This evening, at a ceremony in The Vault bar at The Ned in the City of London, we announced the 12 emerging British luxury brands to join our Walpole Brands of Tomorrow 2023 mentorship programme. Brands of Tomorrow, in association with Mishcon de Reya and MoneyCorp, is our unique yearly mentoring programme which takes up to 12 carefully selected, early-stage brands through a twelve-month programme of workshops and mentoring to help develop their business skills and set them on a path to growth.
Participants are mentored by some of the UK’s most experienced luxury executives, editors and founders who provide a year of one-to-one coaching; sharing their knowledge and expertise with the chosen brands.
Now in its 16th year, our flagship development programme continues to support the success and growth of the British luxury industry by passing on skills, experience and practical knowledge to ensure the continued dynamism and prosperity of the sector. It creates mutually beneficial relationships between established and up-and-coming luxury brands and individuals, which not only ensures a pipeline of new British brands, but keeps driving the innovation and entrepreneurship at the heart of one of the UK’s fastest growing business sectors.
Each new cohort of Brands of Tomorrow also act as a microcosm of consumer trends in the high-end space, pin-pointing emerging consumer expectations and behaviours. As well as the continued move towards sustainability, this year’s brands are a new generation that have purpose-driven commerce at their core. They all have a strong understanding of the original and quality craftmanship that is a hallmark of the British luxury sector, across fashion, interiors, jewellery and beauty.
Holmes Bespoke, Maison Margaux, Goldfinger and Edward Bulmer Natural Paint are at the forefront of interiors including furniture and homewares, integrating timeless design and craftmanship with a forward thinking and ethical approach.
Anglo-Italian and Navygrey prosper in creating quality garments, with carefully sourced materials creating authentic wardrobe garments made to last while not costing the earth.
With a focus on wellbeing and integrity and their core, skincare brand BAZ & CO, natural deodorant brand AKT London and the world’s first dedicated scalp and hair health brand, MONPURE are all making strides in the wellness sector creating products that are effective and innovative.
Impressive craft-led products are what make Roxanne First and Makers Cabinet unique to this year’s selection. Roxanne First uses ethically sourced gold and gem stones to create jewellery pieces designed for everyday wear and timeless cool. Makers Cabinet is the maker of innovative, crafted tools, favourited by creators globally, from architects to artists.
Finally representing the highest grade of coffees, Difference Coffee seeks to source rare and limited reserve beans, sourced from the world's most prestigious coffee estates.
> Find out more about each of the Walpole Brands of Tomorrow 2023 on our dedicated micro-site.
"Walpole’s Brands of Tomorrow programme was launched with the goal of ensuring long-term growth for the UK’s luxury sector by supporting and mentoring early-stage British luxury brands," comments Helen Brocklebank, Walpole CEO. "Fast forward sixteen years and over 140 brands - Bremont, Orlebar Brown and Emilia Wickstead to name but three - have benefitted from the programme’s unique combination of mentoring, masterclasses and immersion in the world of British luxury. I’m incredibly excited to see the twelve who join us in 2023 follow in their footsteps.
"During the selection process, I was struck not only by the Class of 2023’s creativity and entrepreneurship but also by their strong sense of purpose – without exception the defining philosophy was one of doing well by doing good. As we look at the brands of the future, it’s a fundamental principle that tomorrow’s customer likes beautiful brands to buy, but they must also be brands to believe in."
This year’s mentors include: Annalise Fard, Director of Beauty, Home and Fine Jewellery & Watches, Harrods; Carla Filmer, CMO, Manolo Blahnik; Jon Graham, CEO, Miller Harris; Alistair Hughes, Co-owner, Savoir Beds; Aino Grapin, CEO, Winch Design; Sean Ghouse, Director of Retail, UK Fortnum & Mason; Jonathan Heilbron, Partner, Redrice Ventures; Nick Keyte, Chief Product and Brand Officer, Charles Tyrwhitt; Nigel Mills, CEO, The Lakes Distillery; Rupert Sanderson, Founder & Creative Director, Rupert Sanderson; Justin Stead, CEO, Radley; and Michael Ward, MD, Harrods.
The programme has two Co-Chairs: Balthazar Fabricius and Chris Downham.
The Brands of Tomorrow are also given access to Walpole’s established membership of over 250 of Britain's most prestigious luxury businesses and cultural institutions.
