Catherine Isabel Audrey KidstonMBE (born 6 November 1958)[1] is an English fashion designer, businesswoman and author whose company, Cath Kidston Limited sells home furnishings and related goods online, through franchises and by mail order.[2] She is particularly known for her nostalgic floral patterns.[2]
Family background and early life
Kidston's paternal grandparents were Glen Kidston, a successful racing driver for Bentley in the 1920s,[3] and Nancy Soames. Nancy is also Samantha Cameron's paternal grandmother, making them half first cousins.[4]
Kidston opened her first shop in London's Holland Park in 1993,[2] selling hand-embroidered tea-towels.[7] By the end of 2013, she had 136 outlets, including a flagship store on Piccadilly next to Fortnum & Mason and four stores in China.[8] Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs programme, Kidston described her shops as provoking a 'Marmite reaction': "People either love it and want a little bit of it very much, or want to stab us."[3] In 2010, she sold a majority stake of the company to private equity investors TA Associates,[9] retaining a minority stake and remaining the company's Creative Director.[9]