How Brontë Clare went from Small Town Girl to Northern-based CEO & Editor-In-Chief

From the North to London and back to the North, Brontë built a magazine from the ground up outside of the London fashion fantasy.

More often than not we are told that to achieve our dream career in fashion we need to be in the fashion capitals in the likes of London or New York to so-called 'make it', but Brontë defied all odds at just 24 years old she is the Founder, CEO and Editor-In-Cheif of her own print publication, Femme Country Magazine. Building a luxury country, fashion and lifestyle publication and media brand from the ground up fostering a rural-to-city readership, she has hosted her own catwalk to shine a light on Nothern talent, worked with countless brands, but above all, she remains one of the kindest people I have ever had the pleasure of calling a friend. Oh, and did I mention all from the North in the little historic town of York?

From Yorkshire to London (& back to Yorkshire)

The countryside has been home to Brontë her entire life, growing up just outside of the rural city of York where you won't walk less than a mile out of the cosy city walls without heading into agricultural land. Encompassed in the landscape and lifestyle, it's no surprise Brontë is still a country girl through and through, and while the city of London never captured her heart, you can still find her there when exciting opportunities call (or a good restaurant for this foodie).

Driven to achieve her career goals from a young age, Brontë secured a place at her dream university at 18 years old to attend UAL's London College of Fashion. Sold the London fashion fantasy, she made the independent move to the capital. The sense of the daunting city never quite left Brontë's gut feeling, no matter how much she was thriving in her classes, the environment wasn't right for her. After consistently contemplating back and forth she knew the right choice was to return home to Yorkshire.

"When I made the conscious decision to leave the capital, it hit me that my life would no longer be in London as a fashion journalist, but it was important that I put my mental health and happiness first in exchange for a slight change in lifestyle."

Finding herself back home with endless boxes to unpack and a new life to discover, Brontë knew this was no time to sit back and let things fall into place, but a pivotal moment to take control of her own career. In a full circle moment, Brontë was home applying to university in York. That imperative moment of taking the leap to leave the UK's top fashion school felt like the most terrifying risk to put happiness first, yet little did 18-year-old Brontë know, the best thing to ever happen to her would be listening to her gut.

"It wasn’t until I was on the train back home from London that it hit me, ‘this could be the worst or best decision I’ve ever made'. From an early age, my school encouraged me that if you’re seeking to maintain a career in the media or fashion industry the only destination would be the capital."

We are all often told to achieve or even pursue our dreams in the fashion industry, your chances are limited if you're not in London. But what happens when this so-called 'dream' lifestyle doesn't bring us happiness? Why does one city account to success?

"Since moving away from the city, I’ve come to the conclusion that you don’t need to be down South to succeed or achieve a position within the fashion industry… or any industry for that matter!"

While her location changed, Brontë's drive or commitment to her career never did, "If your passion is at the forefront of everything you do, it really doesn’t matter where your location is - you can achieve anything!"

Heading into study Media Journalism at her local university in York Brontë built her industry connections and experience from the ground up, even landing her internships at Hearst UK returning back to London for a week's irreplaceable experience, "After a few months of back and forth liaising with a lovely woman called Sarah from Hearst, I had my keycode and lanyard in hand making my way through the electronic gates of Hearst Publications in Leicester Square." Yet now 4 years on from Brontë's irreplaceable internship working with Country Living and House Beautiful, remote experience is upon us!

"I can honestly say if you’re contemplating a work placement, internship or career experience, don’t think just do it!"

Founding Femme Country Magazine

With panic setting in when Brontë initially left the London limelight, doubts and worries were consuming her thoughts. Considering the fact she might not even be able to walk into her local university and may have to wait a year, she reverted back to her beloved Sixth Form magazine project, " I developed the name, designed new branding and made it a portfolio project which would give me a little head start just in case a university place was beyond reach".

With the appetite to continue to develop this passion she couldn't ignore, Brontë built the first issue of Femme Country Magazine alongside her first year at York St Johns after securing an immediate place upon her Yorkshire return, releasing the issue that changed everything in January 2019.

"The magazine filled a gap in the market when I noticed the major shortage of both established and small business country brands in printed content."

Continuing what began as portfolio development, it was a passion Brontë couldn't ignore, "At the time, social media was the only platform that showcased these significant brands of the rural fashion and lifestyle landscape, but even the likes of Instagram couldn’t advocate the stories of these developing names in the detail that they so rightly deserved." She was fixated on the lack of female representation and celebration surrounding the sectors of the countryside industry and used her drive, journalistic skills and editorial knowledge to make an impact.

"From farmers to agronomists to surveyors, the press world naturally seemed to observe this sector from a male perspective often without regard to the women in the same roles. Change needed to occur, and I made sure that I was the catalyst of this with ‘Femme Magazine.’ "

From the magazine's initial launch, Brontë's life has never been the same. Projecting her career and abilities to new heights without the London atmosphere and industry promises. Brontë did it all on her own building her own passion project into her career to make an impact in the love of her hometown. Fast forward five years, she is 24 thriving in her own business surrounded by inspiring and supportive individuals all while being up North. Just because London isn't for you, doesn't mean it's the end for you or your career.

"Of course, many things have changed and developed along the way, but looking back at my journey so far, there’s no difference there! Now entitled, ‘Femme Country Magazine’ the publication expands beyond the content inside our pages, running as both a media and events brand."

Who is Femme Country Magazine?

Now, Femme Country Magazine is a direct destination for quintessential country content with a contemporary curve. Published quarterly throughout the year, each issue is released pre-season, allowing their readers to remain five steps ahead within the fast-changing landscape.

"We aim to advocate women in the sector, giving them a platform through which they can voice their business stories, personal ventures, paramount perspectives, sublime style and aspiring advice. From farmers to founders to fashion designers, we concentrate on showcasing poignant stories and cutting-edge brands driving to create a powerful writer-to-reader relationship."

From the publication’s cover photography to its feature contents, each issue is designed with the visual vocabulary of female succession, allowing the Femme Country reader to contemplate, create and conquer.  Brontë explains, "We preserve the ethos that when reading our magazines each reader feels just as confident as the female faces staring back them, who are striving to make their own footprint on the world."

The Pinch-Me Moments

Now contributing to York Fashion Week to put the Nothern scene on the map, Brontë will never forget her catwalk debut in 2022 at the Femme Magazine Country Show. "Not only did our fashion show put rural style on the map, but it ignited a sense of realism into the industry which often we can miss. I received endless feedback from guests and brands about the impact the fashion show had on their collections and confidence as individuals."

Overall Femme Country Magazine remains a timeless capsule in print, with readers still buying copies from years back to keeping them as collectables within their home. The loyal readership is what Brontë truly holds close to her heart.

" I’ve seen our covers as framed posters, coffee table ornaments and an alternative for a handbag! Whilst we work hand-in-hand with digital as a business, we want to keep the power of print alive and with the art of fashion and shopping the magazine is a necessity for this."

The Role of an Editor-In-Chief & Navigating a Career & Business Up North

Whilst Femme Country is a renowned publication and media brand, it remains still very much a small business expanding day by day. Which leaves Brontë often finding herself diving into an array of roles, from delegating new stories to her writers, and overseeing the financial side of the business to getting creative as a head stylist for an upcoming cover shoot. "It sounds chaotic, and believe me at times it really is, but I wouldn’t want it any other way!" Expanding out of the responsibilities of a stereotypical EIC, she loves working closely with her team and staying in touch with each department, something she will never lose no matter how big Femme gets.

Starting a career and business up North, networking has been Brontë's holy grail to get her name and publication out there. Navigating her career back in Yorkshire was a challenge, but "whilst it may be difficult to find a path, this doesn’t mean that they don’t exist - often it’s just finding your starting point or making your own, like I did."

"Also don’t be afraid to still reach out to the many opportunities London and the South have to offer! With hybrid working becoming a preferred option within many fashion businesses, this opens up your map to who you want to work for. "

It is undeniable the stigma that surrounds London being the home of the fashion industry in the UK, but more and more a shift is occurring with Northern talent without the means or even desire to live the London life.

"It brings me such delight and achievement to put fashion on a map where many might not associate it."

What's next for Femme Country Magazine?

Brontë is continuing to bring Femme Country Magazine IRL, with events contributing greatly to their success over the past two years bringing the readership closer to the magazine to build a community from fashion shows to social evenings and new surprises arising for 2024.

"They have shown that Femme Country stretches much further than pages and print"

The key passion of making Femme Country a destination for women to voice their stories remains Femme Country Magzine's ethos to delve into new styles and meet like-minded individuals in the rural industry. While it's so hard for Brontë to keep all the exciting upcoming innovations under wraps, there are some extraordinary front cover names lined up for 2024.

PS: Watch their digital space for an app!

Small Town Girl Advice

As a young woman growing up in Yorkshire, Brontë believes it is imperative to give back to the talent surrounding her, the fashion industry is all about getting your foot in the door and there is simply no right or wrong time, so NETWORK, NETWORK & NETWORK! She can guarantee you will even find thriving local fashion businesses near you, that you never even knew existed which are just as important as the bigger companies.

"You just need to have faith in yourself and push through. Once your foot has wedged that door open the world is your oyster."

"You really don’t need to travel far to find the beauty around you.  You don’t need to be in a certain place to thrive or be successful. No matter where you source your material from or who you network with you can achieve any role you want in the fashion industry through determination, strength and some shoulder rubbing! "

Finally, Brontë offers insightful advice of finding your niche locally, "I think there is a huge stigma about women needing to be in big cities to succeed or breakthrough in an industry and it’s simply not the case." Femme Country Magazine drew on stories of her local area that Brontë's passion pushed further afield with a goal to bridge the city-to-country gap.

Follow Brontë and Femme Country Magzine on Instagram and check out their latest issue...