From ITV Styling to Handcrafted Jewellery: The Story of Studio Bowe
I’ve always loved dressing up. My parents are both into fashion and have such strong, distinct personal styles. They are total opposites in personality, but their love of clothes is the one thing they’ve always had in common. I grew up poring over my dad’s photo albums from his art school days, mesmerised by images of my mum in every era - each one with a different hairstyle and the coolest clothes. They used to tell me about heading to Kenny Market in London just to find the trendiest outfits and that’s where my obsession started.
A Career in Fashion Styling
I actually fell into styling by accident. I studied English Literature and Film, but while finishing my degree, a friend of a friend on MySpace asked for a styling assistant. I sent multiple emails before she finally gave me a shot. In that moment, I realised a dream job existed that I hadn’t even known was possible.
For years, I styled everything from music videos and adverts to film and TV, eventually landing a regular role at ITV’s Loose Women. Dressing four presenters for live TV three days a week was a challenge, but I loved the fast-paced energy of the industry.
Finding Mindfulness Through Creativity
Life changed when I had my children. After my first, I struggled deeply with horrific mood swings and anxiety. Seeking professional help and starting anti-depressants was life-changing - it felt like my mind was finally clear, and the negative self-talk just stopped.
My second baby came along a few years later and whilst i was pregnant, I co-founded ‘Mothershoppers’ with my colleague Gemma, an instagram account and blog to showcase personal style for women at various stages of life. We had both gone through motherhood and lost our confidence with our own style as our bodies changed and we adjusted to being working mums in our 30s and 40s. We started to form a lovely community of women going through the same thing.
I’d been feeling pretty disillusioned with the fashion industry for some time by this point, my job was now mostly online: scrolling pages and pages of uninspiring fast fashion, emailing PRs rather than face to face conversation, stuck in a windowless studio, sorting through online returns for hours on end. Mothershoppers was fun but I craved more creativity.
The Birth of Studio Bowe
In 2020, everything shifted. Like so many others, my anxiety spiked during lockdown. Stuck at home and not getting dressed properly, my outlook suffered. On a whim, I ordered a simple beading kit. Adding a piece of fun, handcrafted jewellery to my comfy tracksuit gave me exactly the "edge" I was looking for.
Beading became my mindfulness. It was calming to create something with my hands and wear it immediately. I posted a photo of a chunky beaded necklace (the Maxi) on Instagram and suddenly had a list of 100 people asking for one!
Sustainable Jewellery & Vintage Materials
While sourcing materials, I found incredible vintage beads on eBay. I’ve always loved vintage shopping, so using pre-loved materials added a layer of passion and ensured my business would have a positive impact on the environment. The beads themselves became the inspiration for my designs.
I still source from eBay and charity shops, but further afield too, having recently sourced at antique markets in Lille and Berlin for those extra special pieces.
Living with ADHD and Building a Brand
Since being diagnosed with ADHD in 2023, so much of my life finally makes sense, including my lifelong struggle with structure and authority. It’s why I knew I had to work for myself.
Studio Bowe is now nearly six years old. My ethos hasn’t changed: fair wages, sustainable vintage materials, recycled silver, and a made-to-order business model to minimise waste. Most importantly, it remains my happy place.
At the end of 2025, I took voluntary redundancy from ITV to go full-time with Studio Bowe and Mothershoppers. It’s a huge learning curve, but I’m finally building the life I dreamt of back in 2020: a life of freedom, expression, and one day, that bright garden studio.