10 QUESTIONS WITH JEROO DOODHMAL, FOUNDER & CEO AT PIP & HENRY
1.) Hi Jeroo - welcome to The Mayfair Musings! When did the Pip & Henry journey first begin?
We launched our capsule collection of shoes in Dec 2021. With four eye-catching designs, it offers parents a stylish, guilt-free alternative to mass-produced footwear, while also helping to educate the next generation to become part of the solution.
2.) Tell us a little about your background - have you always worked in the business of beautiful little shoes?
They say children are the catalysts for change. And my story is just that simple. I was working with large listed companies and brands, applying strategy, analytics and customer insights to solve real world problems and deliver innovative brand propositions to delight customers. My days were diverse, challenging and fun. And then my daughter arrived.
The sheer volume of ‘stuff’ that consequently entered our lives really bothered me. On the one hand I was showing her David Attenborough documentaries, wanting her to be inspired by nature and to treat our world kindly and thoughtfully. On the other, she was outgrowing clothing and footwear faster than I could have imagined…becoming an unwitting participant in the destruction of our environment.
Further research showed me that kids outgrow shoes every 3-4 months in the early years of their lives, with most ending up in landfill. That’s an estimated 60 MILLION PAIRS OF CHILDRENS SHOES IN LANDFILL EVERY YEAR in the UK alone. Most of these are made of harmful chemicals and toxins that leach into the ground and water for 1000s of years.
This is a sector begging for change. If I could help multinational companies build and launch successful products globally, really understand what made their customers tick, and drive their customer and brand strategy…I could do this too! And thus began my journey with Pip and Henry.
3.) What makes Pip & Henry special?
Every year British families buy 80 million pairs of shoes for their children, with 85% of these ending up in landfill. Pip and Henry seek to disrupt this cycle – we create beautiful, vibrant shoes for children that raise the bar on environmentally friendly components – including recycled material and plant-based fibres. We incentivise parents to recycle shoes effectively and also invest in content that helps children become more mindful about the environment.
4.) You're carefully considering people and the planet. What motivated you to create an environmentally conscious brand?
I wanted to create something that I could be proud of, and that would model for my daughter the values I cherish and hold dear. And so while Pip and Henry is a sustainable footwear brand - I want it to be so much more! I want it to be a brand that connects with young kids on a topic that is so vast and confronting, but which helps them feel empowered to drive change. And so our mission: 'Helping children take their first steps forward more mindfully' is something that I use as a guiding light in everything I do within the business.
5.) What recyclable materials are used to make Pip & Henry shoes and packaging?
Pip & Henry’s shoes are made from sustainable materials including organic cotton, recycled rubber soles and innovative fabrics like Pinatex - which looks and feels like leather but is actually made from the fibres of waste pineapple leaves. Future ranges could include recycled suede, chrome-free and vegetable-tanned leathers, and other fabrics such as jute, hemp and linen.
The brand’s shoeboxes all double as board games, encouraging children to use everyday household waste for arts and crafts. It’s a fun way to get kids used to the idea of reusing objects rather than throwing them away.
6.) How does your recycling program work?
Once a child has outgrown our shoes they can be sent back for recycling in return for a £10-off voucher for the next pair. We also accept shoes by other brands as part of our commitment to recycling. We’ve partnered with an organisation that then takes the shoes, shreds and compacts them, so they can be used again for things like playground pads and insulation.
7.) We love the storytelling nature of Pip & Henry. What messages are you trying to convey to children through your beautiful illustrated stories and games?
I have written a series of eco storybooks inspired by my daughter and her love of dinosaurs. Pip is a little girl and Henry is her dinosaur friend. They go off on adventures and learn about landfills, and about bees and bugs, and they organise a beach clean-up – things that teach them about the environment in a relatable way to capture their imaginations. Our ambition is to help children learn about the environment and feel empowered to drive change from a young age.
8.) What are you most proud of since starting your business?
Since launching we've had a lot of amazing feedback from our customers on our product and messaging. We did a showcase in Peter Jones John Lewis, where it was amazing to have little children try on our shoes and watch how excited they were about our designs. We're also pushing the agenda for sustainability further and have recently won a £250,000 grant from the Circular Future Fund launched by the John Lewis Partnership where we hope to create a unique expandable shoe for kids.
9.) What's next for Pip & Henry?
We're currently expanding our range to encompass sandals, boots and trainers - using materials like recycled polyester suede and natural rubber. Our ambition is to have launched a fuller collection by the end of the year.
10.) When you're not busy building your brand, where can you be found and what might you be doing?
I have a young child and a dog...and so you will often find me in the local park throwing a ball!
Please use the code MUSINGS10 for a 10% discount on Pip & Henry shoes!
