One of the very early pieces of business advice Karen Yates and her then 23-year-old daughter, Ellen, were given in 2014 — when they launched their Northern Ireland-based accessories brand, Taylor Yates — was: “Just make sure it doesn’t look like some sort of mother/daughter hobby.”
With more than 20 years of experience on the design and marketing side of fashion retail herself, coupled with Ellen’s degree in fashion business management, 55-year-old Yates was surprised and frustrated to be patronised in such a manner. It’s not as if the duo were crocheting tea cosies — handbags are a billion-euro business and the pair’s combined skill set meant they were well placed to take a piece of this luxury pie for themselves.