The White Company, For the Love of White

"Chrissie Rucker OBE, started The White Company in 1994, when, unable to find well-designed, beautiful-quality white bed linens, that were also affordable, she decided to invest her £6,000 savings to produce them. The first The White Company collection offered a small range of essentials for the home that included everything from high-quality bed linen, bedspreads, pillows and duvets to luxury towels, bathrobes, china and table linen - all in simple, classic white. Today, what began life as a small 12-page mail-order brochure has become one of the UK's fastest-growing multi-channel retailers and a trusted British lifestyle brand. The range has grown enormously and now also offers home accessories, fragrance, furniture, clothing, nightwear and children's wear. Throughout, The White Company has adhered to its core values, championed by Chrissie: a passion for white, great design and fantastic quality that is still affordable. 'We are obsessive about the details, and believe that beautiful things should be loved and used every day,' says Chrissie. When Chrissie started The White Company, she did every job herself: answering the phone, packing boxes, running the warehouse, buying the product, allocating the stock, producing the brochure, marketing and even the accounts and HR work. The result? There isn't an area of the business Chrissie hasn't been involved in or understood what challenges it can bring. Today, Chrissie's vision and passion for The White Company remains at the heart of the business, and she is

Chrissie Rucker is the Founder and Owner of The White Company. Her story began in 1994, when she was unable to find beautifully designed, great quality white home essentials that were also affordable. What started as a 12-page mail-order company has become one of the UK's most loved brands with more than 60 stores across Europe and the US. Today The White Company has evolved enormously and become a complete lifestyle brand, offering a wide range of essential home accessories that really make a house a home. From beautiful linens, towels and china to a wider range of scented bath and home treats and a children's range, The Little White Company, it has also introduced an exciting range of clothing, loungewear and nightwear as well as furniture, lighting and rugs. Chrissie grew up in Kent and left school at 16 to study couture design in London. Her working life began aged 18 working for magazines including Harpers & Queen, Brides, GQ and Vogue. She also held a PR role at Clarins. Renowned for her meticulous attention to detail when creating products, Chrissie's desire is to constantly improve as well as delight the customer. She and The White Company have received many awards including an MBE and OBE for services to retail, The Sunday Times Profit Track 100 Best Brand Award, Private Business Woman of The Year at The Private Business Awards 2012 sponsored by PWC in association with HSBC and the ECMOD Best Customer Service Award. In 2014 Chrissie founded The White Heart Foundation, helping vulnerable young men, women and children. Chrissie is also the Founding Patron for Women Supporting Women for The Prince's Trust and is an ambassador for Everywoman. Chrissie lives with her husband Nick who 'has been my constant inspiration and rock', and is mum to Tom, Ella, India and Bea.