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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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Description: XXX
On Community, Confidence and Playing the Long Game
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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”
“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?
£25
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£25
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£31
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£19
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£23
Modern Matte Lipstick
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£45
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I never set out thinking “this will be my career”... makeup artistry started from a genuine love and obsession. I was working on makeup counters, training, learning faces, textures, and skin, and at the same time sharing what I loved online with no strategy at all. I was working three different jobs, filming and editing in the evenings, and spending hours replying to messages and comments. And yet, not one second felt like work. The earliest sign that it could really be something was the community forming—people coming back, asking questions, trusting my recommendations. That trust changed everything.
“Back then, I’d use two gels and three brushes just to get them how I liked — I thought that was normal.”
“I had no idea the process would take two years. Our prototype was a world-first, so there was a lot of back and forth. We eventually launched in November 2020 — a strange time, right in the middle of lockdowns. But with everyone on their phones, it actually worked in our favour. I launched Brow Sculpt on my channel with a simple video of me applying it and saying, ‘We have this brow product — hope you love it.’ That clip went semi-viral because of the instant wow factor.
“The lab required a large initial order since it was a new product. We forecasted that the stock would last nine months — it sold out in six weeks. We were out of stock for three months, which wasn’t ideal, but it showed there was a gap for a brand that simplified beauty with innovative, time-saving products that did the hard work for you.
“I’m not a make-up artist — I’m just a girl who loves make-up and wants to create beautiful looks in under 20 minutes. From then on, we kept asking, ‘What else needs simplifying in our routine?’ That question still drives everything we do.
“We forecasted that the stock would last nine months — it sold out in six weeks.”
“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. Our products are made for them — nobody else. 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.
“To stay ahead, we have to keep innovating — not just with products but with every aspect of the business: in-house processes, customer experience, and events. Three years ago, we hosted a community pop-up at a Pilates studio in London. We weren’t selling anything — just meeting people. There were classes upstairs, coffees and matchas downstairs, and a space to connect. People queued for six hours just to be part of it. It’s one of my proudest moments and reminded me why community matters so much.
I didn’t create a brand for the sake of it; I was solving a problem I genuinely had… I studied how brands would talk to their customer and noticed how many spoke from behind a wall or from a pedestal. I understood the everyday customer better than anyone, and because of my career online, I had got to grips with the commercial side too. I’d spent years working with other brands, understanding formulation, shade, finish, and how products actually live on skin. I wanted a brand that felt exciting, dependable, cool and approachable, so I created VIEVE to bring together high-performance ‘pro’ products with a shop-floor warmth and humility. Making the leap was terrifying, but it felt honest.
The pandemic taught me the value of agility, community, and clarity… and it shaped VIEVE into a brand that prioritises connection over noise. We launched with ten lip products during a time everyone was wearing masks, and they flew. It’s all about how people feel. When they are encouraged to feel beautiful in themselves and given the freedom to experiment with how they look, it is a beautiful form of self-empowerment.
Learning to trust and believe in yourself unlocks so much…Trusting my own instinct, especially when it went against advice, is the bravest decision I’ve made in my career so far. There have been moments where the “safe” option would have been easier, but choosing the long game and backing my vision has always felt more rewarding.
“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.
“I was working three different jobs, filming and editing in the evenings, and spending hours replying to messages and comments. And yet, not one second felt like work.”
Jamie Genevieve never chased a five-year plan. Growing up in Tillicoultry, a small village in Scotland, her relationship with beauty was shaped not by industry access or expectation, but by curiosity and craft. Working on makeup counters in Glasgow, she learned skin, faces and confidence in real time, then went home to share what she loved online, purely for the joy of it.
That openness laid the foundations for something quietly powerful. Long before metrics or momentum mattered, Genevieve was building trust—translating professional technique into something warm and accessible. The community that followed wasn’t engineered; it grew organically because people felt seen.
Today, as the founder of cult-favourite beauty brand VIEVE, a creator and a mother, Genevieve leads with instinct over ego and integrity over shortcuts. Here, she speaks to Lottie Winter on trusting herself, building a brand with honesty at its core, and why playing the long game has been her greatest strength.
Genevieve
The Signature Candle 2.0
Modern Lip Definer
Icon Mascara
Eye Wand
Drunk Elephant T.L.C.
Framboos Night Serum
“Like a building, I understood the business’ foundations. Next, came the challenge of how high we could build it; how many more layers we could add.”
brand to Estée Lauder in 1995, and stepped down from the company in 2016. A mere four years later, in the middle of the pandemic, Brown surprised everyone—except, perhaps, herself—with the launch of Jones Road Beauty—a new venture that signalled a return to her makeup artistry roots by championed the concept of looking like yourself, only better. Current estimates place Jones Road at approximately $1billion, with this year’s revenue predicted to be over $150million.
But Brown is so much more than her multi-million dollar cosmetics brands. She’s a wellness advocate, teacher, mentor and creative. But at the centre of everything she does lies the same sentiment: that beauty should be simple, real and empowering. Here, in our Women Who Win series, she speaks to Lottie Winter about her reinvention, bravery and lessons learned from building not one, but two of the most influential beauty empires of modern times.
ew women have shaped modern beauty quite like Bobbi Brown. The legendary makeup artist and serial entrepreneur first appeared on the beauty scene with her namesake brand and its refreshing new stance on makeup that focused on accentuating natural beauty rather than covering it. She sold her
F
Image credits: courtesy of VIEVE
GETTY IMAGES
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The bravest decision I’ve ever made was… starting a second company in my 60’s, in the middle of a global pandemic and a week before an election, was the bravest decision I’ve made. The nation’s collective sense of unease and division was at an all-time high. Everyone said to me, "You’re crazy. Why are you doing this now? Just wait until next year,” but I told them we don’t even know what next year is gonna bring. It could be worse. And you know what, my noncompete was up. I started ideating before, but the pandemic made you stay at home and do things differently. No one wore makeup in the beginning, no one coloured their hair. It made me realise it wasn’t about putting makeup on, it was about feeling better in your skin. Which is what inspired the natural products. I had no clue if it would be successful, or how far it would go. But I had a vision and a belief, and I knew it was something I wanted to do. Don’t be afraid to take a risk.
A beauty ritual I never skip is… moisturising! It’s the key to keeping your skin looking young and bright.
A scent that instantly grounds me is… Shower and BKLYN, both by Jones Road. I use these two fragrances in the afternoon when I’m wiped out and just want to go home and sit on the couch. With just a little spray, I’m instantly revived. Fragrance is just like makeup. It’s a key to confidence. The right scent can lift your mood instantly, and that’s something I always want.
A sound that soothes me is… the sound of my grandaughter calling for BB is immediately soothing. It’s something I’ll never get tired of.
What is a book that changed your perspective?
The Courage To Be Disliked.
My secret London spot is…the not-so-secret Covent Garden. I come down so much for work and spend a lot of time there for our office, and I just love it. I need to be a tourist in London more!
My favourite place in the whole world is… well, I love Florence, Tokyo and Paris. But my ultimate favourite place will always be home in Scotland. It’s where everything began and where I feel most myself.
Mygo-to coffee order is… boring! It’s just a Black Americano.
I don’t leave the house without… lip balm and my journal. I write everything down.
My dream mentor would be… either Emma Grede, Founding Partner and Chief Product Officer of SKIMS and co-founder of Good American, or Jen Atkin, hairstylist and founder of the haircare brand OUAI. They’re both such amazing women.
My desert island meal… is a cheese and onion toastie with mayo.
My most treasured object is… a handful of my jewellery collection. There are certain pieces that remind me of my daughter Romy, my husband Jack and my best friends. I feel like I carry them all with me.
Il Porcellino in Chicago
I don’t leave the house without… my journal
My secret London spot is…
My most treasured object
“I’ve learned that growth requires trust, not perfection.”
My biggest challenge so far has been…letting go of control. As the business grows, I can’t do everything myself, and learning to trust a team, delegate, and lead rather than execute has been a huge shift. I’ve learned that growth requires trust, not perfection.
As a female founder, I’ve been questioned…on decisions I know deeply, and there have been assumptions about my commitment, or times when I’ve been spoken to differently than my male counterparts. It’s often subtle rather than overt, but it’s taught me to be confident in my voice and unwavering in my standards.
For me, work-life balance is about being present… Some weeks require everything from me, others I intentionally slow down. Boundaries, support systems, and being present where I am matter more to me now than doing everything perfectly. I try to show up as my best for whatever I need to be that day, and understand I can do anything, but not everything.
“I try to show up as my best for whatever I need to be that day, and understand I can do anything, but not everything.”
The best advice I’ve received was… to play the long game. Build slowly, build intentionally, and don’t rush decisions for short-term wins. It’s always stuck with me and I try and live by it.
I celebrate my wins quite quietly… I’m not someone who needs fireworks. Sometimes it’s a moment of reflection, a dinner with my family, or just acknowledging how far we’ve come. I’ve learned that celebrating doesn’t always need to be loud to be meaningful. I do like to mark a milestone with a little token that reminds me of the wins.
I will never compromise on…the integrity of my work. Every product, piece of content, or decision has to feel aligned with who I am and what I believe in. If it doesn’t feel honest, it’s a no.
I wish I could change…the narrative around women’s ambition and timing. Women shouldn’t have to justify their choices, whether that’s building a business, starting a family, or doing both. We need more trust, flexibility, empathy, and representation at every level.
Jamie
The book that changed my perspective...
Americano please!
My favourite places in the whole world
cheese and onion toastie... My desert island meal
Skin Nova
“It’s not about what’s in a product, it’s about what’s not in it”
I never set out thinking “this will be my career”... makeup artistry started from a genuine love and obsession. I was working on makeup counters, training, learning faces, textures, and skin, and at the same time sharing what I loved online with no strategy at all. I was working three different jobs, filming and editing in the evenings, and spending hours replying to messages and comments. And yet, not one second felt like work. The earliest sign that it could really be something was the community forming—people coming back, asking questions, trusting my recommendations. That trust changed everything.
I didn’t create a brand for the sake of it; I was solving a problem I genuinely had… I studied how brands would talk to their customer and noticed how many spoke from behind a wall or from a pedestal. I understood the everyday customer better than anyone, and because of my career online, I had got to grips with the commercial side too. I’d spent years working with other brands, understanding formulation, shade, finish, and how products actually live on skin. I wanted a brand that felt exciting, dependable, cool and approachable, so I created VIEVE to bring together high-performance ‘pro’ products with a shop-floor warmth and humility. Making the leap was terrifying, but it felt honest.
The pandemic taught me the value of agility, community, and clarity… and it shaped VIEVE into a brand that prioritises connection over noise. We launched with ten lip products during a time everyone was wearing masks, and they flew. It’s all about how people feel. When they are encouraged to feel beautiful in themselves and given the freedom to experiment with how they look, it is a beautiful form of self-empowerment.
Learning to trust and believe in yourself unlocks so much…Trusting my own instinct, especially when it went against advice, is the bravest decision I’ve made in my career so far. There have been moments where the “safe” option would have been easier, but choosing the long game and backing my vision has always felt more rewarding.
I didn’t create a brand for the sake of it; I was solving a problem I genuinely had… I studied how brands would talk to their customer and noticed how many spoke from behind a wall or from a pedestal. I understood the everyday customer better than anyone, and because of my career online, I had got to grips with the commercial side too. I’d spent years working with other brands, understanding formulation, shade, finish, and how products actually live on skin. I wanted a brand that felt exciting, dependable, cool and approachable, so I created VIEVE to bring together high-performance ‘pro’ products with a shop-floor warmth and humility. Making the leap was terrifying, but it felt honest.
The pandemic taught me the value of agility, community, and clarity… and it shaped VIEVE into a brand that prioritises connection over noise. We launched with ten lip products during a time everyone was wearing masks, and they flew. It’s all about how people feel. When they are encouraged to feel beautiful in themselves and given the freedom to experiment with how they look, it is a beautiful form of self-empowerment.
Learning to trust and believe in yourself unlocks so much…Trusting my own instinct, especially when it went against advice, is the bravest decision I’ve made in my career so far. There have been moments where the “safe” option would have been easier, but choosing the long game and backing my vision has always felt more rewarding.
“I’ve learned that growth requires trust, not perfection.”
My biggest challenge so far has been…letting go of control.
As the business grows, I can’t do everything myself, and learning to trust a team, delegate, and lead rather than execute has been a huge shift. I’ve learned that growth requires trust, not perfection.
As a female founder, I’ve been questioned…on decisions I know deeply, and there have been assumptions about my commitment, or times when I’ve been spoken to differently than my male counterparts. It’s often subtle rather than overt, but it’s taught me to be confident in my voice and unwavering in my standards.
For me, work-life balance is about being present… Some weeks require everything from me, others I intentionally slow down. Boundaries, support systems, and being present where I am matter more to me now than doing everything perfectly. I try to show up as my best for whatever I need to be that day, and understand I can do anything, but not everything.
The best advice I’ve received was… to play the long game. Build slowly, build intentionally, and don’t rush decisions for short-term wins. It’s always stuck with me and I try and live by it.
I celebrate my wins quite quietly… I’m not someone who needs fireworks. Sometimes it’s a moment of reflection, a dinner with my family, or just acknowledging how far we’ve come. I’ve learned that celebrating doesn’t always need to be loud to be meaningful. I do like to mark a milestone with a little token that reminds me of the wins.
I will never compromise on…the integrity of my work. Every product, piece of content, or decision has to feel aligned with who I am and what I believe in. If it doesn’t feel honest, it’s a no.
I wish I could change…the narrative around women’s ambition and timing. Women shouldn’t have to justify their choices, whether that’s building a business, starting a family, or doing both. We need more trust, flexibility, empathy, and representation at every level.