Princess Beatrice’s friend Alice Naylor-Leyland has been dubbed the ‘Martha Stewart of the Instagram age’ following her homeware brand’s success in the US.
In a new interview with The Telegraph, the designer, 39, reflected on the booming success of her business, Mrs Alice, which she launched in 2019.
The British-born socialite enjoyed remarkable success in her first year of business, generating £2 million in sales. This was further cemented by the brand’s expansion into America, which now accounts for 65 per cent of sales.
Customers aren’t just opting for single-item purchases either: Alice told the publication that average orders consist of a whopping nine products.
‘People want the whole look,’ she said, telling the publication that this was the statistic she’s most proud of.
She added that the aim of her brand is to ‘take the hassle out of hosting and give people all the pieces they need for their occasion’.
Alice launched her interiors and tablescaping brand alongside her mother, Serena Fresson, first releasing a kit she dubbed ‘tablescape in a box’, which included placemats, linens, table decorations and Christmas crackers with a Jolly Nutcracker or Winter Wonderland theme.
The concept proved highly lucrative, with the company taking £2million in its first year of trading.
Princess Beatrice’s (left) friend Alice Naylor-Leyland (right) has been dubbed the ‘Martha Stewart of the Instagram age’ after her homeware brand found success in the US. The two friends collaborated on the Baby Shower Collection (pictured) in aid of The Borne Charity
Since then, Alice has collaborated on collections with a number of high profile designers, including Marie Chantal of Greece, Poppy Delevingne, and Erin O’Connor.
Known for her glamorous, royal-like style, Alice has long contributed to Vogue and, Harper’s Bazaar alongside her work as an interior designer.
One of her latest collaborations was with machine washable rug company, Ruggable, and it features floral, bow and bamboo-print and is available for shipping worldwide.
She told the publication she plans to use one collection item, an Eloise pink bow, in her daughter Nancy’s bedroom at Stibbington, a Regency house in Cambridgeshire that is often used for brand photoshoots.
And earlier this year, Alice partnered with her friend Princess Beatrice, to create a tablescape collection in aid of Borne, a medical research charity with the mission to end premature birth.
Alice also discussed how she embraces her creativity in every facet of life, including in her wardrobe. She said: ‘Fashion can make women feel good and I’m very in favour of celebrating that. I certainly feel like my serotonin goes up when I love what I’m wearing, so I dislike the idea that we should all pack for holidays in these tiny cases. It’s like saying you shouldn’t have a starter.’
Alice shares four children with her husband, Tom Naylor-Leyland, who is heir to a baronetcy, and the £176million Fitzwilliam landowning fortune.
She first met Tom when she was just 16-years-old, at a party hosted by the British model, DJ, and socialite Lady Mary Charteris. Alice began dating him five years later when she was 21, and tied the knot three years later, when she was 24.
The British-born socialite launched her homeware brand, Mrs Alice, in 2019 and achieved remarkable success in its first year, generating £2 million in sales (pictured in 2024)
Known for her glamorous, princess-like style, Alice has long contributed to Vogue and, Harper’s Bazaar alongside her work as an interior designer (pictured in March)
Since then, Alice (left) has collaborated on collections with a number of high profile designers, including Marie Chantal of Greece , Poppy Delevingne (right) and Erin O’Connor
Tom is the eldest son of Baronet Sir Philip Naylor-Leyland, and is heir to the family’s £176million fortune and vast estates, including the 17th century Nantclwyd Hall in Denbighshire, Wales.
Originally built in 1622, Nantclwyd Hall was owned by the Thelwell family before the Naylor-Leylands purchased it in the mid-19th century, then extended it.
During the 1950s, Tom’s grandfather commissioned Welsh architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis to remove the extensions and add a new clock tower, garden pagodas, and a fibreglass temple.
It was decorated by interior designer John Fowler, known for work at Buckingham Palace.
For now, the Naylor-Leylands enjoy hosting friends at their Cambridgeshire home Stibbington House.
Alice, who was named as one of Tatler’s ‘society swans’ of 2018, regularly shares snaps of her glamorous life on Instagram.
And the socialite’s closet would make any fashionista green with envy, from Erdem to Gucci and couture accessories.
Alice’s step-sister is the model Bea Fresson, who has starred in a Dolce & Gabbana ad campaign alongside Lady Kitty Spencer.