Mint Velvet The Story of British Fashion’s Relaxed Glamour Revolution
In an industry where fast fashion often overshadows timeless style, Mint Velvet has carved a distinct identity with its signature philosophy: Relaxed Glamour. Founded in 2009 by Liz Houghton, Jane Rawlings, and Lisa Agar-Rea, the British womenswear label has grown from a kitchen-table idea into one of the UK’s most recognisable fashion brands.
The company’s mission is simple yet powerful — to make women feel confident, stylish, and comfortable without compromising quality or individuality. Headquartered in High Wycombe, England, Mint Velvet stands as a symbol of effortless sophistication and attainable luxury.
The Birth of Mint Velvet: A Kitchen-Table Revolution
Founders Who Changed the Fashion Narrative
The story of Mint Velvet began around a kitchen table in 2009, where three women with a shared vision decided to challenge the conventional fashion landscape. Liz Houghton, Jane Rawlings, and Lisa Agar-Rea brought together decades of combined experience in retail, design, and brand development to create something truly different.
Each founder contributed unique expertise that would become instrumental in shaping the brand’s identity. Their goal was not simply to launch another clothing line but to fill a genuine gap in the market — fashion that was neither too casual nor overly formal, pieces that could transition seamlessly from morning coffee to evening drinks.
The Founding Philosophy: Relaxed Glamour
From the outset, the trio established what would become their defining mantra: Relaxed Glamour. This wasn’t just a marketing tagline but a carefully considered approach to design and lifestyle. The concept centred on creating garments that combined comfort with sophistication, allowing women to feel polished without sacrificing ease.
The philosophy reflected a deeper understanding of modern women’s lives — balancing careers, families, social commitments, and personal time. The founders recognised that women wanted clothing that could keep pace with their multifaceted lives while maintaining a sense of style and elegance.
The Launch and Early Growth
When the brand first launched, it quickly resonated with women across the UK who were searching for exactly what the founders envisioned. The initial collections featured versatile pieces that could be mixed and matched, creating multiple looks from a streamlined wardrobe.
Word spread rapidly through genuine customer satisfaction rather than aggressive marketing campaigns. Women appreciated the quality, fit, and thoughtful design details that set the pieces apart from mass-market alternatives. This organic growth laid a solid foundation for what would become a thriving national presence.
The Women Behind Mint Velvet
Liz Houghton: The Visionary Leader
Liz Houghton brought strategic vision and business acumen to the founding team. Her understanding of retail dynamics and customer behaviour helped shape the brand’s positioning and growth strategy. Houghton’s leadership style emphasised authenticity and staying true to the brand’s core values, even as the company expanded.
Her commitment to creating a brand that genuinely served women’s needs rather than chasing fleeting trends established a culture of thoughtful innovation within the company.
Jane Rawlings: The Creative Force
Jane Rawlings served as the creative heartbeat of the brand, translating the Relaxed Glamour philosophy into tangible designs. Her approach to fashion design prioritised wearability without sacrificing style, focusing on flattering silhouettes, quality fabrics, and versatile colour palettes.
Rawlings understood that great design shouldn’t be complicated. Her collections consistently featured pieces that felt special yet approachable, elevated yet easy to wear.
Lisa Agar-Rea: The Brand Architect
Lisa Agar-Rea focused on building the brand’s identity and ensuring consistency across all customer touchpoints. From visual merchandising to brand messaging, Agar-Rea helped create a cohesive experience that reinforced the Relaxed Glamour ethos.
Her attention to how customers experienced the brand — whether online, in-store, or through marketing materials — ensured that every interaction felt aligned with the founders’ original vision.
The Essence of Mint Velvet: What Makes It Unique
A Brand Built on Real Women’s Needs
What distinguishes the brand from competitors is its foundation in genuine understanding rather than trend forecasting. The founders created collections based on their own experiences and the experiences of women around them — real needs, real lifestyles, real bodies.
This customer-centric approach resulted in clothing that solved practical problems while delivering style. Pieces were designed to flatter various body types, transition between occasions, and remain relevant season after season.
Design Ethos: Effortless and Flattering
The design philosophy centres on creating pieces that make getting dressed easier, not harder. Collections feature carefully considered proportions, strategic draping, and attention to how fabrics move and feel. The colour palette tends toward sophisticated neutrals punctuated with seasonal accent colours, allowing for easy mixing and coordination.
Every garment is developed with versatility in mind. A dress from the collection might work for the office with flats and a blazer, then transform for evening with heels and statement jewellery. This adaptability reflects the brand’s understanding of modern wardrobe requirements.
Beyond Fashion: A Lifestyle Brand
Over the years, the company has evolved beyond clothing to encompass a complete lifestyle aesthetic. The brand now offers accessories, shoes, and styling inspiration that help customers create cohesive looks and express personal style.
This expansion felt natural rather than forced because it stemmed from customer requests and the founders’ holistic vision of Relaxed Glamour as a lifestyle approach rather than merely a clothing line.
The Business of Mint Velvet
Headquarters and Growth
Operating from its headquarters in High Wycombe, England, the company has experienced steady growth since its founding. The brand has expanded its presence throughout the UK through both standalone stores and strategic partnerships with major retailers.
Customers can find collections through various channels, including the brand’s own boutiques and stockists like John Lewis. This multi-channel approach has broadened accessibility while maintaining brand integrity.
The Digital Experience
The online shopping experience reflects the brand’s commitment to customer service and ease. The website offers intuitive navigation, detailed product information, and styling suggestions that help customers make confident purchasing decisions.
The digital platform also facilitates convenient services such as easy returns, allowing customers to shop with confidence. This attention to the complete customer journey demonstrates the brand’s understanding that Relaxed Glamour extends beyond the garments themselves to encompass the entire shopping experience.
The Future: Global Ambitions
While firmly rooted in British fashion heritage, the brand has set sights on expanding its international presence. The founders recognised early on that the desire for Relaxed Glamour transcends geographic boundaries, and women worldwide share similar needs for versatile, quality fashion.
Strategic expansion focuses on maintaining the brand’s essence while adapting to new markets. This careful growth approach ensures that quality and customer experience remain paramount as the company enters new territories.
The Brand Philosophy: Fashion That Fits Real Life
Relaxed Glamour Defined
At its core, Relaxed Glamour represents a balance between polish and comfort, sophistication and ease. It’s fashion that doesn’t require constant adjustment or second-guessing. The philosophy acknowledges that modern women want to look put-together without spending hours in front of the mirror or feeling restricted by their clothing choices.
This approach manifests in thoughtful design details — strategically placed seams that flatter, fabrics that move naturally, and silhouettes that work for multiple occasions. The result is clothing that elevates confidence rather than demanding it.
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset
The emphasis on quality over quantity aligns with increasingly important sustainability values. By creating pieces designed to last multiple seasons rather than trend cycles, the brand encourages more mindful consumption.
Investment pieces from the collection are meant to become wardrobe staples that can be worn repeatedly and styled differently, reducing the need for constant purchasing. This approach benefits both customers and the environment.
Why Mint Velvet Has Become a Wardrobe Essential
The Appeal of Authenticity
In an era of influencer marketing and manufactured brand personas, authenticity stands out. The brand’s success stems from its genuine origins and consistent delivery on its promises. Customers trust the label because it has repeatedly demonstrated understanding of their needs and delivered quality solutions.
This trust translates into loyalty, with many customers returning season after season to refresh their wardrobes with new pieces that complement existing favourites.
Balancing Quality and Accessibility
While positioned as premium, the brand remains accessible to a broad customer base. The pricing reflects quality materials and construction without entering luxury tier territory. This positioning allows customers to invest in pieces that will last without requiring significant financial sacrifice.
The Mint Velvet sale events offer additional opportunities for customers to access the collections at reduced prices, making the brand even more approachable. These seasonal sales in the UK have become highly anticipated events for both loyal customers and newcomers to the brand.
The Customer Connection
The relationship between brand and customer extends beyond transactions. Through social media engagement, styling advice, and responsive customer service, the company maintains an ongoing dialogue with its community.
Customers feel heard and valued, which reinforces their connection to the brand. This relationship-building approach creates advocates who enthusiastically share their positive experiences with friends and family.
A Timeless Brand for Modern Women
The enduring appeal lies in the brand’s ability to evolve while staying true to its founding principles. Collections feel fresh and current without chasing every passing trend. This consistency provides reliability — customers know what to expect in terms of quality, fit, and style.
Whether shopping for Mint Velvet dresses for special occasions, seeking the perfect pair of Mint Velvet jeans for everyday wear, or investing in Mint Velvet jackets that will last for years, customers appreciate the dependable excellence across categories.
The range of Mint Velvet tops offers versatile options for building a capsule wardrobe, while Mint Velvet coats provide sophisticated outerwear solutions for British weather. From Mint Velvet boots that combine style with practicality to Mint Velvet bags that complete any outfit, the comprehensive product range addresses diverse wardrobe needs.
Shoppers searching for Mint Velvet near me can locate boutiques and stockists throughout the country, while those in specific regions like Mint Velvet Edinburgh can access local stores. For customers preferring online shopping, the Mint Velvet outlet offers additional savings on select items.
The collection includes everything from elegant Mint Velvet blouses for professional settings to cosy Mint Velvet jumpers for weekend comfort. Mint Velvet sweaters provide layering options, while Mint Velvet trousers offer polished alternatives to denim. For those seeking coordinated pieces, the Mint Velvet coatigan has become a signature item, blending the comfort of a cardigan with the structure of a coat.
Fashion enthusiasts eager to stay current can explore Mint Velvet new in arrivals, discovering the latest interpretations of Relaxed Glamour. Whether accessorising with Mint Velvet handbags or completing an outfit with carefully selected Mint Velvet shoes, customers can create cohesive looks that reflect personal style.
The availability of Mint Velvet discount code offers throughout the year makes luxury more accessible, while straightforward Mint Velvet returns policies ensure risk-free shopping. Multiple Mint Velvet stores across the UK provide opportunities to experience the collections in person, and Mint Velvet shops continue expanding to serve growing customer demand.
About Mint Velvet
Company Profile
Founded: 2009
Founders: Liz Houghton, Jane Rawlings, and Lisa Agar-Rea
Headquarters: High Wycombe, England
Industry: Fashion and Lifestyle
Specialty: Women’s Clothing and Accessories
Mission Statement
To empower women through fashion that combines comfort, quality, and style — creating pieces that make everyday dressing effortless and every woman feel confident in her own skin.
Conclusion: Mint Velvet and the Future of British Fashion
The journey from kitchen-table startup to established British fashion brand demonstrates what’s possible when founders remain committed to authentic values and genuine customer understanding. Liz Houghton, Jane Rawlings, and Lisa Agar-Rea created more than a clothing company — they established a movement toward more thoughtful, sustainable, and wearable fashion.
As the brand continues growing and evolving, its core philosophy of Relaxed Glamour remains unchanged. This consistency, combined with quality execution and genuine customer care, positions the company for continued success in an increasingly competitive market.
For women seeking fashion that respects their intelligence, budgets, and lifestyles, the brand offers a compelling alternative to both fast fashion and inaccessible luxury. It represents a middle path where quality, style, and practicality converge — exactly what its founders envisioned around that kitchen table over a decade ago.
The future of British fashion looks bright when brands like this demonstrate that commercial success and authentic values can coexist harmoniously. As new collections launch and the brand reaches new markets, the founding vision continues guiding every decision, ensuring that Relaxed Glamour remains more than a tagline — it’s a promise delivered with every piece.
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