Frankie (No.3, 1992-97) left school to study Fashion at the London College of Fashion in 1997 where she subsequently worked in Advertising and then Marketing for organisations such as Thames Water, The Energy Saving Trust, Macmillan Cancer Research, and the Cabinet Office.  She is the lucky mother of 2 wonderful children, one of which has special needs and she is a spokesperson for the charity Autistica.

At the start of the first lockdown Frankie moved from London to Oxfordshire, in the search of a specialist school for her son. She enrolled on a soap making course and started making soaps in her kitchen. Before long she felt like she had found something that enabled her to work round the needs of her children, use her creativity and previous marketing expertise, and her business ‘By Frankie’ was born….

In a world which can often feel big and out of control, Frankie believes in seizing little moments and making them magical.  Ironically, and sadly, the timing was good, with handwashing at its highest. With a household plagued by chapped hands she set about making products to turn mundane moments (like washing your hands), into something lovely. All her soaps are handmade the traditional way using natural botanicals, oil infusions and essential oils to colour and scent the range. Frankie has used her knowledge on sustainability to create biodegradable wrappers and uses upcycled ribbon, kraft boxes and glass jars in the packaging.

It is now the end of the first year of her business, and her soap is stocked in 3 local shops and she supplies products to other online retailers as well as via her own website www.byfrankie.co.uk.

Frankie has also recently started developing a corporate side to the business, and makes ‘soap in the post’ as corporate gifts for customers, with plans afoot for miniature guest soaps for hotels and wedding favours.

Frankie says “it has been an adventure and making things is what I love to do. In many ways it takes me back to long happy days at Roedean spent in the art and textiles room with my friends. Friends who I remain close to this day and whom have been my biggest supporters both personally and professionally. And at least I will never run out of soap!”