Nottingham designer and entrepreneur, Sara Christie talks about merging representation, authenticity, and empowerment with her family heritage

It’s not every day that you get to speak to someone that exudes such natural charisma and charm, while being authentically, unapologetically themselves. Yet, speaking to Sara Christie on one particularly chilly summer day, it was the perfect treat for the soul. Like her statement pieces, Sara is inspirational and empowering and it’s something she’s worked hard to channel through her work.

The Sara Christie story has been twenty years in the making, following a career in mainstream highstreet fashion that saw Sara designing for many top household names, including the likes of NEXT and Kookai. However in some ways, it’s been a story with roots that started much earlier in life when Sara was just a child.

Growing up with grandparents from the Windrush generation, she was always taught about the importance of showing up and looking your best, and Sara believes it’s this ethos that planted the seeds of her interest in self expression through clothing. “BYSARACHRISTIE is heavily influenced by my upbringing,” says Sara. “Dressing well was seen more as a sense of pride, rather than dressing in the latest looks and trends.”

“My Jamaican grandparents were of The Windrush Generation and so dressed with respectability and self-importance. I was always told to “Luk fi yuh bess an hole fi yuh head high’,” she continues. “When our forefathers and grandparents arrived, it was a very different landscape to what it is now. Pride, self importance and respectability were at the top of how they could present themselves and stand out, while holding their heads a little bit higher in the face of hostility and adversity. That was really instilled in me quite early.”

“For my mum, also being a British white woman married to a black gentleman, there was a lot of stigma, especially from her own parents, that alienated her from the family,” she explains. “So again, she wanted us to turn out with confidence and instilled in us a profound sense of pride in our appearance - a belief that how we present ourselves reflected our inner worth and strength.”

However, it wasn’t until lockdown and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement that Sara decided to spur into action. “The tragic death of George Floyd and the powerful momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement stirred a fire within me to be courageous and unapologetically bold,” she says. “I just remember being really emotional, but also feeling like there was a ball of fire in my gut. And I made the decision to stand up, be seen and represent myself, my community and my culture, and put my brand out there.”

“My brand isn't just about fashion; it's about representation, authenticity, and empowerment. I wanted to show up, to be seen, to be heard, and to stand for something greater than myself. And it’s this confidence that I want other women to feel when they step out too.”

BYSARACHRISTIE collections feature an array of bold and eye-catching bags, purses, earrings, necklaces and bracelets, which often feature the brand’s iconic chunky metal chains and details. Her creations have a distinct, simple aesthetic that exudes versatility, elegance and functionality, and lots of nods to classic styles, with a modern reimagining.

“The boldness of my jewellery is instantly powerful, creating a positive impact on the women that wear them. Styling with simplicity without having to reinvent the wheel time and time again is a key part of my brand.”

Each piece is designed to be timeless and seasonless, with low stock levels for less waste - something Sara was really passionate about after spending many years working behind the scenes for big brands over the years and seeing firsthand how damaging the fashion world had become.

“BYSARACHRISTIE is about investing in pieces that you are going to love and cherish, and wear for years to come. That, for me, is the best way to invest. It also builds into that idea of practising being sustainable which is really important to me. I always encourage people to buy less and to invest in better. My collections aren't new-in all the time. Instead, I’m all about keeping the collection really tight and purposeful.”

Serving as a reminder of the values of empowerment and strength that BYSARACHRISTIE pieces champion, considered thought has also been given to what each piece or collection is called too, with names such as ‘Mighty Rebel’, ‘The Boss’ and ‘The Queendom’. Meanwhile, other collections take their name from Sara’s close ties to family, with examples including ‘Warrior’, an homage to Sara’s mum, and ‘The Duchess’, a modern take on a pearl necklace, named in honour of Sara’s grandma Speedy, who was always seen sporting a pearl necklace of her own.

Explaining more, Sara says, “When we first launched, I made sure to think about the names given to each piece. It was all about bringing in that language to resonate with some of our customers. You’ve got ‘Grace’ which is all about having more grace, less fear and ‘Clutch Control’ which is about taking control of life, for example.”

She adds: “Then you also have The Waste Not, Want Not collection which was about making something from nothing, just as my grandparents would have done. They didn't just rebuy. So that's where that collection came from. It was about collecting all the leftovers from the made to order pieces and creating something special.”

Over the past few years since Sara first made the decision to launch BYSARACHRISTIE, her pieces have cultivated a huge following, attracting much interest from a range of global celebrities and high end buyers. Her career highlights include securing a spot at the iconic Bond Street Fenwick department store when the brand first launched before expanding to four other Fenwick stores across the UK.

What started off as a way to celebrate her story while encouraging others to be brave enough to live theirs, has now turned into a hugely successful independent Nottingham grown label with stockists across the UK. But for Sara, the core of the brand will always stand for empowerment, authenticity and family.

Check out Sara’s iconic pieces at bysarachristie.com.

@bysarachristie