A Masterclass in British Business: Telegraph's Festival of Business

Last year, we were very privileged to be invited to The Telegraph Festival of Business and this year, we were even more privileged to be invited back!

Not only was the list of British business leaders and speakers positively mind boggling, but to have so many in one room for us to listen to, learn from and be inspired by was just incredible!

Kick off was 8am at London's The Brewery!

Photo: The Brewery

The day's keynote speakers were a phenomenal line up of inspirational leaders:

Caroyln McCall, CEO EasyJet

Jayne-Anne Gadhia, Chief Executive Virgin Money

Mark Price, MD Waitrose

  

The panellists were equally incredible individuals:

John Longworth, British Chambers of Commerce

Tony Pidgley, Chairman, Berkeley Group Holdings

John Timpson, Founder, Timpson

Chrissie Rucker, Founder, The White Company

Nick Wheeler, Founder, Charles Tyrwhitt

We got to listen to small panel sessions with the amazing:

Simon Belsham, CEO, notonthehighstreet

Simon Duffy, Founder, Bulldog Skincare

James McClure, UK & Ireland General Manager, Airbnb

Richard Joseph, Founder, Joseph Joseph

and many more...!

One of our stand out favourite's of the day was a conversation between power couple, Charles Trywhitt founder Nick Wheeler and his wife, Chrissie Rucker, founder of The White Company. Suitably discussing the 'Blueprint for a Successful Family Business' and my word do they do just that! We admire both hugely and are inspired by their ability to juggle it all!

Having a talk from Mark Price, about how Waitrose 'Put Happiness First' for its employees, customers, and people in their supply chain was inspiring and uplifting! He ended the day's conference with a quote from John Lewis founder, John Spedan Lewis: "The Partnership was created wholly and solely to make the world a bit happier and a bit more decent". 

All in all a terrific day's conference; we got to network with ridiculously talented business men and women, learn from them and listen to their advice for Attollo!



Thank you very much to The Telegraph for what was a wonderful event, we look forward to returning next year.

We will remember them!

Last week was the official London Poppy Day; it was glorious to see every Londoner walking down the street wearing a Poppy. The tube have been dotting around signs with a very moving message: 

"In memory of the falen and future of the living."

This made us reflect on the coming Remembrance Day.

No words can cover what sacrifices were made on our behalf by generations of men, and now women, in service, on our behalf and for our freedom. The sacrifices are immeasurable and imaginable. 

We don't have the ability to write about just how thankful we are, and how moved we are by the coming 11th November. 

John McCrae's words beat anything that we could say....

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

 May 1915

We will remember! Lest us forget. 

Attollo Girl Style: Charity Shop Gems

Attollo is a brand that is about women, feeling and looking confident and beautiful. Lingerie is the root of all outfits, and is with us pretty much every waking minute of the day keeping our lovely twins in place, looking marvellous- well that's the idea! 

Branding ourselves as a lifestyle brand, we wanted to start the Attollo Girl Style series on the blog! 

Style doesn't have to mean big bucks, we both know, we've had to find some money saving tips to keep feeling stylish..... 

 

......or semi-stylish at least! 

Being curvy girls, we find it a challenge finding anything in the shops that firstly, fits us, secondly flatters us, and thirdly, that we can afford! It's often hard to find smart clothes for meetings too! 

Dressing for our big boobs is a challenge most of you will be able to relate to, and if not, if you have amazing long legs, too amazing for the high street to design for, or you're so beautifully petite for the mass market that nothing fits properly, or perhaps you're a rugby player with quads and calves too big for any retailers jeans, you'll get why we're a little fed up with dressing for our shapes and battling the high street designs.

We're changing tactic now and see it as a challenge accepted - we WILL find great style for our curves, and start creating an Attollo Girl Style! Our first hack - find the best charity shops, and get some style on a shoestring...! Here are some of the pieces we love from some of our favourite Charity shops:

1. Fleurette's Vintage Louis Vuitton

2. Alice's leather Boden

3. Fleurette's High-Waist Jeans

4. Alice's silk scarf

5. Fleurette's Pencil Skirt

6. Alice's Gucci's

7. Fleurette's LK Bennett Heels

8. Alice's Smythson travel wallet

9. Fleurette's Wolford Body

10. Alice's designer nude courts

We pop into our local charity shops at least once a week excited by what we'll find next! 

Love A&F x