I look back to a time of my childhood and the immense
peer pressure to conform to the normal, to be like everyone else.
With a mother who supported a family of four, she couldn’t afford
to buy us designer clothes, as much as I’d of loved to, and I was victimised
because of this.
As I grew older and developed my independence, and with it my own style and tastes,
people started to take notice of me for the person I was.
And integral to this was the clothes I wore, which helped me express myself,
and in so doing helped me connect with others.
I realised that there is a true beauty to individuality,
to being distinctive and proudly yourself. If Florence Black was to be a brand,
it was thus imperative that I made clothing that helped people feel
confident and comfortable with themselves – just as I had felt
when I first discovered and put on that amazing coat.
The Name
“ To Embrace Difference - For beauty lies in the elegance
of individuality. "
People have often asked me, ‘Why the name?’ In brief, my mother has
been a very important influence on me. I have the upmost respect for what she does
in nursing. The life-long dedication to caring for others, especially me - at
the expense of her own health. Long nights & early mornings - not unlike
her famous predecessor, the nurse Florence Nightingale.