Founding Principles with Hannah and Sophia Rashad from Curate Your Style

Brands of Tomorrow is Walpole's business mentoring programme for emerging luxury brands. Over the course of a year, we take up to 12 carefully selected, early-stage brands through a twelve-month programme of workshops and professional mentoring that will help develop their business skills and set them on a path to growth. Discover all of our Brands of Tomorrow 2025 here

Walpole: What is your career background, and how did that lead to launching your company?

Hannah: Prior to launching Curate Your Style in 2021, Sophia and I embarked on a fashion journey together by starting our own clothing line. We’ve both had an interest in personal styling for many years, and I also worked part-time for another styling company. Over the years, since we were teens, we had shadowed various personal stylists for work experience. Our exploration into the world of personal styling commenced nearly 20 years ago when our mother engaged a personal stylist for her wardrobe. Witnessing her remarkable transformation in confidence and permanent shift in shopping habits left a lasting impression on us, inspiring our mission today.

Sophia: As a teenager, I was obsessed with shopping and was a fast-fashion addict. I was the classic case of so many clothes, yet nothing to wear. I was deeply shocked and moved to find out the truth about the fast-fashion industry, and I did a complete 180 with my wardrobe. I exclusively bought from sustainable brands and regularly wore vintage pieces, however, I felt completely out of harmony with my style. I was not expressing myself authentically, and that in turn, had a negative effect on how I was showing up in the world.  

Everything changed when I embraced personal styling tools, I discovered that this was the perfect middle ground of feeling like myself in my clothing, whilst shopping responsibly and thoughtfully. Now, I can proudly say that I regularly wear every piece in my wardrobe, which is ultimately one of the most sustainable things you can do.

Tell us about your company…

Hannah: Our company, Curate Your Style, specialises in personalised styling services offered both virtually and in person. We act as a bridge between brands and customers, empowering individuals to shop consciously and dress confidently. We provide services at our Mayfair studio in-person and virtually for our global clientele, styling clients in more than 116 countries worldwide. Our offering encompasses a wide range of styling areas including colour, hair, makeup, body shape, and personalised shopping experiences in London.

Sophia: We serve clients worldwide, working with individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and professions. Our diverse clientele ranges from well-known public figures to curious teenagers. We have discovered that the universal appeal of knowing how to dress your best transcends boundaries of age, profession, location and gender.

What sets us apart is our pioneering digital style guides with specific advice to each client's shape and colouring. These guides serve as a shopping tool, minimising unnecessary purchases and promoting a wardrobe focused on versatile, loved pieces. By educating clients on styling and outfit-building through digital means, we enhance their shopping experience with long-term wardrobe solutions, aligning fashion choices with personal sustainability goals.

Why was launching this company important to you?

Sophia: Launching our company is pivotal to us as it embodies our mission to revolutionise our shopping and dressing habits, one outfit at a time. We view this mission not only as an opportunity but as a profound responsibility. With the fashion industry currently having enough clothes to last several generations, there's an urgent need for change in consumption patterns. Our company merges our love for fashion with our commitment to instilling confidence and advancing sustainability.

Hannah: Entrepreneurship runs deep in our family, spanning generations on both sides, so starting our own venture a natural step for us. We take great pride in being the first female founders in our family, paving the way for future generations.

How does your company represent the future of British luxury?

Sophia: We represent the future of British Luxury by offering clients highly personalised experiences. Personalisation is inherently intertwined with luxury, and we take pride in collaborating with esteemed brands such as Fendi, Harrods, and Chloé to deliver these exceptional experiences in-store.

What’s an important value for you that you’ve ensured is part of your business?

Hannah: An essential value we uphold in our business is unparalleled customer service and exceeding our clients' expectations. We understand that seeking a personal styling experience is often a deeply emotional journey, a transformative moment they cherish. We strive to create those memorable experiences where clients look back and say, "That's where everything changed."

Tell us about an obstacle you’ve experienced in establishing your business, and how you overcame it?

Hannah: When we launched the company in 2021, virtual styling – especially services like colour analysis – was far from mainstream. The biggest challenge was ensuring precision and building trust in an online environment. We overcame this by leveraging social media as an educational tool, using well-known celebrity examples to clearly demonstrate our styling techniques. Over time, this approach helped us establish credibility and connect with our audience in a meaningful, engaging way.

What is your ultimate goal for your business? What’s the dream?

Sophia: Our ultimate goal is to look back in 15 years and know we’ve played a meaningful role in transforming the way we shop. We want to be part of a movement that encourages thoughtful, intentional choices, where wardrobes are curated with purpose, versatility, and longevity in mind. It's about helping people dress in a way that truly flatters their shape and colouring, while allowing their authentic style to shine through. That, to us, is the future of fashion.

What’s a key piece of advice you’d share with another entrepreneur that you’ve learned or been given on your journey?

Hannah: One of the most valuable pieces of advice we’ve received, and continue to live by, is that imperfect action is better than perfect inaction. As entrepreneurs, it’s easy to fall into the trap of striving for perfection before putting something out into the world. But in doing so, we can end up delaying real progress. The truth is, there will always be things you want to refine or improve. But taking action, even when it feels uncomfortable, is where the growth happens. Once we embraced this mindset, we saw our business evolve and scale far more quickly than we’d imagined.