Thank you so much to alumna, Natalija Jovasevic (Class of 2015) who, as winner of the Alumni Association Business Enterprise Award, returned to FHS yesterday to discuss the concepts of creative enterprise with Sixth Form Enrichment Programme students.

Natalija spoke of her journey studying an MSc in Globalisation and Latin American Development and subsequent role as volunteer at sustainable and ethical fashion NGO, Hecho por Nosotros. She has also worked as Sustainable Fashion Writer at The Circle Fashion Magazine and interned at numerous sustainable fashion businesses, all the while honing her interest in environmental causes.

Discovering a gap in the market for plastic-free packaging, and inspired by her own father’s entrepreneurial acumen, in August 2021 Natalija established sustainable beauty and packaging company, Ayllu Box.

Says Natalija, ‘‘I have always been very interested in the environment and anyone that knows me will know that I have a great love for the ocean. But it wasn’t really until I started my masters, when I did a module called ‘Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean’ that I really started to understand the more technical and theoretical side of sustainability.

When I started working and learning about all the existing issues within the fashion industry, I felt like I needed to do my bit and begin changing my fashion habits. But then I started to realise that there’s actually a lot of similar issues going on in the beauty industry too. 
While many of the available beauty boxes were using terms like ‘clean’, ‘vegan’, and ‘cruelty free’, the thing that was repeatedly missing was plastic-free or a focus on sustainable packaging.

After discussing this with my family, they suggested that I start a beauty box of my own that focuses on packaging as well. Of course, I thought that they were joking but next thing I knew I was starting my own business!”

Natalija’s business, Ayllu Box was announced as one of three winners of the FHS Alumni Association Business Enterprise Award in March 2022.

The award, inspired by and established in recognition of the FHS spirit of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, supports Francis Holland alumni with a variety of business and entrepreneurship initiatives, offering up to £10,000 to early-stage start-ups and established small businesses.

With thanks to Natalija for returning to FHS yesterday, inspiring sixth form students to create some truly impressive business pitches, while imparting a genuine sense of individuality and curiosity at the foundations of her ethos.

For more information about Ayllu Box, visit their website here: Ayllu Box

Natalija, pictured on the right, with students