Cath Kidston
| Cath Kidston | |
|---|---|
| Born | Catherine Isabel Kidston November 6, 1958 Marylebone, London, England |
| Residence | London |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | |
| Years active | 1993- |
| Organization | Cath Kidston Limited |
| Known for | Floral prints |
| Partner | Hugh Padgham |
Catherine Isabel "Cath" Kidston (born 6 November 1958)[1] is a British fashion designer, businesswoman and writer.
She owns the company Cath Kidston Limited. The company sells home furnishings and other goods. They sell in shops, online and by mail order.[2] The company was valued at £75 milion in February 2010.[3]
Kidston is known for designing floral patterns[2][3]. She has written several books.[3]
Contents |
Personal life [change]
Kidston grew up in Hampshire[3]. She went to a boarding school.[3] When she was 18, she moved to London.[3] She worked for the socialite Nicky Haslam.[3] She later set up an interior design business with a friend.[3] Next, she opened her own shop.[3]
Kidston is related to nobility. Her uncle is Charles Allsop, the 6th Baron Hindlip. He used to be chairman of Christie's. His daughters are The Honourable Kirstie Allsopp[4] and The Hon. Sofie Allsopp. They work as television presenters. They are Kidston's cousins. Both of her parents died of cancer,[3]. Kidston had breast cancer when she was 37 and has since recovered.[3] Kidston's partner is record producer Hugh Padgham,[3]. They met when she worked as his decorator.[3] They have a home beside the Thames in West London and another home in Gloucestershire.[3] She has a step-daughter[3]. She is dyslexic.[3]
Shops [change]
Kidston opened her first shop after recovering from breast cancer[3]. It was in London's Holland Park. It opened in 1993.[2] The shop sold hand-embroidered tea-towels and brightly renovated furniture.[3] Kidston later described it as a "glorified junk shop".[3] As of April 2011, She has 41 shops and concessions in the United Kingdom. There are two more in Ireland, eleven in Japan are three in Korea. More shops are due to open in Japan and Korea.[2]
Kidston was on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs programme. She said her shops were like Marmite, because - "People either love it and want a little bit of it very much, or want to stab us."[5]
Business [change]
 Kidston shop window display, with company logo |
|
| Type | Limited company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Home furnishing |
| Founded | April 13, 1993 |
| Founder(s) | Cath Kidston |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Website | www.cathkidston.co.uk |
Cath Kidston Limited was registered with Companies House, on 3 April 1993.[6] In 2009, the company's profits jumped more than 60 percent from £2.9million to £4.6million.[3] Sales rose to £31.3m, compared with £19.3m the year before.[3] This was partly due to new store openings.[3] She sold most of her shares in the company in 2010. She sold them to private equity investors called TA Associates,[7]. She kept some shares. She is the company's Creative Director.[7]
Collaborations [change]
Kidston has worked with Milletts to design tents (2005-6).[2] She designed mobile phones for Nokia and the Carphone Warehouse in 2006.[2]. She worked with Roberts to deign radios, from 2005 onwards.[2] In 2008 she worked with Tesco to produce shopping bags made from plastic bottles,[2]. The bags were sold to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care. they raied almost £500,000[2]. The bags saved about six million plastic bottles from being used as landfill.[2]
References [change]
- ↑ Companies House Annual Return for Cath Kidston Limited, 12th May 2010
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 "About Cath Kidston". Cath Kiston Limited. http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/t-about.aspx. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 "Cath Kidston to pocket £30m from sale of brand 20 years after shop assistant created famous nostalgic designs". Mail Online. 2010-02-23. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1252954/Cath-Kidston-pocket-30m-sale-brand-20-years-shop-assistant-created-famous-nostalgic-designs.html. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
- ↑ Wood, Zoe (2009-08-09). "Queen of florals Cath Kidston bucks the recession to profit from love of nostalgia". http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/aug/09/cath-kidston-recession-floral-empire. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
- ↑ "Desert Island Discs: Cath Kidston". BBC. 2010-04-29. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b010lyy4/Desert_Island_Discs_Cath_Kidston/. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
- ↑ "CATH KIDSTON LIMITED: OpenCorporates". OpenCorporates. 2011-03-11. http://opencorporates.com/companies/gb/02808583. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hall, James (2010-12-05). "Cath Kidston plans Far East push - Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8181422/Cath-Kidston-plans-Far-East-push.html. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
