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Meet...Will Bees Bespoke

By Clare Heighway
Apr 14, 2015
3 min read

We chat to Devon's Will Bees, founder of ladies accessories brand Will Bees Bespoke about British manufacturing and the work/life balance of an entrepreneur!

Tell us a bit about yourself, Will.

I’m from Bristol originally but came to Salcombe with my parents on holiday as a child and then we moved down here permanently. I’m married with two young children, both adopted. I founded a company called Quba Sails in 1996, which we expanded to 14 shops and a successful online presence. I’m proud of what I achieved there, it gave me the confidence to embark on a new brand and to take the risk of putting my own name to it!

Where did the idea for Will Bees Bespoke come from?

Being ‘afflicted’ with a creative mind, I’m always exploring new concepts, and this is an idea I’ve had for a while, there just hadn't been time to look into it properly. Once that changed, I was able to devote time to researching it thoroughly. I knew it was going to be complicated; it’s never been tried before on this kind of scale – we’re using over 500 fabrics – and then there’s the personalisation too. But I simply had to see it through to fruition.

What has been your biggest challenge?

The whole concept was a massive gamble! As I’ve already mentioned, the scale is unprecedented. And we were launching in August, the busiest month of the year in Salcombe, so in theory all our target customers would be coming through the door and if we couldn’t sell anything to them in peak season, then the concept would have been a failure. Also, my vision of the store, with the vintage industrial feel as a backdrop to bespoke ladies’ products – it was a big risk seeing if that would pay off.

What has been your biggest highlight?

Definitely the feedback from our customers. When someone walks into your shop and feels the need to express their admiration for something you’ve created – well nothing beats that. And it’s usually combined with appreciation for the shop itself. It amazes me how many people have said they just had to come into the shop because the ambience was so inviting or original or just to satisfy their curiosity, and that invariably leads to a conversation about where the idea for the brand and the shop came from.

Who or what are you inspired by?

I love vintage. I love products that have a history, where every mark or scratch tells a story and adds to the interest value. That’s another reason I’ve loved working with leather; every so-called ‘flaw’ in the leather tells a story too and makes each cut so truly unique. I think a successful brand should appeal to all the senses.

What do you think is important in developing a successful British brand?

Manufacturing everything in England is not cheap, so you have to be confident that your brand proposition and your finished products reflect the kind of quality that merits a higher retail price. Customers who want to buy British are typically discerning, and appreciative of quality and heritage – you need to be able to meet their exacting standards. You also need to spend a lot of time researching the best suppliers, factories etc, and manage your costs as effectively as possible.

How do you manage the work/life balance?

It’s not easy! My wife has a full-time job and we have two young children so we have to adhere to a tight routine. I take them to school and nursery in the morning, and pick them up every afternoon, taking them to any after-school activities too. It makes my working day shorter, but I get to spend more time with them, and that’s so important when they’re growing up so quickly. We have great support, both in terms of childcare and my first-rate right hand woman at work; without their dedicated help and loyalty, it would all be impossible.