Interview with Donna ida

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For Issue 009 of AMBITION, we had the absolute pleasure of speaking with 'Jean Queen', Donna Ida. The fashion entrepreneur's boutiques were nominated 3 times for Best Womenswear Boutique in the Drapers Awards, as well as listed in the top 50 best boutiques in Britain by The Telegraph. Donna shares insight why she originally got into fashion and how growing a personal brand helped her business.

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Where does your ambition come from?

I have always worked hard, my parents did so that was the example I set and I think that was a platform for my ambition, which to be honest just keeps growing. The more I work business out, the more I want to do.

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What compelled you to start a fashion brand?

I wanted to start my own company and so the place I started from was asking myself what it was that I love to do.  And the thing that I am eternally interested in is shopping and retail.  So it started from there – I love being around fashion so I’m comfortable in the space.

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What's a challenge you face in the fashion industry that others might not come across in other industries?

I had to pause for a minute here – I guess others would see it as a challenge but I see it as an opportunity. Being so close to customers and feedback, good and bad. I love the interaction. Production is often a challenge but if it was so easy to make the clothes, everyone would be doing it.

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Throughout your career, what challenges have you faced as a female entrepreneur, and what advice would you give to other female entrepreneurs?

I don’t think that I have faced any more challenges by being female, and I say that genuinely but it could be because I am in fashion and it is a natural space for women, there are countless female founders of hundreds of amazing fashion brands that have blazed a trail for us.  I have faced so many challenges in business, but it doesn’t matter what the problem of the day is, there is ALWAYS a solution. The key is to never give up.

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How important has building your personal brand been to building your business?

They have worked hand in hand, at first building my personal brand didn’t occur to me, I was so focused on the actual business and the nuts and bolts of it. And then my first PR company kept saying to me, but we have this amazing thing, we have you. And for a second I hesitated because even though the business was called Donna Ida that wasn’t my intention – to push myself out there.  But it became apparent very quickly that I was key to the success by becoming a recognisable face of the brand.

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What has inspired you recently and had a positive impact on your life?

Today it was the sunshine. But for a ‘who’ it would be Trish McEvoy.

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What's the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

You can’t be everything to everyone.

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If you were handed a microphone and the whole world was listening, what would you say?

Head to www.donnaida.com.

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Where will Donna Ida’s ambition take her next?

I know exactly but I don’t want to reveal everything – come back in a year and I’ll tell you where I’ve been.