French style has long been celebrated for its effortless elegance, but few brands manage to blend timeless design with true personal connection the way Tortue does. Founded in the UK by Nina and her inspiring team of women, Tortue has become the exclusive distributor of Maison Captain’s French-designed capsule wardrobe. With a story rooted in resilience, friendship, and a shared love for fashion, Tortue offers more than clothes - it delivers a personalised styling experience that feels as trusted as a favourite hairdresser. From sustainable fabrics to intimate boutique events, Tortue is reshaping how women across the UK shop, style, and fall in love with their wardrobe.
What inspired you, Nina, to launch Tortue as a UK-based brand and create Tortue Ltd?
Out of necessity if I am brutally honest, fuelled by the encouragement and immense support and passion of my friends for the clothes. I suddenly overnight lost my hearing, I’m now profoundly deaf and I was no longer able to continue in my old career, so I needed a way of financially supporting myself and my friends so loved the clothes from our supplier and were looking for a way to get them into the UK. So we became the exclusive supplier in the UK and I watched a lot of you tube tutorials with captions learning about importing, logistics, customs, building a website and we did it! Our customer support has been phenomenal, so that inspires us and the fact as a group of female friends we are able to do and build something we love together.
How did you assemble your “Dream Team”?
They assembled around me, originally Sophie and Ruth asked for my help as they both have mums who live in Europe and could buy the Maison Captain clothes and the idea question then was how could we then get the clothes into the UK. I spoke to my neighbour who is an accountant and as the idea of Tortue became more real, more friends who had experience in fashion and retail said yes we want to be part of it. So we created our own ‘utopia’ together based on gorgeous designs, friendship and a passion for personalised customer service.
Your business has been called 'the hairdressers of fashion' - how do you create that personalised shopping experience online and offline?
Most of the team have home boutiques or fashion spaces, some travel and take the collections to events, temporary pop up shops, people’s houses to do clothes parties, we pop up in hairdressers, beauty salons - we are very flexible and open to invitations! We do fundraising fashion shows on request too.
We have been called the ‘hairdressers’ of fashion because of our extremely high repeat customers, our customers are very loyal to the brand and their stylist. Just like most people when they find a great hairdresser you stay, even if you move house people often will travel back to that hairdresser who just gets their hair and how they like it. Those amazing hairdressers we love become friends over time, you know about their family and life and they know far more than just where you are going on holiday. It’s like a sacred trusting relationship and you look forward to catching up.
The other parallel is even if you fancy a change and go elsewhere, it’s normally simply a reminder of just how good you had it and so you return full of renewed appreciation for the experience, friendship and end result.
What has been the most surprising lesson you’ve learned since becoming the founder of your own fashion business?
That I was right! I have been repeatedly advised to not mix business with personal friendships but our business is based on mutual respect for each other, fun, appreciation of our differences and looking after each other. In the last three years life has hit hard as it tends to do to women in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, issues with our parents, our children, our siblings and our own health so we support each other. After Christmas I’ll be matched with a hearing service dog, so we’ll be combining work with animals too!
What does a typical day in your life look like as the founder of a fashion brand and team leader?
I spend a lot of time on my laptop updating our website with new capsule launches, stock control, overseeing orders, dealing with logistics, customs, and trying to learn more and more about marketing strategies to increase our brand awareness - more people need to know about us and our beautiful clothes!
Truth is being deaf is very time consuming, every day I wish I could just pick up the phone and have a quick conversation to get things sorted. I do enjoy the online customer interaction, I do respond personally to all customer queries and so many customers are starting to feel like friends even via our website chat facility, especially as we interact on our private FB group Style Online with Tortue aswell.
What advice would you give to women looking to start their own brand after working for another company in the same industry?
If you have a great industry reputation, keep strong to those original values and keep making good connections and surround yourself with exceptional people. If you know your product and your customer, you can stay focussed on your USP and what you need to do. Enjoy the flexibility of being small and agile.
How would you describe the signature style of Tortue’s exclusive French‑designed capsule wardrobe?
Tortue’s signature style blends timeless French elegance with modern versatility, creating a refined capsule wardrobe that’s both effortlessly chic and highly functional. Each piece is intentionally crafted, offering clean lines, neutral tones, and subtle detailing that allow for easy mixing and matching. Designed in Aix-en-Provence, France, the collection emphasises understated luxury, aiming to empower wearers with confident, minimalist silhouettes that transcend trends and suit every occasion, from the office to a weekend getaway.
Sustainability is key to modern fashion- how does Tortue incorporate eco-friendly materials and practices?
The brand embraces sustainability through:
- Eco-conscious fabrics such as organic cotton, ecovero viscose, Lyocell, Tencel and recycled polyester
- Small-batch production to reduce waste and avoid overstock. Tortue UK also only orders in from France on demand so we do not overstock either.
- Timeless design philosophy, encouraging long-term use and discouraging fast-fashion turnover. We support our customers with personalised wardrobe updates incorporating past purchases with updated pieces. By focusing on quality over quantity, Tortue ensures each garment is a sustainable investment, not just a seasonal trend.
What purpose do events like glamping networking festivals and pop-ups serve for brand engagement?
These events serve multiple purposes:
They allow customers to experience the brand physically by touching the fabrics, trying on the clothes and connecting with the story behind each piece. Pop-ups and other events introduce our stylist team to new customers, that initial real face to face conversation is the start of a new friendship, which really helps build confidence, brand loyalty and word-of-mouth organic growth for us.
Can you walk us through your bestselling categories - from knitwear to trench coats and what makes them stand out?
Tortue’s bestselling categories reflect a commitment to timeless design, premium quality, and functional elegance. This season our bestsellers have been jackets (the Leopard print jacket and our burgundy faux leather biker being run away successes) and our tops. I think the uniqueness of our tops is what catches people attention. We have raving fans of our jeans so they also are always key pieces for us, we name our jeans so look out for Jane and Romy! (Our limited editions sell out very fast so our customers know they need to act quick so we often pre-order to secure stock from France.)
What makes these pieces stand out is their effortless adaptability, they transition seamlessly between work, travel, and downtime while maintaining the Tortue ethos of refined sophistication. The team love giving outfit ideas, we all have different styles and preferences too, so love seeing what combinations we each come up with. We have a section on our website Online vs On Us showing the team in their fav outfit combo’s.
How do you ensure customer satisfaction through personal styling sessions including WhatsApp, Zoom, and your private Facebook group?
Tortue delivers a personalised experience that goes far beyond typical retail. After our first 6 months in business setting up our systems, website and warehouse I sent an anonymous questionnaire out to the team, one question was ‘What is the best bit of Tortue for you' I was hoping for a wide range of answers if I am honest but every single person said ‘dressing and helping customers’.
So now, not only can customers book a private In-person styling shopping session with a consultant but they can also book a 1:1 styling sessions via WhatsApp or Zoom for real-time advice tailored to their body shape, lifestyle, and wardrobe goals. It’s interactive, responsive, and deeply personal.
We also have a Private Facebook Group: This exclusive community space serves as a digital boutique, where members share styling inspiration, ask questions, and get early access to new drops and promotions. It cultivates a sense of belonging while offering behind-the-scenes insight into the brand. We wouldn’t have a business without our customers so we show up for them, they know our mums, our daughters and our dogs who often star in our FB lives too.
How have fundraising events and charity collaborations shaped Tortue’s brand and community presence?
Tortue isn’t just a fashion brand, it’s a community with purpose. Our fundraising events and charity collaborations are a direct reflection of that support each other ethos. The team is passionate and now also very experienced at putting on fundraising fashion shows. By supporting various causes, we can help our customers raise funds for projects and charities important to them and we have a lot of fun. It’s quite empowering and inspiring to see a group of ladies model our clothes who would previously never have dreamed of ‘walking the catwalk’ all supported and appreciated by their friends and guests.
What future milestones and innovations are next on your Tortue roadmap?
We have just booked the Eurostar for the whole team to travel to Paris in December to view the launch of new SS26 collection so we are super excited! Hitting the 2 million turnover milestone before the end of the year will be a very proud moment as we turned 3 years old in August this year. Our big dream is to have regular planned events all around the country so we can meet more new friends.
What top styling tip would you offer to customers looking to build their own French capsule wardrobes?
Start with elevated essentials, think a crisp white shirt, a perfectly tailored blazer, classic trousers, and a versatile knit. The key to a French capsule wardrobe is restraint and refinement, in other words, invest in fewer pieces, but ensure they’re beautifully made and effortlessly adaptable.
Build around a neutral palette (ivory/ecru, navy, black, taupe) and let the quality, fit, and subtle details speak for themselves. French style isn’t about following trends, it’s about putting together a wardrobe that reflects confidence, ease, and timeless elegance. That then gives you room for fun and personal style, this season leopard, burgundy, teal and chocolate brown all add interest and modernity to our looks. The trick is to anchor standout pieces with foundational staples
As Tortue looks ahead to exciting new collections, nationwide events, and the celebration of its third anniversary, the brand continues to prove that fashion can be both sustainable and deeply personal. By combining the sophistication of French capsule dressing with a community-driven approach, Tortue has carved out a unique space in the UK fashion landscape. Whether you’re building your own capsule wardrobe, seeking one-to-one styling support, or discovering limited-edition hero pieces, Tortue offers a timeless, empowering way to dress with confidence and ease.
