Scottish fashion retailer goes global and hits quarter of a million turnover

About the business

Fairlie Curved is an e-commerce business that sells clothing and accessories for bigger-busted women.

How Business Gateway has helped

After being made redundant during the pandemic, Jayne came across an old clothing collection she had designed in her final year at university to cater for fuller-busted women. Passionate about body positivity and sharing her knowledge, she launched an Instagram page to share her tips and, within a week, she had 1,000 followers and women around the world interested in her fashion know-how and relatability.  

Buoyed by the response, Jayne used her old sewing machine to design and sell a white organic cotton t-shirt, ideal for hourglass figures, via Instagram which received orders around the UK.  

Spotting a gap in the market and enthused by the initial success, she contacted Business Gateway in 2020 for advice on scaling Fairlie Curved’s operations and was put in touch with a local business adviser who helped Jayne to establish a business plan and set goals.  

Business Gateway was instrumental in helping Jayne to secure her first HQ office premises in Paisley in early 2021, and offered guidance on securing an interest-free loan to purchase initial stock. Business Gateway’s research services have been essential for helping expand Fairlie Curved’s product range with Jayne regularly introduced to new contacts, including the supplier of her best-selling leather jacket.  

Jayne has also accessed free marketing workshops and specialist advice on WordPress, to lay the groundwork for her now fully established website.   

Last year, Business Gateway introduced Jayne to Invest in Renfrewshire and Graduate Career Advantage Scotland, and as a result she now employs a Graphic Designer and a Social Media Marketing Executive. With additional guidance on grant funding, Jayne has also secured over £2,000 as part of a 50/50 grant to purchase computers for her new team. 

Within just two years of trading, with support from Business Gateway, Jayne has grown a community of 20,000 followers, with Fairlie Curved successfully turning over £250,000. She was recently awarded Business Women Scotland’s Start-up Business of the Year and has been listed in The Telegraph’s 100 Female Entrepreneurs to Watch.  

Most recently, Jayne has been announced as a finalist for the Federation of Small Business Awards in the start-up business category.  

Jayne Lasley, Founder and Owner, Fairlie Curved, said: “Although I had lots of experience in the fashion industry, I’d never run a business, and didn’t have any plans to when I launched the Instagram page. My vision was to offer fashionable but classic options that would stand the test of time while empowering women. 

“Business Gateway played a huge part in helping me to take the plunge to transform Fairlie Curved into an established business. It was incredibly daunting, but I always knew that my adviser would be at the other end of the phone. Support from Business Gateway has been invaluable.”