Hannah Beaumont, 42, has built an international organic clothing brand from her childhood entrepreneurial ventures. Her company, Beaumont Organic, now sells across Europe, Japan, Canada, and the United States, with a flagship store in Manchester's Northern Quarter.
Early Entrepreneurial Spirit
Growing up in Bramhall, Stockport, Hannah always sought to monetize her creativity. "I was selling bracelets in the school playground, and then I was making handbags and selling them in local shops," she said. She upcycled denim jeans from charity shops into handbags, demonstrating early resourcefulness. "I was quite creative but also entrepreneurial from a young age. I think it was always in me that I would go down this route."
Disillusionment with Fast Fashion
After university, Hannah worked as an assistant buyer for a large fashion retailer in London. However, she soon became disillusioned with the industry's practices. "The volumes of clothing that we were producing, the way we were bartering with the suppliers, the way we were cheapening things to get them within the margin... I just thought maybe this isn't where I'm meant to be." Her dual passion for creativity and mathematics led her to envision a different path. "I thought, if I can leave here and go into doing something myself then that would be a way for me to stay in the fashion industry but doing it in my own way."
Launching Beaumont Organic
In 2008, during the economic crash, Hannah quit her job and moved back to Greater Manchester with her boyfriend (now husband) Nelson. She sourced organic cotton from a supplier in Portugal and began producing her own clothing range. In the early years, she handled everything from design to production. She drove across the UK in her Mini Metro, packed with clothes, acting as a "travelling saleswoman."
International Expansion
In 2009, Hannah's business won an award for best organic textile products, which was reported in a newspaper. A Japanese distributor read the story and contacted her, leading to sales in Japan. "I was like, oh my god, we're hardly even selling in England yet, never mind Japan," she recalled. Soon after, they expanded into Europe, selling in Germany, Switzerland, and Denmark. After trade shows in New York, they began selling in the United States.
Growth and Flagship Store
The business grew, allowing Hannah to move operations from her Didsbury home to a Manchester city centre office, then to Hilton Street in the Northern Quarter. The ground floor now houses their concept store and HQ. "It's really nice to have our own flagship store. It just means we can have all the clothes hanging there, and I think we can resonate more with our customers." Beaumont Organic now employs eight staff, including her husband Nelson, and sells in 12 countries and 120 stores worldwide.
Mission and Advice
Having just participated in their first major fashion show, Hannah aims to raise awareness about sustainable alternatives to fast fashion. "More people need to know about it and to buy clothes made correctly, and for more stores to be stocking it." She stresses the importance of resilience: "You need to be very resilient. I think you need a thick skin, you need to persevere, and, ultimately, you need to really believe in what you're doing." She adds, "If you don't really believe in what you're doing... people are going to see straight through it."
Hannah credits her father as a mentor and advises aspiring entrepreneurs to enjoy the journey. "You've got to get up in the morning and work a longer day than probably most people who are employed. So, you've got to really enjoy it."
