Talitha Price, Founder of Fox And Vamp, discusses true style, building a business and being present with Emirates Woman.

What do the first 30 minutes of your day, your morning routine look like?

Every day is a little different, getting up early is something I have had to get used to with a toddler. I am not an early riser so a morning matcha (or two) is always needed. Some of my suppliers are overseas and Zoom calls can start as early as 6:00 am. My two-year-old son wakes around 7:00 am and things quickly get a lot more hectic. By 8:30 am, I try to squeeze in some sort of movement, even a quick Pilates session or walking to work helps set me up for the day and clear my head. I often find that new ideas come to me during this time.

How did you go about deciding the name and what is the DNA of the brand?

From the outset, my idea was to have a luxury brand – but fun. I knew it had to reflect in the name. I wish I had a more compelling story about the brand name, but in truth, I was doodling on a long train journey and playing around with different names. Now, I love the duality of the name – fox denotes freedom, confidence, and a sense of humour with an air of elegance whilst vamp represents being fierce, bold, authentic, and playful. The brand DNA is critical in what we do and is split into three main areas. Craftsmanship in the real hair we source, and it’s done with a mindful approach to detail. We make what can look unnatural, look extremely natural. Freedom is self-confidence and expression to feel and look your best unapologetically. Finally, accessibility, being available to everyone and worldwide (eventually), and creating easy foolproof options

What was the catalyst for launching your own range and how did it solve a problem you were seeing from the business you’d already launched?

We exist to boost the hearts and heads of women around the world who have naturally fine, sparse, or no hair. The goal is to make high-quality real hair solutions that are fabulous, easy to use, and accessible so that even people with great heads of hair become our biggest fans.

It was the natural step to be able to source our own hair, especially in a saturated market. I knew the only way to get it right was to source the highest quality hair myself. A clip-in range consisting of ponytails, fringes, and natural seamless for people who are unable to visit the salon was always going to be my next step.

What have been the biggest challenges to date and how did you overcome them?

In business, there will be daily challenges. Covid-19 has been our biggest challenge to date, while inflation has caused costs to soar. The challenge now has been about still sourcing high-quality products, that our clients would love and trust without doubling costs.

Finding the right team over the years has proven to be a challenge. People will let you down monumentally, you must have thick skin and be ready for it.

There is no secret formula to a successful business, but you must believe in yourself, your ideas, hopes, and dreams. When you start a business, a lot of people will question you. You need to surround yourself with positive people who encourage you and want you to succeed.

In a saturated beauty market with a niche offering, how do you differentiate against the competition?

In a saturated market, I am constantly trying to be forward-thinking. I use social media to be transparent about the passion and quality of our products and services. We use Instagram as a tool to showcase our real work, using our clients as our biggest asset.

A visit to Fox And Vamp is more than just a hair or beauty appointment, we’ve created an environment where you can feel completely at ease. Trust and communication are integral parts of how we operate.

Our products are unique in quality and the perfect blends. The way that I always envisage launching a product is by intuition and then by being in the salon, surrounded by clients and listening to what they want, and identifying their needs. I then work with my hair supplier or lab for future projects. I am quite creative so I can tell them exactly how I see it. It is a process for sure, timings are long to get things perfect so finding patience is a skill I am still working at.

Customer service is key to your business – how do you ensure consistency in quality?

It sounds obvious, but putting your customer first is always at the forefront of everything we do. I try to walk the customer experience, whether it be online or social media, and I like to think about what value are we giving our clients by putting this out there. Anybody can try to sell a product, but people will get bored if that is all you talk about. The story of your brand, the value you share with people, and the problem you are helping them solve will be what they remember and what makes you stand out.

Within the salon, we focus on building a unique relationship with each client. We listen and understand their short and long-term goals, whilst taking the time to plan this out to achieve exactly what they want.

Over the years, I have worked hard to get the right team in place. This has not always been smooth sailing, people will let you down monumentally, and I am still surprised to this day by it. You have to have thick skin when it comes to business and people, that’s for sure. However, when you have great people, who share the same values it is a game changer. It lifts the energy; everything feels aligned and the customer experience will always be enhanced.

What are your goals for the brand in the next five years and how will you expand globally?

Fox And Vamp are continuing to expand as the demand is so high for the best quality hair. We are always developing new and innovative ways to make real hair accessible and seamless, so women get all the benefits whilst feeling it is an extension of themselves.

In May this year, we are launching our clip-in range, tapes, and ponytails available to buy online. This will be followed by our wholesale hair range to target salons worldwide, with a strong plan for the UAE. The other plans I cannot yet speak about, but I will say they are big enough to scare me which is a good indication. In general, I tend to weigh up the risk of any new venture – what is the worst-case scenario – and if I can handle it then it is worth the risk.

“I tend to weigh up the risk of any new venture – what is the worst-case scenario – and if I can handle it then it is worth the risk.”

You have a family as well as a business – can you give us some granular detail on your days? What does it take to make it all work?

Every day is a little different. Truly, it’s a tough balancing act. I try to be as present as possible in the things that I’m doing. When I’m with my family, I put the phone down. If my husband reads this, I can hear him laughing. When I’m low on energy and need a pick-me-up, I’ll take time for myself and do some Pilates – even 20 minutes helps me with balance and also that’s when the ideas flow. Honestly, I find I do have so much adrenaline because I’m passionate about what I’m doing. Naturally, my social plans are not as busy as they used to be, but that is just prioritizing. When you have a business and a family, something has to give.

What are your non-negotiables in beauty both face and body?

For body, dry brushing with Mutha Body Oil each evening and Pilates are my non-negotiables. I also enjoy a lymphatic drainage massage – if I had the time I would do them weekly.

For face, I use an extensive medical-grade skincare routine. I am rigorous with Skin Better Science and Alumier cream cleansers – these are my go-to products, as well as daily SPF. I am also a big fan of Profhilo and Aqua Gold treatments and think a little bit of Botox is absolutely a must for me.

This is The Style Issue – what is style to you?

Maybe this is an age thing, but truly I believe being confident in your own skin is the best style you will ever have. Somebody who walks into a room full of confidence and a presence will raise the energy and vibrations in that room, I believe that is a style that will never go out of fashion.

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