Hi Natasha, as you know, I’m a huge fan of the brand, a total convert, and I love how £5 of the sale goes to ‘Women for Women International’ charity  when the buyer posts a photo of them wearing them on social media and that your Jeaks are produced in a woman owned factory in Portugal so talk us through…

The evolution of the brand…how did it all come about?

It all started with my challenge of trying to find an outfit to travel in. I love jeans and live in them but don’t find them comfortable enough to travel in and although I love the comfort of a tracksuit…I wouldn’t wear one to go through an airport & arrive at my holiday destination! So I wanted to design a pair of jeans that were both comfortable and cool as I wanted the look of jeans but the comfort of a tracksuit. I also wanted to do something new with denim that hasn’t really changed much for years.

Being petite myself, I had always wanted to be slightly taller and have slightly slimmer legs so I set out to design jeans that visually slim and lengthen the legs AND make your bum look great! They feature a stretch panel around the inner leg seam which can be printed or plain eradicating any uncomfortable hard seams for the wearer.  It has taken two years to bring to market as after many months of sampling fabrics to work with denim (very tricky) we had to develop this technical fabric. At the moment, the panels come in leopard print, tie dye and plain navy blue with more designs in the pipeline! We are excited to be collaborating with artist and designer Gary McQueen (nephew of the late Alexander McQueen) and launch the new collection in Dubai in March ‘20.

What does a typical day in the life of Natasha look like?

I always start the day with positive affirmations and a bit of exercise or yoga. I think when you’re trying to build a business and you have a family, it’s important to ‘programme’ yourself for a positive mindset each day. Then it’s getting the girls up, breakfast eaten & packed lunch done and the school run. After I have my breakfast and a second cup of coffee, I start my workday. It varies as I might be having meetings with stylists or our stockists, or going to an event in town but when working from my home office, it’s a mixture of emails, social media, phone calls, creating content and looking for new opportunities for promoting Jeaks™ to the world!

Who is your typical customer?

I think our customer is thirty-ish to forty-ish…is confident, a bit sassy, has a sense of fun and is ultimately stylish. She looks for great quality and fit in her clothes and has a conscience in terms of how she buys in this day and age.

And the inspiration behind the name?

Jeaks™ combine the look of jeans with the comfort of a tracksuit. We took the JEA from Jeans and the KS from TRACKSUIT to create JEAKS™, a new category in denim.

Who is your style icon?

That’s so tough! I couldn’t possibly pick one! My top three 70’s icons would be:

• Bianca Jagger, Ali Mc Graw and Jane Birkin.
• And now..Kate Moss, Rihanna and Blake Lively

Do you have a favourite style?

I love both Slim Cut and Kick Flare styles but for my fave has to be the Kick Flare!

You offer to refund hem alterations which is music to my ears as a petite woman but you also have plans to increase your sizing too?

Yes, being a startup and with six styles across 6 sizes..we had to start somewhere but will be increasing our sizing. We wanted both tall women and petite women to be able to wear Jeaks™ By having the longer 34” inside leg length that means taller women can wear them and offering a refund for hem alterations, petite women like ourselves have an incentive to buy them and not have the added cost of alterations!

You are very inspired by the 70’s like me, is this your favourite era?

Totally! I’ve loved the 70s since I can remember…I love the glamour, the glitz, the shapes that seem to flatter so many women..made so desirable by the fashion icons that dazzled in that era. Our aim is to offer that vibe but redesigned to be relevant now with beautiful fabrics, new cuts!

At £159 these Jeaks are an investment buy but I believe women should invest in denim more so than any other product as cost per wear they won’t cost a penny by the time you’ve worn and worn them. Is sustainability a big part of your brand too?

I agree-denim is a staple in everyone’s lives and I believe that by investing in a great pair that are extremely flattering but also comfortable, you will wear them not just for a season but for years to come. We source our fabrics and manufacturing in Portugal to minimise the environmental impact and where law ensures a fair wage and safe conditions to work in. We visited many factories and finally found a woman owned one where there was a really happy environment. Our ethos is ‘Women Supporting Women’ so it was a great fit. We aim to slow down fashion, using premium denim and manufacturing with quality. We use G.O.T.S. washes that have the water saving systems and non-harmful finishes. We are committed to developing an on-going socially responsible business we can feel good about and that our customers can trust. We also use only recycled or recyclable packaging, re-usable cotton shoppers & bio-degradable bags. In addition to the £5, we donate 2.5% of our profits to ‘Women for Women International’.

Where can we shop your range?

Showcase, 12 Regent St, London SW1Y 4PE

The Wardrobe Edit, 21 Finch Lane, Bushey WD23 3AH (By Appointment only).