From the fabric swatches and cuttings that filled her uncle’s factory, to launching her own womenswear brand after a long stint working for Marks & Spencer, Tanya Patel’s life has been shaped by clothes.
The award-winning businesswoman and mum of two is the brains behind Chapter London, a brand specialising in easy-to-wear pieces that fit perfectly in every woman’s wardrobe. With flattering shapes and timeless silhouettes, each piece is crafted to make the wearer feel comfy and confident.
But Tanya’s story doesn’t end there – she’s also the creator of Lily & Ribbon, a boutique specialising in stylish nursing and maternity wear. Here, she talks about the lessons she’s learned in business, the challenges of balancing work with family life, and the inspirations behind her design ethos.
How did the concept for Chapter London came about?
I’ve been in clothing my entire life – my uncle had a factory for cutting and finishing products. Following many years working with Marks & Spencer, I started my first brand in 2017. I identified that there’s a real need for well-priced, great quality fashion for thirty-plus women. I named the brand ‘Chapter London’ because it marked an exciting new chapter in my life as a mum of two.
You also have a maternity clothing brand, tell us about that…
Yes, I started out with a maternity clothing brand, LiIy & Ribbon, which taught me many lessons in how to run a business. As with anything new, you experience highlights and awards, and also lows like Brexit and COVID. These moments shaped how I conceived the concept for, and then launched, Chapter London.
What made you want to include London in your brand’s identity?
I wanted to feature London given my strong ties with the city. I was born in London and it’s where my parents separated in my early childhood. It’s the city that pulled me in after graduating, and eventually where I got married and started my family. These chapters feel like important milestones, and I wanted to create something special based around the next chapter of my life.
How did your experience at Marks & Spencer inform your decision to start your own brand?
I joined Marks & Spencer as a graduate, and over 13 years I covered many aspects of store management and leadership, which helped shape how I work today. The core values of M&S are still my core values: customer-first, integrity, innovation and managing ambiguity.
My roles included Commercial and International Project Manager, and I went on to win the Chairman’s Award and Asian Woman of Achievement Award for retail leadership.
How did those achievements spur you on?
I always loved the buzz of retail and working with a team to grow something special. I wanted to share my passions for customer experience and using clothing to make someone feel amazing. I’m now fulfilling my dream to represent women of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities!
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced while growing the brand?
The biggest challenge is balancing family life with my workload, but choosing fringe hours and early mornings has helped me navigate this. I suffer from ‘will it work?’ syndrome and this can be a big weight on my shoulders. It’s also been difficult to read and react to the changing retail landscape post-Covid and the emerging cost of living crisis. I’m still learning more every day.
What inspires Chapter London’s design ethos?
It’s important for us to understand our customers and their life stages, plus their design needs – useful pockets, bust considerations, and so on. From this, we develop our colour palettes and prints.
I take pride in having a sustainable outlook. We source locally where possible, produce in small quantities, and manufacture in the UK, helping the local economy by creating jobs and minimising our carbon footprint.
Which new arrivals on the site are you most excited about right now and why?
Our Ava jumpsuits and the Tanya dresses are creating a buzz. They’re made with high-quality velvet which hangs beautifully. Our trendy printed dresses have a pocket feature which is popular, as everyone needs a pocket!
Which of Chapter London’s milestones have given you the most joy and why?
Wow, where do I start? I think our first order of 100 items gave me a lot of satisfaction. I rang my partner as if I’d won Pop Idol! Also seeing the first product in the warehouse going out to customers, and being featured in the SilkFred newsletter within our first week of trading with you.
What are you working on right now that we should know about?
Our exciting spring-summer collection for next year – we can’t wait for you all to see it! We’ll be expanding our range of dresses and tops, so watch this space for some inspiring new product ranges.
