Hot off the news of Studio PIA receiving investment from Inc & Co, which you can read in full here, Jack Mason, Group CEO, sat down with Pia Harper to learn how this accomplished founder began her journey into fashion and what the future holds for Studio PIA.
Who are you, and what is Studio Pia?
I am Pia Harpur, Founder and Creative Director of Studio Pia. Studio Pia is an ethical luxury lingerie brand focused on creating beautiful yet functional luxury foundations which challenge preconceptions of sustainable design.
How did you get into luxury fashion?
After graduating from Womenswear at the University of the Arts London, I interned for a luxury lingerie brand and fell in love with the creative freedom luxury fashion afforded a designer. My creative handwriting is well suited to luxury, so I have remained in the industry ever since!
What do you love the most about your work?
Coming up with creative concepts and the artistic direction for each season. I’m very inspired by nature, fine art, and couture and I love translating these concepts into lingerie in unexpected ways. It brings me a lot of joy to see customers delight at a small embroidery detail that took months to perfect.
What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
Think bigger and reach higher. When I started out with my brand I knew nothing about business and I was just glad that anyone was interested in buying my designs. I didn’t allow myself to dream of what the brand could one day become, and I do wonder where we might be now if I’d had more confidence in myself earlier on.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in this line of work?
As a child I was obsessed with designing shoes, and later I fell for womenswear. I was one of those kids that just knew exactly what they wanted to do from a young age, so if I was to do anything else it would probably just be designing in a different fashion category!
What are you most looking forward to about the future of Studio Pia?
I’m so grateful to have found an investor who shares my vision for the brand’s potential. It’s a tough market right now, but I’m sure with Inc & Co’s support, we can take Studio Pia further than ever before.
I’m particularly excited to create more in-person shopping opportunities where we can meet with our devoted and loyal customers, and they can see, touch, and experience the quality and craftsmanship that goes into each and every piece.
Who is Studio PIA?
In 2016, after spotting a gap in the market for lingerie that was both ethical and truly luxurious, and recognising a demand for her to launch her own line, our founder, Pia, began to develop her eponymous brand.
As a lifelong veggie, she was determined to create the first lingerie brand using exclusively cruelty-free, organic, peace silk.
Her vision was to design a collection of creative, investment pieces, which challenge preconceptions about ethical fashion aesthetics.
The brand launched in 2017 and has grown quickly ever since. Collections are now stocked internationally in specialist boutiques across 12 countries.
Pia Harpur
“I’m very excited for this next chapter in the Studio Pia story. Having built the brand over the ups and downs of the last 7 years, now feels like the perfect time to bring in the expertise needed to take the brand to the next level, and Inc & Co is the perfect partner to help us achieve our ambitions. Their expertise will help open doors that were previously inaccessible to Studio Pia, and with their support, we can access new opportunities and reach a wider audience who align with Studio Pia’s ethos of reimagining ethical luxury fashion and embracing individuality. I’m excited to see how this collaboration will allow our brand to shine in prestigious new locations and create more in-person shopping opportunities which our devoted and loyal customers have been asking for.
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