86 GOING GLOBAL Blade and Rose Owner Amanda Peffer found a distinctive product format which resonates with a wide audience, and is now looking to further its UK and European expansion When did you start up and why? When I was on maternity leave after the arrival of my daughter, I found I was constantly on the lookout for cute little leggings but never quite found what I wanted, so I designed my own. Initially there were only three designs, each with the unique and very cute ‘design on the bum’, which were a huge hit and sold out immediately. What prompted you to launch the business? The business just grew organically. I gave up my job to concentrate on Blade and Rose then twelve months later my husband Jon joined the company too. What challenges have you overcome since the company’s launch? We have just celebrated our 13th birthday and business is going from strength to strength. Our biggest challenges to date must be the global pandemic followed by Brexit. However, Jon used the downtime during COVID to set up a European warehouse in Waterford, meaning we were all ready to ship globally. Having two warehouses does come with its own challenges, however, we can ship our orders quickly and efficiently worldwide. During COVID our online business grew significantly, and it continues to thrive. Tell us about your product offering. Our key products are the leggings, these are what we are known for, and our design, detail and quality mean we remain the market leaders. The collection has however now grown to include tops, t-shirts, socks, rompers, splash suits, hoodies, bibs, and a summer collection manufactured in a lighter weight fabric. What are your most popular products? The Highland Cow collection is our best seller followed by Maura Mouse with leggings always outselling everything
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