Lexi is the Founder and CEO of Little Black Door “LBD” the fashtech venture that aims to reset and retrain the way people manage and interact with their wardrobe. Their Social Wardrobe app gets women wearing and sharing their wardrobes with friends, their wider fashion community and resale – unlocking a vastly more sustainable and environmental-friendly way to wear high-quality fashion.
Lexi’s experience includes Marks & Clerk LLP, Head of Intellectual Property at FIFA, and COO of social networking app Wistla. After completing a masters in Luxury Brand Management, she started working in lifestyle and consumer tech ventures.
What’s keeping you busy?
We’re just moving into a soft launch of the app, so it’s a heady mix of product release, launch comms, new community building, marketing and the like.
We also have a number of digital work experiences for students and schoolgirls aged 15-17 running right now, so that’s keeping us busy.
What new ideas or opportunities are set to become part of your future business fabric?
LBD is designed to get women wearing and sharing their wardrobes – we’re big on borrowing before buying, and letting others make use of your wardrobe – so our borrow button for sharing wardrobes is proving popular and we think will continue to be a compelling feature of the app and business fabric for the future.
What are the biggest challenges you are facing right now?
Fundraising during a time global pandemic has been a challenge – we are too early for VCs, so angel investors are a source of funding – even though we are tech first, many have stalled on investments in the fashion tech space. Raising cash is also a big obstacle as to how quickly you can run with your ideas. Fortunately, the lockdown gloom is lifting…
Is there anything you know now that you’d wish you’d known at the start of your career?
Ha, I wish I’d have bought bitcoin?!
Hmm, there’s always so much you wish you had of known – if I was to go back, I would have focused on digital skills – graphic design for sure – regardless of what path you follow, there is an art to presenting materials and ideas to others – and strong presentation skills for sure help with this. Plus, a focus on language capabilities. The world is far more global than I anticipated…but then my career started some 23 years ago.
Who have been your most important professional mentors / influencers?
One of my former clients and now friend, a super wild intelligent and pioneering engineer literally changed my perspective on life and my career – his influence basically reshaped my career.
Also, Paul Beavis, former MD of Lanson Champagne International was my professional mentor following my switch from law. He’s shared wisdom, got me reading a tonne of leadership materials and coached me through various “what the hell am I doing” wobbles – you need people like this!!
What keeps you motivated?
Most days, it’s Marina Pengilly, Co-Founder of Little Black Door – her energy is unbounded, but she’s has no fear filter – nothing is beyond her and there’s no resting on laurels. This type of energy is a motivating force for driving me forward.
Plus working with young people to help launch and shape their careers is just wonderful. I’ve managed to add lecturing and mentoring into my schedule these days, working with universities like Imperial, LBS and Birmingham City – knowing that my work experiences can support others to make different choices is pretty moving.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
“If you don’t ask, you don’t get…” – my mother, circa 1988 – this never goes out of date…
If you could meet any one person (from history or currently alive), who would it be
Veronica Guerin would be up there, her relentless search for the truth regardless of the dangers associated with her work was truly inspiring.
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