collections and even follow us across social media!
What makes you proud of the factory that we work with?
The list is endless! They are absolute specialists at what they do, without them, we wouldn’t be able to produce such exquisite products season on season. The machinists are so knowledgeable. It doesn’t compare to any other factory that I have worked with over my years in the industry and this is why we have supported the same factory for as long as we have.
In all of the years, we have worked with them, they have never lost sight of our vision for exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail. It is a complete joy to work with them.
How does quality control work in Fleur of England?
Quality control is a huge part of the production process at Fleur of England. Throughout the journey of the garment in the factory, it will go through quality control checks at several stages, for fabric, and finish. We then receive samples into the office where we also inspect the garment for an impeccable fit. As well as it undergoing a final inspection when Annaliese packs our customer orders. This meticulous quality control ensures we meet the exceptional standards we are famous for.
What is your career highlight?
If I’m honest it is ongoing and would be helping and supporting new team members within the company to learn and develop. I am passionate about this very niche industry, in particular, our luxury lingerie brand, and love to pass on my knowledge and skills to future generations. This is how I learned, through experts in the industry, to keep the unique skills that are only learned in person, not in textbooks. It’s a lived experience and is extremely rewarding and satisfying to see individuals grow and develop and continue the tradition and expertise of the industry.
What do you think Fleur of England’s future looks like?
I’m excited to be building a more sustainable future for Fleur of England, which is a very integral part of my role. We are making lots of steps to improve our sustainability credentials, continuously improve our social impact and move our brand toward a more circular direction. This will impact and improve all aspects of the business, whether this is people, products, or the planet.
I cannot wait to see what my next 10 years bring!
