Editor's Letter
Merriam Webster defines a partner firstly as ‘a person with whom one shares an intimate relationship; one member of a couple’ and ‘secondly as a member of a partnership especially in a business.’ As individuals, and especially in this day and age, when we hear the word partner, depending on your own upbringing and exposure, your mind would instantly either associate it with the first definition or with the latter.
When you get married, I believe the vows are along the lines of ‘two becoming one,’ right? Well it wasn’t placed there as a filler and it certainly isn’t a foreign concept for (successful) business partners either. Partnerships tend not to work when the overall vision is divided; whether we’re speaking about a relationship (platonic or otherwise), marriage or business. So the concept of having one mind or becoming one in mind became much more than something you would say on that ‘big day’. It became a lifestyle. In the new age of partnerships, many have understood that you are able to achieve much more, when unified.
The first ever (business) partnership reportedly dates back to 1383, by Francesco di Marco Datini, a merchant and businessman of Prato and Florence. He was considered the city’s richest citizen - wealth which he had acquired through his multiple businesses which supplied luxury goods and art. He would typically form partnerships with two or three trusted friends and set in place contracts that were renewable after a 2 or 3 year period provided the business had been successful.
So what did companies like Hewlett-Packard, Ben and Jerry’s, McDonald’s, Google and Apple all have in common? They were all formed through powerful partnerships. Everyday we use services from some of the biggest collaborations in the world. In 2006, almost 15 years ago, Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone, Noah Glass and Evan Williams understood that great things came from unified minds and created Twitter. In 2009, Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp came together and formed a service that reformed everything we once knew about private hire car services with Uber. The duo later also revolutionised food delivery services when they introduced Uber Eats in 2014. Greg Orlowski and Will Shu’s takeaway delivery platform Deliveroo arrived just one year prior. Tech whiz Orlowski also co-founded the social networking app Peanut, with Michelle Kennedy in 2016.
It is almost as though the technology industry, which builds future products, was the master of relationships. I don’t think there is a tomorrow without partnerships. I could have chosen to save this issue for Valentine’s Day when retailers and advertisers normally push all things red and celebrate love and unity for one day, but I think this conversation is much bigger than February 14th.
And with that, I’m elated to introduce this month’s issue where we will be discussing partnerships in every capacity, from business moguls to celebrities, and even presidents, their wives, and families. Our cover girls Lauren Conrad and Hannah Skvarla (page 43), are the co-founders of The Little Market, an explosive partnership which has created over one-million hours of work for communities of disadvantaged women across the globe. Former Prime Minister of Belize Dean Oliver Barrow and the former First Lady of Belize, Kim Simplis Barrow also grace the April/May cover, as the nation's first black Prime Minister and First Lady. Mr Barrow served three terms over a solid 13-year period, and Kim played a pivotal support role, where she led from behind the scenes and advised her husband, former Prime Minister Dean Oliver Barrow during his tenure (page 44). In her first interview since having baby number 3, cover girl Vania Leles; founder of the globe’s first female founded, African fine jewellery house VANLELES and previously named finalist in Veuve Cliquot’s 2020 Bold Woman Awards, talks family and breaking into the industry (page 42).
We haven’t held anything back in this issue. We’ve addressed everything from willingly opting for having separate bedrooms and why this doesn’t mean that your marriage is in trouble (page 71), to owning a business with your partner and why understanding your role is important. I had two successful business women; Jules Sheridan & Lily Liebel, who are dear friends of mine and the magazine, tell me all about what it’s like to be in business with their husbands (page 51 and 53).
Finally, as the second phase of the lockdown eased up on May 17th in London, meaning we could now be seated inside venues, hotels could finally reopen and event capacity had increased, we are saying welcome back to the wedding industry! To help you, we have curated all the key information (page 13), that you need to know if you’re becoming a bride in 2021, with the help of cover girls Oda Olafsrud, the interior architect who will get all the newlyweds house ready (page 68); Abigail Sowemimo, founder of Kadara jewels (page 59), the demi-fine jewellery brand, for that ‘something new’ and Heather McDowall, founder of beauty brand Niche Brow Co who will ensure that you are brow ready for the big day (page 29).
Happy reading!
Love Phadria x