Since launching womenswear brand Pomodoro in the early 1990s, husband-and-wife team Noreen and Hemant Puri have steered the brand to success while staying true to their original vision. Here they reveal why putting people at the heart of the brand is their biggest achievement…
What’s the reaction been since you announced your retirement?
We’ve been overwhelmed by the warmth, kindness and support shown by our customers, agents and suppliers. What has touched us most is hearing from people who have been part of the Pomodoro story for decades – some retailers have stocked the brand since the very beginning, and many agents and customers have become lifelong friends. While there’s naturally a sense of sadness that this chapter is coming to an end, we feel enormously grateful.
What are you most proud of?
The relationships we’ve built. Knowing that we’ve played a small part in the lives of so many retailers, colleagues and women over the years is something we’ll cherish long after the final collection has been delivered.
How has the industry changed since your first collection?
Retail was much more relationship-driven and local back then. Buyers often had greater autonomy, stores tended to have a stronger individual identity, and business was conducted at a gentler pace. The best retailers today have embraced technology while retaining the personal service, expertise and sense of community that makes them special.
What role have indie retailers played in Pomodoro’s success?
We wouldn’t be where we are today without their support. When we started the business, indies trusted our vision, invested in our collections and helped introduce Pomodoro to their customers. Their feedback, insight and encouragement have helped shape our collections.
What’s your favourite memory from the past 35 years?
Building Pomodoro together as husband and wife. Sharing the highs and lows, overcoming challenges, celebrating successes and turning a vision into reality has been an extraordinary experience.
What key lessons have you learned?
Trends come and go, markets rise and fall, but trust, integrity and loyalty are what sustain a business over the long term.
How would you describe the evolution of Pomodoro over the years?
We’ve moved from simple co-ordinated collections to carefully curated ranges with richer colour palettes, exclusive prints and more considered styling. As the business grew, so did our confidence and ambition. We began exploring new sourcing destinations around the world, bringing new ideas and fresh creativity to the brand. This allowed us to evolve beyond our original collections, while remaining true to the colourful, feminine handwriting that has always defined Pomodoro.
What can buyers expect from the SS27 collection?
It’s a celebration of everything Pomodoro stands for, bringing together vibrant colour, beautiful prints, feminine dresses and effortless silhouettes. We are finishing on a high.
What do you think you’ll miss most about Pomodoro?
The people and the excitement and anticipation that comes with creating each new collection. There’s something very special about taking an idea from a sketch and watching it evolve into a collection.
What won’t you miss?
The sleepless nights that come with running a business! The industry has become increasingly fast-paced, and there’s always another collection to design, deadline to meet and challenge to solve. It will be nice to step away from the relentless calendar that fashion demands and not be thinking six months, or even a year, ahead all the time.
Is there anything you would have done differently?
We’d probably embrace digital technology much earlier. We might also have spent a little more time celebrating milestones along the way and remind our younger selves to enjoy the journey a little more and worry a little less. But we have no regrets. We feel incredibly fortunate to have spent 35 years doing something we loved, alongside people we admired and respected. If we had the chance to do it all over again, we absolutely would.
How would you like Pomodoro to be remembered by the industry?
Hopefully not just for the collections, but for the way we conducted business. We have always believed that success comes from treating people well. We never set out to be the biggest; we simply wanted to create a brand that people respected, trusted and enjoyed working with.
What are you most looking forward to in retirement?
Time to slow down a little, spend more time with family and friends, and enjoy the freedom to make plans. We’re excited about travelling more, discovering new places and revisiting some of our favourite destinations at a more leisurely pace. While we’re saying goodbye to the business, we’re very much looking forward to what comes next.