A passion turned into business. Alanna is a friend and I have been lucky enough to work with her for a couple of years. Lazy Pheasant is a work of Art and passion. Each piece is meticulously imagined and created, mixing and smashing diverse inspirations, but all very personal, to make a unique brand that is appreciated as much at home than abroad. 

What was the motivation behind starting Lazy Pheasant?

I have always been a creative person, art was my favourite subject at school but never thought of pursuing it, as I didn’t think it would be a good career choice! The other subject I loved was geography and I decided to follow this with the aim of becoming a hydrogeologist or an engineer.

I worked within mining and environmental consultancy for over 12 years, then in 2013 when I was on my honeymoon in Paris, I started to think more of my creative interests and ideas – art, photography, the countryside and what I could do with this. I had recently undertaken an evening class in soft furnishings which allowed me to create my own designs using colourful tweeds.  This was the inspiration to start designing quirky home furnishings that I could develop into a business, and it really got me fired up!

It was another 5 years before I launched the business - the catalyst was having a young family and being able to have flexible working hours. Having a family changed my perspective on life and what is important. I also had a gut feeling that I had to pursue this or I would always regret not giving Lazy Pheasant a chance!

What is Lazy Pheasant about?

Lazy Pheasant brings together my creative ideas which are a mash-up of the traditional countryside style with an urban soul. I love the contrast between modern and old and bringing the traditional into the 21st Century.

Specifically, I love to use tweed fabrics. The quality is amazing, and they retain a traditional look and feel. Usually, I am drawn towards bright bold colours and mixing it with traditional tweeds to give contrast which reflects the Lazy Pheasant style.

We have a selection of cushions, lampshades, tweed caps, scarves, wool throws and purses. Our own designs are manufactured in Scotland, and we also source luxurious products from across the UK that are sold on our website – lazypheasant.com.  Our best-selling product is the rugby ball cushion, our exclusive design, makes it a truly unique and quirky product.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Being out in nature is where I get my inspiration and exploring new places. I love the west coast of Scotland, the castles and historic estates to the beaches and countryside – it’s hard not to be inspired! I also love the vibrancy of cities – especially Paris and New York – the old buildings contrasting with modern living gives off great energy and this is what I try to channel through Lazy Pheasant.

What were the key learnings since you started your own brand/business?

Working on your own can be really hard – its so important to surround yourself with positive people and those that have an understanding of business and what you’re trying to achieve.

It’s important to build a network of connections and reach out to people. Generally, opportunities come from knowing someone, and then building on these connections. It always surprises me how conversations with people lead to certain door openings you never expected.

You also need to be really committed and passionate about your business – this drives you to keep going in times when it gets difficult. I know if that feeling in my stomach goes and the buzz of excitement isn’t there then I need to change it up.

What are the main challenges?

Everything always takes longer than you think and I now try to be more realistic with my time frames. Sourcing fabrics and getting products manufactured takes time and trying to source these from within Scotland/ the UK also comes at a cost – but it’s worth it!

Learning to run a business from scratch was hard but I love a challenge. You do everything – designer, manufacturer, website engineer, marketing, accountancy, sales, photographer, buyer and chief decision maker! I was lucky to be involved in the West Coast Accelerator (part of the The Hunter Foundation) business programme at the start of my journey which helped to guide me in the early stages.

What are the most enjoyable aspects?

Working on Lazy Pheasant I genuinely get a buzz of excitement in the pit of my stomach.  I have so many ideas and when you start to put these into practice and see them come together it’s an amazing feeling.

When I look at what I have achieved in the last few years, I am proud of what I have accomplished. Seeing the products go from the design phase to getting manufactured and then onto our website. It’s fantastic to see the products get shipped across the UK and to places like the USA and Australia.

Is there any hot news to share?

We have lots of exiting things going on, with new products currently in the manufacturing stage which will be hitting the website in the next couple of months.

I am so excited to be launching ‘Little Lazy Pheasant’ later this summer which has been in the pipeline for a while. This will focus on offering children’s products in the style of Lazy Pheasant with an initial collection of colourful tweed caps and wool throws.

Photos courtesy of Lazy Pheasant