About us
Slow Coach Studio began with a shared conviction that the way we do business matters just as much as what we produce.
Founded by Leigh and Nicci, the studio grew out of a long-standing friendship and a shared history inside the fashion industry. The two met in 2013, when Leigh interviewed Nicci for a buying role at a major high-street brand. What followed was a quick recognition of shared values: a critical eye, a respect for craft and quality, and a growing discomfort with the speed, scale and short-termism shaping modern retail.
Both have since stepped away from their fast-fashion roots to pursue work that prioritises thoughtfulness, responsibility and long-term value. While their love of clothing remains, their focus has shifted towards creating a different kind of impact, one that considers people, process and product in equal measure.
Today, Leigh works closely with micro to medium-sized businesses, consulting on how to build more sustainable and resilient ways of operating. Her work spans ESG strategy, product and range refinement, streamlining processes and ways of working, and developing ethics-led marketing that is both effective and credible. She is also the founder of The Re:Directory, a platform advocating for small, values-driven businesses while engaging audiences in a more honest conversation about the realities of the global fashion industry, with the aim of encouraging slower consumption, better buying and more conscious use of influence and spending power.
Nicci left her buying career to pursue Second Stories full-time, a business she had already founded alongside her role. What began as a curated vintage platform has since evolved into a slow fashion brand producing low-batch and made-to-order collections. Her work centres on using deadstock or premium, responsibly sourced materials, with a strong emphasis on UK and European manufacturing wherever possible. Passionate about preserving industry skills and supporting local economies, Nicci balances principled production with transparency and pragmatism in how clothes are made and sold today.
Together, Leigh and Nicci bring a rare combination of commercial rigour, creative sensibility and ethical clarity. Slow Coach Studio exists to support brands in slowing down, refining what truly matters, and building businesses designed to last, culturally commercially and responsibly.
Slow Coach Studio is for small, independent businesses who want to grow with intention, and without losing sight of their values. For founders asking better questions about brand, product, scale, financial sustainability and long-term viability, and who are looking for guidance grounded in real, current industry experience rather than theory or trend.
Our work spans the full business picture, from brand positioning and product strategy through to production, pricing, marketing, systems and financial models. Whether through our in-depth course or one-to-one advisory and coaching, we work in close partnership with founders who care deeply about what they make and how they make it. We work with people who value honest perspective and clarity gained from having been inside the system and choosing to do things differently