Shine Like A Star - Dara Ford

Dara Ford is an exclusive female tailor and dressmaker with over 20 years of experience.  She is based in London and is one of the few female-specific trailers in all of the UK.  She is also a mother to three daughters. In this episode, we talk about Dara’s journey, her values and her business. KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST Her story starts as a teenager, where she should make her own clothes, and as a ballroom dancer who would also make her own gowns and then eventually lead to making clothes for friends.  After school, she became an apprentice for an Haute couturier and spent 3 years learning the craft. She then moved to London to study Fashion.  After university, she got a job with a small designer label that had just been awarded a new generation award by the British Fashion Council, where she had a wonderful learning experience.  When it was time to move again Dara looked at her own values and how she wanted to live her life and decided to start her own business because her views were not compatible with the industry norm. And she’s been doing it for over 12 years. Legacy for Dara is more of an emotional thing, it is the values that can be instilled in children and that are passed down from parents and grandparents.  It is the thought of how we approach life and the relationships we leave behind.  Secondary would be physical things that we pass down and also money and the things that can make life easier for the next generation.  In terms of physical pieces, there is jewellery that she’d like to pass on and she mentioned the importance of passing jewellery on with a note that tells the story of the piece. Dara inherited a necklace from her grandmother and what she loves about it is that it has three gold beads that makes her think of her daughters and when Dara wears it she feels it links her grandmother to her daughters.  Most of her jewellery are gifts and have a story.  Dara mentions several pieces in the episode.   One piece is a custom-designed silver necklace with an aquamarine stone that her husband of 22 years made for her just 2 years into their relationship and another is a beautiful broach she bought with birthday money that her father had given her just before he passed away. Her advice about living a meaningful life is to believe in yourself and follow your intuition.  Trust the decisions you’re making. LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE Dara Ford - https://daraford.com/ Find Dara Ford on Instagram - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dara-stringham-3b37318b/ Find Dara Ford on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/daraforddesigns/ Roseanna Croft Jewellery Website -  https://www.roseannacroftjewellery.com/ Roseanna Croft ebook - https://www.roseannacroftjewellery.com/ Find Roseanna Croft Jewellery on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/roseannacroftjewellery/ Find Me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/roseanna.croft/