Inspirational Woman: Britt Lintner

Britt Lintner, armed with a degree in Economics from the University of Wisconsin, has held executive roles in finance for the last 15 years, predominantly at Lehman Brothers in New York and London and currently as a Principal in the Asset Allocation Group at Man/GLG in London.

In 2005, Britt completed an MA in Fine and Decorative Arts at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art before studying fashion at the Istituto Marangoni, London. The following year she launched her own label, Britt Lintner Ltd, for professional, style-conscious women. In July 2006, ‘Management Today’ voted Britt Lintner one of ’35 Women Under 35 – Meet UK plc’s Female Leaders-in-Waiting’.  In July 2007, she opened a showroom and atelier in Holland Park. 2009 commenced with Sarah Brown choosing to wear her designs to the White House and to the G20 in London to meet the Obamas; and in June, the Walpole Association, the trade body that represents the British luxury industry, elected Britt Lintner as one of their ‘Brands of Tomorrow’.  Her alma mater honored Britt with the ‘Forward Under 40’ award in 2010 for graduates under age 40 who are making an impact on the world.

With two young sons in tow, Britt’s collections continue to draw on a range of influences inspired by the personal and professional roles she inhabits.

We managed to squeeze in some questions when we met Britt.  Britt was not only candid in her responses she also made us laugh in her expressive answers;

What inspired you to design your break in to the world of fashion?

My first true love was fashion so I guess breaking into the industry was inevitable, I can’t remember a time not being completely absorbed by clothing & accessories.  I practically have OCD when it comes to my closet & am always tempted to buy myself horse blinders when I walk around Mayfair between GLG meetings to keep from looking in the shop windows; not stepping into at least one for a few minutes to feel inspired is a great feat in my day.

It took working in finance to start the business (both for the idea & for the financing of it).  I simply was tired of wearing masculine looking suits & felt women’s closets were polarized between their casual wear & their professional attire.  There is a wide gap between the two so my mission since I began has been to create pieces that abide by the rules but that are still fashionable & respectably sexy.  You can totally cover up & still look like a fox if you follow a few key dressing ingredients (tailoring, fabrics, colours, no cleavage/knee hem length).

Life it too tough, the last thing you need to be doing is beating yourself up!

Tell us what Britt is passionate about outside of Couture & Corporate Finance?

Hmmm, there are always the obvious answers like family/friend, food, philanthropy & nature/sports.

Specifically?  Music.  I’d absolutely love to do something in the music business.  I haven’t quite figured out what yet but if I have enough years & money left in my life (doubtful!), that would definitely be my next chapter.  I went to the Dallas Symphony with my parents over New Years & I thought how cool would it be to create an orchestra with hundreds of instruments & about 3 huge organs in the background?!?  Powerful stuff…

In general, I find it’s very important to envision your ‘nirvana’ life.  The exercise is like writing yourself a personal business plan, even if you don’t stick to it, at least you have something to defer to, plus, it’s so fun to dream (I’m a huge dreamer, must be the American optimist in me)…

Did you ever doubt your ability to be successful, and if so how did you overcome those doubts?

Not really.  Of course I have days where I feel like the only thing I’m capable of is washing windows but that’s usually down to being tired.  Like yesterday, I was in a god awful mood & literally just had a chat with myself & said ‘stop it, you are just tired’.  Life it too tough, the last thing you need to be doing is beating yourself up!  We get enough of it from parents, teachers, bosses, husbands, boyfriends/girlfriends & kids over the years…

I also try to change gears when I’m feeling insecure by doing & thinking about things that make me feel good to put me in a better mental space; just like changing the radio station when you don’t like the song (excuse the music metaphor).

…if you don’t like the position you are in, a ‘no’ is as good as a ‘yes’ so force a change

What advice would you give to those who intend to start a business alongside their day job?

1.  Tell your boss/company immediately.  People respect honesty.

2.  Pre-filter your passions versus your business model.  It needs to be viable.

3.  Watch your cash flow (see point 2) on a weekly business, most start-ups ‘eat cash for breakfast’ as Johanna my Chairman always says.

4.  If you can afford it, create an A-Team around you that you can trust (with special thanks to Johanna, Catharine, Suzanne, Cat & Monica).

In terms of your corporate career, what challenges have you faced as a Woman?

None!  Am I being boring at this point?  I’ve always felt that I have equality in the workplace as I’ve never worried or thought about it, I just get on with it.  And if you don’t like the position you are in, a ‘no’ is as good as a ‘yes’ so force a change if you are not happy & stop talking about the glass ceiling!

I would say however that once children come, your time is no longer your own with all the added responsibilities of motherhood therefore take all the risks you can beforehand & if/when they arrive, embrace the challenge as that’s what we were born to do.

Please tell us what you consider to be your greatest achievement (either Corporate or creating Britt Lintner)?

I don’t feel I’ve hit a greatest professional achievement yet, stay tuned…

What golden piece of advice would you give to other women?

Rejoice in you & your femininity.

Take a look at Britt’s SS11 collection – Femme Fatale here

In 2005, Britt completed an MA in Fine and Decorative Arts at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art before studying fashion at the Istituto Marangoni, London. The following year she launched her own label, Britt Lintner Ltd, for professional, style-conscious women. In July 2006, ‘Management Today’ voted Britt Lintner one of ’35 Women Under 35 – Meet UK plc’s Female Leaders-in-Waiting’.  In July 2007, she opened a showroom and atelier in Holland Park. 2009 commenced with Sarah Brown choosing to wear her designs to the White House and to the G20 in London to meet the Obamas; and in June, the Walpole Association, the trade body that represents the British luxury industry, elected Britt Lintner as one of their ‘Brands of Tomorrow’.  Her alma mater honored Britt with the ‘Forward Under 40’ award in 2010 for graduates under age 40 who are making an impact on the world.

With two young sons in tow, Britt’s collections continue to draw on a range of influences inspired by the personal and professional roles she inhabits.