GSC Alumni: Hattie Tennant

For our second installment of GSC Alumni, we caught up with Hattie Tennant. Hattie used to be an account manager at GSC almost 10 years ago, and has since founded Fruity Booty Underwear. Here is our interview with her:

How have been over the past 9 months? How did you feel going into lockdown 2.0?

I think like the rest of the world it has been a crazy and confusing 9 months. Minna and I feel very grateful that Fruity Booty has survived the year. We think about the other amazing small businesses out there that are struggling through the pandemic and are just happy to still be creating. It’s been tough, but super interesting and exciting for Fruity Booty.

What has been the most memorable moment in your career?

The first tradeshow we went to was pretty memorable. It was terrifying and Min and I spent most of it hiding in the cafe. It’s nice to think how far we’ve come since then. We were extremely lucky that the beautiful Kendall Jenner wore one of our favourite sets earlier in the year. We donated 100% of the profits to two BLM charities. This was an extremely proud and probably the most memorable moment for us.

What is your favourite memory with GSC?

My favourite memories would have to be some of the Christmas parties and offsite days with the whole team which were so much fun.

What inspired you to start Fruity Booty? Was it always your goal to start your own business?

It wasn’t always a goal of mine to start a business. I had never really considered it until I started to become super frustrated by the lingerie options that were offered to women. I felt exasperated that women seemed to have to pick one category – comfy and practical or super sexy and impractical or sustainable and unattractive. Minna and I started Fruity Booty because we wanted to redefine what was considered sexy in the lingerie space. We decided to create our own label to focus on celebrating the individuality of women and to produce a more creative, conscious and approachable underwear shopping experience.

What book or TV show are you recommending at the moment?

I have just finished the Undoing which I got obsessed with. I couldn’t recommend it more. I am reading The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle which I would recommend to people if they like non-fiction.

What positive changes are you hoping to see in the world after the pandemic?

I am hoping to see a lot more respect for the planet and each other. It’s given us an appreciation for what we have, and we’ve already noticed a rise in conscious consumers.

What is the best advice you have been given in your personal and professional life?

Everything happens for a reason.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t overthink it.

What are you doing for a more sustainable lifestyle?

Fruity Booty has just signed up to MinimumEco who track and offset the day to day emissions of our team. I have also reduced my meat intake and am committed to shopping sustainably where possible.

What was the most valuable lesson you have learned at GSC?

The most valuable lesson I learned would have to be how to email press and how to speak to them on the phone.

Take a look at Fruity booty here: