Photographer: Georges Antoni
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The architect-turned-CEO of Manolo Blahnik shares how she’s helped to redefine her family’s luxury shoe empire—and why her uncle’s perpetual passion for learning has been key to its success.
“I’ve always been particular about my brows—even on shoots with incredible make-up artists, I’d insist on doing my own.”
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On Building a Global Fashion Brand Rooted in Colour, Craft and Conscience
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I originally studied engineering and worked in that industry for three years, so I launched my business later on in life. At 26, I left my job in France and came to London to study jewellery design. That was almost 10 years ago. I basically used my studies to start working on my business plan. Every time I had a school project, I would design pieces that would be part of my future collection. But I didn’t have a lot of experience in business; I had no idea what a small business was, how to hire, or how to be a manager. I had no connections whatsoever in London – nor in fashion or design.
“Of course, I’m very grateful for the successes we have achieved, and yes, we can celebrate these milestones. But I’m always cautious – I never believe I have ‘arrived’. To me, one day you’re in and the next you could be out. You can’t rest on your laurels.”
“I say ‘work in progress’ a lot or ‘this too shall pass’. Also: ‘don’t forget to have fun’.”
What is your mantra?
“In the beginning, the biggest challenge was
doing everything with a small team, but I truly believe it’s important to be hands-on to understand what your business really needs”
“When we got our first negative TikTok review, I panicked. I thought we’d ruined everything. But it turned into one of my biggest lessons.”
“A very old Hermès trench, which I got when I worked at the [brand’s] sample sale in the ’90s, plus a McQueen embroidered cape.”
What is your most treasured fashion item?
£330
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£330
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£1,600
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£1,100
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£220
Maroc printed swimsuit
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£500
SHOP NOW
I took a pause before starting Alémais. I’d been working for another brand during the pandemic and had only been there for a short period of time before we all got made redundant. I thought, “Oh wow, what am I going to do?” But at that point in my career – not the end, but sort of mid-career – it was a nice chance to stop. No one ever gets that time to take a break, slow down, think about what they’re doing and make conscious decisions. I started making clay pots and doing all these crafty things that weren’t related to fashion. But I had so much experience in the industry and this very strong feeling that if we could create a brand that was meaningful and considered, we should be doing it.
When we started the business, the energy of the world felt flat. There was so much activewear; everything felt black and white. I needed to see colour. I needed to see art. I wanted it to be expressive and fun. Even if that meant dancing around your kitchen in a big dress with nowhere to wear it, if it made your heart sing and made you happy, then I felt like it was the right thing to do. I wanted to create that optimism in my own world and hopefully share it with the next person and pay it forward. We started with art and colour, and now we have customers all over the world who want pieces that work across seasons.
“I started posting on Instagram at a very good time. It was very early on. I would just put outfits together, and my mum would take pictures of me in the kitchen. At the beginning, I was just sharing to friends and family, but over time my following grew. It was a lot easier back then. As my following grew, so too did the opportunities, and I started working with brands, which is how I met Jenna [Meek, Jess’s co-founder].
“I’ve always been particular about my brows—to the point where, even on shoots with incredible make-up artists, I’d insist on doing my own. I was actually on one yesterday and said, ‘I’ll do my own brows.’ Back then, I’d use two gels and three brushes just to get them how I liked — I thought that was normal. Jenna saw what I was doing and asked why I was using so many different products.
“I talked her through each step, and her entrepreneurial brain immediately lit up. She said, ‘I think there’s something here.’ We met for lunch and sketched out designs for a dream product — one that featured three brushes to create my everyday sculpted look and hold it in place all day.
“Months later, Jenna called and said, ‘I’ve spoken to a lab — they think they can make it. Would you want to start a business together?’ Naively, I said yes, with no experience in make-up or business. I wish I still had some of that fearless energy, because as the brand grows, the stakes get higher, and I’ve become more cautious. I love where we are today, but nothing beats the magic of the beginning.
“Back then, I’d use two gels and three brushes just to get them how I liked — I thought that was normal.”
“We forecasted that the stock would last nine months — it sold out in six weeks.”
We try to be sincere and authentic in everything we do. We sometimes say that we are creating objects that are right in every sense of the word—the right proportions, the right level of practicality, and the right balance between the quality and the price. You have to have respect for the customer, and we’ve kept our prices quite consistent all these years. I don’t agree with the mentality of selling super expensive products just for the sake of it, and you don’t care because you know that someone will be ready to pay for it. When you do that, they probably won’t come back. You need to keep that link with the customer; that’s what builds a future.
The one thing I would never compromise on in business? Passion. It’s so important to have passion, and to transmit that to all the people around us. I think that only when you really do things with passion, that you can do them well.
What I’m proudest of is the fact that we have been able to evolve. In nearly 80 years, we have gone from being a tobacco store to a lifestyle brand with a presence all around the world. We didn’t do it in one dramatic revolutionary way—we did it with consistency. We have always evolved, we have always innovated, created, re-imagined. But we have also maintained strong roots and strong pillars, like our Le Pliage and Le Roseau designs. Those two bags are more than 30 years old, and to see women today still wanting them and wearing them is something I’m very proud of. We’ve managed to succeed in keeping them desirable all this time, which is not something that many brands have been able to do.
Success isn’t really what I’m looking for—it’s to feel that I have done my best. To know that I have achieved something in a good way, in the best way I could. And sometimes, of course, it doesn’t work, but I can still feel proud of it, and how I overcame difficulties or tried something different and innovative. We must always learn from our mistakes.
A special moment I will always remember was our collaboration collection with Tracey Emin. It was the first one I ever did, and it was to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Le Pliage in 2004. Collaborations were not so common then, few people were doing them—especially one that was so purely artistic. To meet her, to work with her, was incredible, and I think the result perfectly captured Tracey’s spirit, and Longchamp’s spirit too. It was really the beginning of a new page for the brand.
“When we got our first negative TikTok review two years in, I panicked. I thought we’d ruined everything and relied too much on social media. But it turned into one of my biggest lessons—we needed to be clearer about who each product is for. Instead of saying, ‘Everyone will love it,’ we started saying, ‘Don’t buy this if you’re not after that specific look.’
“Our community is our biggest strength. It’s at the core of everything we do. We started out wanting to simplify beauty, but now it’s evolved—I’m often the second person to know what’s launching next because it all comes from our community. They influence everything, from product development to shades. We regularly email our database asking questions like, ‘What do you want to see next?’ or ‘Should the next mascara be blue or brown?’
“We’re so fortunate to have such a close relationship with them. They’re who our products are made for. Some of our biggest viral moments have come from everyday customers, not influencers. One girl in America filmed herself applying Lash Sculpt from Sephora in her bedroom—that video now has over 100 million views. It sold out across Sephora US. You can’t buy that kind of exposure—it’s pure community power.
“Sustainability was at the heart of the brand from day one – it was also the thing that nearly deterred me from starting a brand”
In our latest Women Who Win, Lesleigh Jermanus opens up about the mid-career pause that led her to create her fashion brand Alémais, which is rooted in colour, joy and sustainability. Jermanus talks to Lily Russo-Bah about redefining success and learning to trust her gut in creative and business decisions.
“Our Le Pliage and
Le Roseau bags are more than 30 years old, so to see women today still wanting them and wearing them is something I’m very proud of.”
alfie sundress
Michelle one-shoulder silk midi dress
Floral satin bootcut pants
Marilyn tie-dye denim mini dress
gathered metallic silk-blend gown
“I think longevity comes from being really clear on who you are, what you’re doing and who you want to be, both in terms of product and people.”
Lesleigh
“I think longevity comes from being really clear on who you are, what you’re doing and who you want to be, both in terms of product and people.”
There’s an expectation of transparency. People want to know where garments come from and how they’re made. We work on that every day. We try to be open and honest. When we don’t know, we say we don’t know. People want to feel part of the journey, and they’ve supported us from the beginning. Initially, I thought, “Oh my goodness, there’s so much to invest in here.” But I’ve realised it’s just a mindset we’ve adopted and created. You’re always given two choices, and it’s not hard to make the right one. The most important thing we did was start with those values from the outset.
We’ve hired a head of social and environmental impact. She’s always in our ear – a tree hugger from way back. She’s at the design boards, she’s in every meeting, and she makes sure she infiltrates every part of the business. What’s really interesting is how we attract employees now. They’ve read our impact report and know intimate details about what it means; I’m always surprised by that. People want to feel like they’re part of something meaningful, a brand that gives back in some way. We’re not perfect, but we try our best.
We recently changed our bags, moving from plastic to a 100% paper, recyclable product. It costs a lot more, but we don’t see that as an expense. We see it as a value and non-negotiable, because it’s one of our guiding principles. The Alémais Forest Project has been a dream for a long time, too. Being able to purchase and restore land in the oldest living rainforest in the world, in far north Queensland, and work with local Indigenous communities to return it to traditional owners is deeply meaningful.
“It’s not just about making beautiful objects: it’s about creating something meaningful, ethical and lasting”
“When we started the business, the energy of the world felt flat. I needed to see colour. I needed to see art. I wanted
it to be expressive and fun”
Our first show was a standout moment. We opened Australian Fashion Week in 2023 and had never done a show before. I had no idea what I was in for. It was a wild time for the whole team; all hearts and hands on deck. I’ve never felt something so deeply meaningful and intuitive; everyone worked together to create that one moment. It felt like a real timestamp.
There was a skirt in the collection with a beautiful corseted waist and a tulle skirt. All the appliqué was done by hand. Our team worked on it. The artisans in India played a critical role, changing colours and giving creative input. The artist was involved. There were so many creative voices. Then the stylist brought it all together in a way I never would have imagined. It completely changed how the garment was worn. We design something and never know how it will be perceived, and she perceived it her way. For the show, it was set to a David Bowie song – my son’s name is Bowie – and it all felt very special.
Sustainability was at the heart of the brand from day one. To be fair, it was also the thing that nearly deterred me from starting a brand, but we came up with a few things that felt right with our conscience – ways we thought we could do a little bit better – so that we could set the brand up in a meaningful way. We always come back to those guiding principles. We talk about them all the time.
In February it will be five years since we first started delivering our first order. It feels like so long ago that I started the business, but it's not. I was thinking about it just the other day. Everyone’s like, “You’ve had this overnight success”. And I’m like, “Well, not really.” I’ve been in the industry for 20 years and so has my partner, so I guess we’ve had a lot of combined experience.
Our proudest moment is building a team of inspired people and watching them grow. We started with one team member and now we’re up to 50. Seeing people move from junior roles into senior positions has been incredibly rewarding. That said, balancing new creative perspectives as the business grows has been our biggest challenge. We now have around 30 creatives across designers, textile artists, accessories and pattern makers. Aligning on purpose while leaving room for experimentation is a constant learning curve. I’ve learned to trust my gut, understand my strengths, ask for help and communicate more clearly.
Recently, we were included in the BoF 500 [the Business of Fashion’s annual list of the industry’s most influential people]. When the email came through, I thought they’d got it wrong – I nearly fell off my chair. We travelled to Paris for it. Being in a room with so many talented designers and creators from around the world was hugely humbling.
I’ll never compromise on design integrity. The team jokes that I’m a little annoying because I obsess over details at the end of a collection. But you have to care: about colour, fabric, the mix, how the customer feels wearing it. I want to try everything on. I want the team to try it on. I want everyone to know how it feels before we share it with the world. It’s the same with the artists we work with in regard to protecting the integrity of their work and how it transforms into fabric and design. Everything comes back to design integrity.
“I stopped chasing the idea that work-life balance has to be perfectly split”
As a female founder, I’ve had a largely positive experience. Fashion in Australia is female-dominated and I’ve worked with inspiring women, but it’s not for the faint-hearted – you build resilience and learn to back yourself. I’ve had to step into boardrooms and finance conversations, even though I’m a creative brain. Self-confidence is a superpower I’ve had to train.
I’d love to see more workplace flexibility and equality of pay. We’ve built flexibility into our business from the start. As long as there’s accountability, we trust our team. When I was younger, I didn’t feel like I could say out loud that I wanted a family; it felt like it would limit my career. In hindsight, I wish I’d thought differently.
I stopped chasing the idea that work-life balance has to be perfectly split. Fashion isn’t set up that way. Timelines are gruelling, and you have to lean into them. Once I hand over a collection, that’s my time. That’s my win. Being in nature, having a coffee with a friend, or stepping away from digital restores me. Creatives need time away from screens; that’s when ideas regenerate.
London gives me so much creative energy. I love the way people dress, the people watching, the collision of cultures. I’ll always go vintage trawling – Portobello, old markets, fairs – even if it drives my partner crazy. Italian restaurant Gloria on Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch is a favourite to visit, and I always try to make it to the V&A – I love history and anything that challenges my creative brain. Finally, after a manic day, I love the dramatic, underground hot and cold pools at Aire Ancient Baths, just off the Strand in central London.
“People want to feel like they’re part of something meaningful, a brand that gives back in some way. We’re not perfect, but we try our best”
Jermanus
I took a pause before starting Alémais. I’d been working for another brand during the pandemic and had only been there for a short period of time before we all got made redundant. I thought, “Oh wow, what am I going to do?” But at that point in my career – not the end, but sort of mid-career – it was a nice chance to stop. No one ever gets that time to take a break, slow down, think about what they’re doing and make conscious decisions. I started making clay pots and doing all these crafty things that weren’t related to fashion. But I had so much experience in the industry and this very strong feeling that if we could create a brand that was meaningful and considered, we should be doing it.
When we started the business, the energy of the world felt flat. There was so much activewear; everything felt black and white. I needed to see colour. I needed to see art. I wanted it to be expressive and fun. Even if that meant dancing around your kitchen in a big dress with nowhere to wear it, if it made your heart sing and made you happy, then I felt like it was the right thing to do. I wanted to create that optimism in my own world and hopefully share it with the next person and pay it forward. We started with art and colour, and now we have customers all over the world who want pieces that work across seasons.
Our first show was a standout moment. We opened Australian Fashion Week in 2023 and had never done a show before. I had no idea what I was in for. It was a wild time for the whole team; all hearts and hands on deck. I’ve never felt something so deeply meaningful and intuitive; everyone worked together to create that one moment. It felt like a real timestamp.
There was a skirt in the collection with a beautiful corseted waist and a tulle skirt. All the appliqué was done by hand. Our team worked on it. The artisans in India played a critical role, changing colours and giving creative input. The artist was involved. There were so many creative voices. Then the stylist brought it all together in a way I never would have imagined. It completely changed how the garment was worn. We design something and never know how it will be perceived, and she perceived it her way. For the show, it was set to a David Bowie song – my son’s name is Bowie – and it all felt very special.
Sustainability was at the heart of the brand from day one. To be fair, it was also the thing that nearly deterred me from starting a brand, but we came up with a few things that felt right with our conscience – ways we thought we could do a little bit better – so that we could set the brand up in a meaningful way. We always come back to those guiding principles. We talk about them all the time.
“When we started the business, the energy of the world felt flat. I needed to see colour. I needed to see art. I wanted it to be expressive and fun”
There’s an expectation of transparency. People want to know where garments come from and how they’re made. We work on that every day. We try to be open and honest. When we don’t know, we say we don’t know. People want to feel part of the journey, and they’ve supported us from the beginning. Initially, I thought, “Oh my goodness, there’s so much to invest in here.” But I’ve realised it’s just a mindset we’ve adopted and created. You’re always given two choices, and it’s not hard to make the right one. The most important thing we did was start with those values from the outset.
We’ve hired a head of social and environmental impact. She’s always in our ear – a tree hugger from way back. She’s at the design boards, she’s in every meeting, and she makes sure she infiltrates every part of the business. What’s really interesting is how we attract employees now. They’ve read our impact report and know intimate details about what it means; I’m always surprised by that. People want to feel like they’re part of something meaningful, a brand that gives back in some way. We’re not perfect, but we try our best.
We recently changed our bags, moving from plastic to a 100% paper, recyclable product. It costs a lot more, but we don’t see that as an expense. We see it as a value and non-negotiable, because it’s one of our guiding principles. The Alémais Forest Project has been a dream for a long time, too. Being able to purchase and restore land in the oldest living rainforest in the world, in far north Queensland, and work with local Indigenous communities to return it to traditional owners is deeply meaningful.
“You’re always given two choices, and it’s not hard to make the right on”
In February it will be five years since we first started delivering our first order. It feels like so long ago that I started the business, but it's not. I was thinking about it just the other day. Everyone’s like, “You’ve had this overnight success”. And I’m like, “Well, not really.” I’ve been in the industry for 20 years and so has my partner, so I guess we’ve had a lot of combined experience.
Our proudest moment is building a team of inspired people and watching them grow. We started with one team member and now we’re up to 50. Seeing people move from junior roles into senior positions has been incredibly rewarding. That said, balancing new creative perspectives as the business grows has been our biggest challenge. We now have around 30 creatives across designers, textile artists, accessories and pattern makers. Aligning on purpose while leaving room for experimentation is a constant learning curve. I’ve learned to trust my gut, understand my strengths, ask for help and communicate more clearly.
Recently, we were included in the BoF 500 [the Business of Fashion’s annual list of the industry’s most influential people]. When the email came through, I thought they’d got it wrong – I nearly fell off my chair. We travelled to Paris for it. Being in a room with so many talented designers and creators from around the world was hugely humbling.
I’ll never compromise on design integrity. The team jokes that I’m a little annoying because I obsess over details at the end of a collection. But you have to care: about colour, fabric, the mix, how the customer feels wearing it. I want to try everything on. I want the team to try it on. I want everyone to know how it feels before we share it with the world. It’s the same with the artists we work with in regard to protecting the integrity of their work and how it transforms into fabric and design. Everything comes back to design integrity.