Susanna, Sophie & Sarah
of Birdsong

What do you see as the biggest challenges going forward?

Sarah: I guess funding is always an issue. We have managed to scrape by on not much money which has been cool but that’s always an ongoing challenge.

Sophie: Surviving in London as young people is really hard so we’ve had to do lots of additional jobs over the years on top of this.

Sarah: Another challenge is in scaling the brand in a way that is operationally viable, yet also doesn’t take away the benefits from the supply chain. We don’t want to squeeze down on price the ladies we commission. We need to do things in a way that is manageable but still maintains the benefits.

That must be hard because you have a relationship with these women, they aren’t anonymous.

Sophie: We know all the women by name, we sit and have tea with them and we have sat and chatted with them about life and stuff, so we know most of them pretty well, especially the ones we have been working with for three and a half years. It can be tricky but most of the time we work around their conditions. The whole point is that it’s not a big factory floor where they have to make a hundred pieces an hour, it’s more that they are crafting because it’s relaxing, so obviously we are not going to get the same productivity rate as in a sweatshop. If you were going to start a fashion brand you wouldn’t think to do it this way.

What characteristic do you most admire in other people?

Sophie: Being hard working. I definitely admire it in you two.

Sarah: I think bravery, I admire that in all people.

Susanna: I would say patience.

Sophie: That’s good to know.

If you are finding things tough, what cheers you up and keeps you going?

Sarah: I am no good if I haven’t had any time alone or time at home. I go out quite a lot which keeps me happy but I always notice if it’s been too much. I know that I need to book in an evening at home when I’m feeling stressed.

Sophie: I’ve got loads of amazing pals. A lot of them are freelancers or activists or get similar sort of stresses running their own businesses, so I see them and we go and play Bingo. We go to a massive 90’s style Bingo hall in Elephant and Castle. On a Tuesday night you can go for a fiver. It’s total silence, you absolutely have to concentrate on the numbers so you can’t think about anything else, it’s really meditative. There is a break for half an hour where you can chat and buy chips for £1, its really cheap.

Susanna: Mine would probably be reaching out to someone I haven’t spoken to for a long time and catching up on their stuff. That takes me away from my own which is nice.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

Sophie: Perhaps just that doing something is better than doing nothing. I think that if we had known everything we would have had to think about all at once when we started, it would have been crushing, so just putting one foot in front of the other is the way to do it. It is better to get something out there rather than squirrelling it away for forty years and not showing anyone because you want it to be perfect. You need to get it out into the world so you can get feedback from people. One person can’t make something perfect, it’s got to be torn apart and then built back up again.

Susanna: Maybe it sounds cheesy but, you know, the next day is a brand new day and you can do something else.

What advice would you tell your 21 year old self?

Susanna: Maybe it’s that no one worries about what you’re doing as much as you do. To be less self conscious.

Sophie: To keep working hard and not to get distracted by boys.

Sarah: To be more decisive. You just have to do it I think.

Is there anything you couldn’t live without?

Sarah: I’d probably say my Church. My friends there are just brilliant and it’s great to take my mind off things once a week every Sunday.

Sophie: I immediately thought of my mattress topper because it makes my bed so soft. I should probably say my best friend or something, but it’s so comfy though, it just makes my bed the nicest place to be in the whole wide world. I think because I have moved house ten times in eight years and slept on my best friend’s sofa for months at a time, I really appreciate it.

Susanna: I can’t beat a mattress topper. I have to criminally say my phone because I need to be able to contact everyone I know. It’s tragic but true.