Jade Ainsworth, from Calderstones, Liverpool, launched House of Glitz and Glamour from her kitchen table six years ago after the pandemic brought her modelling career to a halt. The luxury outdoor living brand now turns over more than £400,000, with customers reserving pieces before they were in stock during record-breaking summer temperatures.
She told the ECHO: “I never imagined the business would become what it is today. It genuinely began as a hobby. Just before the first lockdown, I became seriously ill with COVID before anyone really knew what it was. I was off work for two and a half months, and it completely changed my perspective. I remember thinking, 'I've got to find a way to look after my family,' so I threw myself into building the business.”
International expansion
After her nan passed away, Jade used the inheritance to travel to Shanghai alone and create her own designs. Within twelve months, she sold more than 300 garden furniture sets, achieved a turnover of over £400,000 and secured a mortgage on her home.
Her newest Marbella Collection, priced at £1,495, sold out in just nine days from pre-orders alone. Jade said: “I honestly never imagined we'd see demand on this scale. At the start, I simply wanted to find a way to support my family after my work stopped overnight. To be where I am now, is incredibly emotional.”
She added: “This is only the beginning. I'm heading back to Shanghai in September to meet with my factories and design not only more garden furniture but a full interiors collection. This year I've launched one collection - next year I'm launching five. It pays to never take no really.”
