BBC Journalist Turns Dressmaker in the Peak District

Written in November 2009.

A former BBC radio producer who set up a clothing company for children in the Peak District is launching her second collection this month.

Lissa Cook, 35, of Lower Lane, Chinley, High Peak, quit London after six years working for the BBC where she was senior producer on Radio Four’s World at One.

But in April this year she started designing and making dresses for young girls, creating the company Peak Princess. This month marks the launch of her second range, Peak Prince, which will cater for young boys.

She said: “It’s been a new start and it’s a lot less stressful. News is relentless and London life was mad!”

She and husband Nik, 38, a freelance writer, moved to High Peak in 2007. Lissa continued to work for radio stations in Manchester before she had the idea for Peak Princess.

She said: “When my last contract ended I took six months off. I’d never had a gap year or anything.

“I’d never stopped and it seemed like a good time.

“Then I just started running up some dresses!”

Despite her long career in the media, Lissa always had dressmaking in her blood. Her Mother, Wilhelmina Bradley, was a dressmaker in the 1960s and had designs featured in Vogue. Her Grandmother was also a milliner and her Grandfather a shoemaker.

Liberty in London provides the fabric for Lissa’s garments, and hers is the only children’s collection to use the patterns. Liberty said: “We love what Lissa is doing.

“Lissa makes all the clothes herself, so you know the design is truly exclusive, original and personal, not something that anyone could pick up on the high street.”

But when Lissa first created Peak Princess not everyone was convinced that a journalist could run a successful clothing business.

Lissa said: “At first my Mum was like ‘why did you go to university?’ But then she said ‘your grandmother would be ever so proud.’ She’s been so supportive.”

Nik, who specialises in health and adventure writing, said: “I think initially people thought ‘oh she’s just playing at it’. Then they saw the quality and realised she wasn’t.

“Now everyone takes it seriously.”

Peak Princess has become a family business, with Nik’s Dad, Phil Cook, a graphic designer, creating the logo, and Lissa’s sister, Emma Helm, a retail consultant, lending a hand at fashion fairs.

“It’s a real friends and family thing” said Lissa. “I had my god-daughter modelling for my first collection and I’m always ringing friends in the village for help.”

Since launching the company, her designs have featured on the front page of Liberty’s blog, which she sees as “a stamp of approval”, and she has gained some high profile clients, including Teresa Levitt, wife of High Peak MP Tom Levitt.

Lissa runs the business from her home in Chinley where she designs, makes and markets the garments. She said: “I don’t want to hire staff because the brand consists of me making them all, it’s a small niche market. I want to keep it like that.

“My dream is to become the next Cath Kidston. Laura Ashley started out on her kitchen table!”

Lissa loves the sense of community in High Peak and is the press officer for Chinley Community Association and reads news bulletins for High Peak Radio.