To celebrate International Women’s Day this month we want you to get to know some of the amazing women in our team a little better. We’ve been really inspired by what they’ve been doing through lockdown to stay positive, drive change and help others.

Here are their stories.

Martha Ngatchu

Assistant Merchandiser

“The thing that motivates me most is representation. Over the past 6 months I’m so pleased and proud to have been part of Pepper Your Talk’s Anti-Racism in Fashion workshop. They are doing research into how fashion can become anti-racist, something really important to me. As a black woman working in fashion, it was an opportunity to share my thoughts and help take action.

I hope to inspire young women who look like me, give them that drive and let them know they can do it. I want to be involved in championing this diversity and inclusion message - in and out of work.

I also write features for Eco Age magazine, they focus on sustainability within fashion, something that’s super-interesting to me. I spoke to female founders from small businesses for articles. I always get involved in helping other women out - I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t!”

Anja Corlett

International Retail Operations Manager

“Empowering and mentoring people to achieve their aspirations is so important to me. The pandemic has shown me that checking in with friends and colleagues is invaluable. I set up a weekly chat and accountability call - a space for people to talk through their ambitions and to make sure no-one feels disconnected.

What’s been great is the entrepreneurial spirit that’s come out of these chats - women with ideas who just need someone to support them.

It’s important to remember that everything is temporary and we should focus on the things in our control.

In and out of work, I’m so grateful for the women that have empowered and helped me through my life so I want to pass that on. Through my mentoring with fashion students I help them get work experience, explain how the industry works and how they can build a career.”

Abigail Hill

Northumerland Multi-site Manager

“As a store manager, I’ve spent a lot of this year on furlough. I missed the structure and purpose of working so used this time to do further education.

I’ve always been interested in politics. I studied it at A-level and it shocks me how little representation there still is for women. The divide is starting to narrow but only 25% of parliamentarians in the world are women and I think there needs to be more done to address that. It’s something I’m really interested in doing - starting with these qualifications I’m doing now.

I’m also a plus size model and my passion for politics and modelling has the same drive - I’m a curvy woman and when I started there wasn’t a lot of representation, so I want to be that for other women.

Coming from the small town where suffragette Emily Davison’s family is from, I grew up in her shadow. She gave up her life fighting for the right to vote, so women supporting women is vital and personally important to me. Women need to be seen, and in visible positions, to make sure their voices are heard.”