Living Life the Essex Way

by Sam Faiers

  We decided to aim high from the start, so we began with about 400 items for sale online, which was a huge task. Each item needed to be photographed on a model and we had to write a full description. And you can’t just say ‘plain white T-shirt’ or whatever, you have to give details of the material, any detailing on it, how to wash it, and so on. And then we needed to work out how many of each item we needed to stock, which was quite hard to get an idea of at the start, as we didn’t know exactly what response we would get. We decided that Billie and I would model most of the clothes, with a couple of models to help us out. So we did a shoot with all the items, which was fun but exhausting.

  Opening up this side of the business also meant that we needed more staff. We have an internet team now, who deal with getting everything online, checking the orders, merchandising and customer services. We also use an outside distributor, so we pass the orders on to them, and they deal with the actual sending out of the clothes. With this extra staff, we now have seven people working for us as well as the four directors. It’s mad when you look at it like that – I’m 21 and a director of a business, with a team of staff working for me. I never expected it, but I love it!

  Not everything went smoothly with the online part of the business though. We held a party for the website and all my friends and family came down to Sugar Hut to celebrate the launch, which was supposed to be the next day – but then it didn’t happen! There were a few technical glitches, and Billie and I weren’t completely happy with the look of the site, so we decided it was better that it went up late, rather than on time but with mistakes. I’m glad we waited, as we didn’t want to launch a site that was just OK – and actually, the delay worked to our advantage, as it built up people’s interest.

  Eventually though it went live on 7 October 2011, and within the first ten minutes, it had 410,000 hits, which is insane. It was so popular that the server went down and people were struggling to actually place their orders.

  We could see all the people online buying from our end, which was a great feeling. People were still on the website buying at 3 a.m!

  It was funny, because the stuff modelled by me and Billie sold the quickest. The most popular was a little brown fur gilet and skirt that I modelled, and a blue jumper with a heart on it that Billie modelled. Also massively popular was a pug hoodie we had given Amy Childs, and which she had worn on Celebrity Big Brother the month before the site was launched. She wore it loads in the house, and I think that really helped sales of it. We sold 300 of those alone on the first day.

  The website is ten times harder than running the shop though. It is just on such a huge scale, and it takes constant work. We update the online range every two weeks, which means doing fresh shoots and writing descriptions all the time. But I get a real buzz from it all, and would never complain.

  We have been very lucky to receive help from a few pretty high-profile businessmen who have seen how well the website is doing, but realise we are new to it, so have offered up advice when we need it, with no strings attached. On an average week now, between the shop and the website, we take about £40k of payments, which is amazing.

  One of the highlights for me since opening Minnies was when we introduced Beyoncé’s range, House of Dereon. As I am always saying, I am a massive fan of her style, so when I heard that she was bringing out a range that stayed true to the kind of fashion she goes for herself, I was really excited. I was like ‘Billie, we need this in Minnies now!’

  To make it even more exciting, one of the perks of getting her range into the shop was that we got to go to the fashion show that launched it in Selfridges in London – and she was there! It was well good to see her in person – she is stunning – and there was a great vibe to the event. I felt really privileged to be there with all these proper fashion people.

  The other big step we then took in our business was to bring out our own range. Until then, all the clothes we had stocked in the shop had been other people’s designs and lines, but we had always intended to create our own when we got a chance, although there was so much going on at the time that we didn’t think the opportunity would come so soon.

  Basically one of the ranges that had sold the best in Minnies is called Maggie + Me, and House of Fraser also stocks their range. They saw a massive increase in its sales in their stores, and couldn’t believe the impact the show was having on it. So they contacted our friend Jeff and asked him to chat with us about the possibility of doing our own stuff.

  We decided to go for it, and in between filming – yep, trust me, it was madness! – we put together a range of 35 pieces that we took to House of Fraser. They were really positive about them, and ended up buying 31 of the styles and stocking them in-store! It was so exciting. I remember being at Meadowhall in Sheffield for a signing before the range launched, and being shown the area in House of Fraser where they were going to have the clothes. It was mad – it’s such a huge store, and only two years before even having the money to shop in there was a big deal for us, so to have our range stocked there was like a dream.

  We decided to call the range GraciEve, after our cousins Grace, who was nine at the time, and Eva, who was seven, who are Auntie Sam’s daughters. We had brainstormed what our typical customer would want, and went for real Essex girl glam, glitzy and dressy, with diamantes and sequins.

  Outside designers came up with the outfits, but we chose what we thought would be right for our range and bought them in. In the future though, I want to be able to actually design the outfits myself from scratch. I want to sit and sketch out how I envisage an outfit to be, although I am not a good drawer at all, so I guess I’m going to have to work on that! But I have so many designs and visions in my head. I would love to do catwalk-style outfits but at high-street prices. Really creative, flowy dresses with bits cut out and trouser suits. Pieces that look stylish and expensive, but are affordable for everyone.

  But for that first GraciEve range, we used other designers. It was insane though – we put our entire budget into the clothing, and suddenly realised we had none left for the labels and packaging! So just a few weeks before it was due to launch, our house basically turned into a factory. We had our friends around, and everyone was pinning labels into the clothing and packing them up. It was a madhouse, but it was the only way we could get around it, with no budget left to pay someone else to do it!

  For two weeks I remember poor Mum getting in from Minnies at like 11.30 p.m., and then working on GraciEve at home, while I would be off doing PAs around the country, and then go home to do the same. But it had to be done before Christmas – and in amongst all of this we had to do the advertising shoot.

  The range was exclusive to Minnies and House of Fraser, and the deal was to keep it like that for two seasons, before opening it out to other stores. Right from day one though, we already had shops asking about stocking it, which was so exciting – it meant people really believed in us. Some days I really have to pinch myself, as it has all happened so quickly. Sometimes I will have moments of doubt, and think it can’t be real that all these people suddenly want clothes chosen by me. Then I realise it is reality, and if I don’t concentrate and get back to work, it will all fall apart!

  As a family, our dreams for our businesses have no limit. Now our plans are to just keep expanding. We want more Minnies stores around the country – it would be great to have one in the North, and one in the Midlands – and, who knows, we might even go abroad. We have had interest from Dubai – how amazing would that be? Of course I am sure it would be crucial for me to go out there a lot to get that set up!

  The business side of things is really important to me, because much as I love TOWIE and the celebrity stuff, I have no idea how long it will last – that will be largely decided by the public. But what I can do is take responsibility for how well the businesses do.

  I would like to be comfortable by the time I am 30, as I don’t always want to work. I want a large family, and I want to be a mum who has time to b
e at home with my kids. I don’t want to be like Jordan, still doing the business and celeb thing at the same time as raising a family.

  Don’t get me wrong, you can’t really knock Jordan for that, because she is clearly a great mum with happy kids, and she is also a great businesswoman. I’m not sure about her choice of men though, and the way she puts her family in the limelight, but that is the way she has done it, and it’s her choice. But I don’t want to be like that.

  And I definitely don’t want to be posing in a bikini or leotard when I’ve had a few kids! It’s a free country, and everyone has their way of doing things and all that, but I’d rather look smart in a dress and jacket or something – an outfit that gives off the right signal and a genuine image of who I am.

  For now though, I am really happy with where I am at, and if the businesses continue as they are, there is no reason I won’t achieve my aim. As for the other TOWIE cast members who have businesses, fair play to them – we all know the show won’t last forever, so it makes sense to open up other options for yourself. But I hope people always remember that although people have opened up other shops since the show began, Minnies was the original!

  Kirk already had Sugar Hut, Mark already did club nights, and Peri’s family already had the card shop, all of which have increased their success off the back of the show. But we were the first to think of the potential the show could bring to a new business.

  I think the next was Jess and her underwear shop, With Love Jessica, which is lovely, and there isn’t really anything else like it in the area. She thought of the idea after she had her boobs done and couldn’t find good bras. It’s a hard market to tackle though, because for everyday underwear, a lot of people – if they are like me – go for comfort over looks. Jess’s underwear is more about the latter, and they are very expensive for everyday wear.

  Also if you are going for some all-out underwear, or if a boy is looking to buy a girl something special, you go for the more established brands, like Agent Provocateur for example, don’t you? So I am not sure she is going to smash it and get lots of bestsellers. And, to be honest, Jess’s heart isn’t really in it – her passion is singing. That is what she cares about, so I think she should put all her efforts into getting her singing career to take off. Maybe her mum, Carol, or her little sister, when she’s older, should take over. Or even Nanny Pat!

  I think the next business that came about was Lauren Goodger’s tan, Lauren’s Way. Well, I guess someone had to bring one out, didn’t they? And if it was anyone, it should be her – she always has quite a tan on her these days! If I’d been asked to do it, I’d have said no – I wouldn’t want to be forever associated with fake tan. I’m not even sure that it’s Lauren’s own business – I think maybe she just put her name to a brand. From what I know of her, she isn’t very business-minded, and she doesn’t seem that passionate about it to me. But it’s done well as a brand, so I wish her success and all that. I can’t tell you what it is like though, as I have never tried it! Despite all the free clothes she has had from Minnies, I have not been sent one free bottle of the tan, which doesn’t impress me! I did feel sorry for her when she tried to open a shop for her tanning range, though, and it was firebombed hours later. As with Mark’s club, it was probably the work of jealous people, but that’s why you have to be so careful. Good on her for not letting it put her off, and for reopening it.

  Then there is Lydia’s vintage store, Bella Sorella. I love her shop, and it is good to have a place like that in Loughton. It is so Lydia! It really reflects her style, which is so different to the usual Essex look – Lydia is unique! But I do worry that her clothes won’t do so well – because I think maybe the locals like to look at them but not actually buy them. But I think the furnishings and cakes and frames are adorable, and they are doing really well. I also love that she loves her shop. When we are on shoots or filming, she will be in the corner on her iPad, checking on new stock and ordering new brands. She is like me and Billie – it is something she is genuinely enthusiastic about.

  So at the moment I have income coming in through the shop and a steady income through my Star magazine column and various other interview fees. Then I also earn money from appearances. These can be the personal appearances in clubs that I mentioned before, or shop openings or launches of products I have agreed to back. When I am there, I usually just have to pose for official photos and do a meet and greet with fans, but I have been asked to do more random things as well, such as read a bedtime story to shoppers, or pull pints of gravy for passers-by! I am normally paid a few thousand pounds for an appearance, and will be there for a couple of hours, although it can mean travelling quite a bit, as I will do this all over the country. I enjoy doing PAs, as it is a great feeling to meet all the fans, the people who have made TOWIE what it is.

  On my way to a recent event where I was getting £8,000 for a two-hour appearance, I was thinking about how crazy it was. That was a very high fee, and it was by no means a one-off. Yet just 18 months before it would have taken me seven months of work to earn the same money.

  I know some people get funny about it, and ask why I deserve it. But at the end of the day, you can’t blame me for taking the opportunities that are offered to me – wouldn’t you do the same? I’d be stupid if I didn’t. And I work really hard for it – believe me, when there is an opportunity for me to make a success of myself, I am always working on it. But I’m not going to sit here and say I deserve it just because I work hard for it, because that would be disrespecting those who work just as hard in worthier jobs and who earn a lot less. But I have always been taught to take every chance that comes along, and whether it is fair on other people or not, this is about business. If I didn’t take on jobs like this, someone else would. I am realistic about how long this might last. If it all ended tomorrow, at least I would know I had taken every opportunity that being in TOWIE has given me and set myself up for a good future.

  9

  THE BIGGER, THE BETTER

  In Essex it really is a case of the bigger the hair, the better – which is a nightmare for me because my hair is really thin! But I have always found ways around that . . . Although fashions do change when it comes to hair, right now it is all about volume, and it looks set to stay this way for a good while.

  I love hair like the Kardashians have – yes, they are helped by extensions, but still, their hair looks so thick and healthy and shiny, with a great wave and volume. My hair is naturally dead straight, and like most people, I have always wanted what I can’t have. I would love to have a wave in my hair, but no matter how much I try to make my hair curl at home, whatever product I use and however much effort I put in, I never get a really good curl.

  I wanted a perm when I was younger, but I wasn’t allowed. My mum had one though, and we always told her she looked like a poodle, so looking back, it was probably a good thing I didn’t get one!

  But even though I luckily avoided that mistake, I have not always known what to do with my hair. I don’t think I have had any huge hair disasters, like done a Britney Spears and shaved my head or anything. But I can say it has not always looked the best.

  When I was ten, I remember I did the spam ponytail or bun every day, religiously. If you have never had one, well, all I can say is well done on avoiding that mistake! But basically it was a ponytail or bun that was pulled back so much it gave you a spam forehead – when your forehead looks bigger than normal – because your skin was pulled back so tightly. Every hair was in place – and you made sure it stayed there by piling on loads of this minging gel. Yep, that look was an error.

  You would have the ponytail or bun at the back, and then pull two bits of hair forward to hang down either side of your face. Those two bits of hair were very important – they pretty much made the look. It was inspired by Mel C, I guess, or at least she was a massive fan of it. As I’ve said before, although I always wanted to be Geri, I had a phase of copying Sporty Spice’s look and walking around in a tracksuit all the
time, and this hairstyle was a part of that.

  Around the same time, Amy always put her hair in two low buns, just behind each ear, which we used to call two turds, because that’s exactly what they looked like. I should probably stop there, shouldn’t I? But before you judge her for that, just remember, we all learn from our mistakes!

  But anyway, on to better hair days. I have perfected a routine now for achieving big hair myself at home before I go out (see the box on pages 152–4). Or alternatively, if I have the time and the money, I do like treating myself to a blow-dry at the salon, and they will always make a good job of it.

  I have experimented quite a lot with hair extensions to get volume in my hair. They are the one easy way to big hair – because you can literally double the amount of hair on your head. Extensions are a huge market now, and there are loads of different ways of attaching the hair, different types of hair – real or fake for a start – and a massive difference in prices, depending on what you are after.

  One method that is really popular in Essex at the moment is Micro Rings Hair Extensions. Basically strips of hair are attached to your own hair with tiny metal rings that clamp onto your roots. There is no glue, or sewing, or braiding, like there is with other hair extensions, so it is supposed to be better for your own hair, and it is subtle. Once they are in, they are there to stay for quite a while as well, so you don’t have to do anything more than get them tightened or replaced every few months.

  They work for a lot of people, but I am not a fan of them really. I had them done just once, and it wasn’t for me. Washing and blow-drying takes forever with them in. I like to wash my hair every day – it is so fine that it needs it, and I like my hair to be as clean and shiny as possible. But with the extensions in, it took about 90 minutes a day to do, and I really didn’t want to spend that long on it, so it just annoyed me. Also I like to run my hands through my hair, which I couldn’t do because of the little rings.