Young mum secures V&A Dundee gifts contract

A young mum who turned her hobby into a business has secured a contract to supply the V&A museum in Dundee.

Daisy MacGowan, 28, is supplying stationery, cards, gifts and art prints to the V&A Museum after support from The Prince’s Trust Scotland. Picture: Chris Scott

Daisy MacGowan, 28, is supplying stationery, cards, gifts and art prints to the landmark museum after support from The Prince’s Trust Scotland.

The medieval history graduate, who lives in Dundee launched Daisy McGowan Illustration last year after deciding to pursue her creative passions.

The first lockdown started just after she had handed in her notice at a previous employer and started the business.

“That was a big barrier to overcome as the shops I hoped to supply were all forced to close, and many are still cautious about buying stock,” she said.

“But we’ve enjoyed steady growth despite the challenges and I’m really grateful for the opportunities we have had from museum and art organisations. It’s incredibly inspiring to be able to develop products for the V&A and I’m really excited to see my work on sale there. My long-term aim is to expand the business so that I can supply shops across the UK and hiring some staff.”

MacGowan took part in The Prince’s Trust’s Enterprise programme, which aims to provide young people with guidance and support as they try to establish their own business.

“The programme was great to get an overview of what to expect from running my own business. It helped me to think about sales and marketing, get some much-needed advice about the legal side of things and has made tax responsibilities easier to understand.

“The business volunteers were great in giving me some fantastic advice, and the grants were really helpful for exploring my business and growing.”

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