A BUDDING fashion designer has proven herself as the definition of ‘hard work pays off’ after working five jobs to fund her dream business.
Livi Purcell, from Port of Menteith, Stirling, clocks in impressive 18-hour shifts a day as well as studying at university.
On a typical day, she juggles being a makeup artist at Dior, working at a nightclub, helping her mum with her teeth whitening company and being a TikTok content creator.
She’s even admitted to selling her phone number to a guy for £100 to add to her savings pot.
And when you’d expect her to fit in some much-needed sleep between all of that, the 25-year-old designer is instead building her fashion brand Delu’Lu.
Livi has invested thousands of pounds of her own money into the label so far and has just launched her first collection – which sold out in four days.
It serves as the ultimate revenge after her ex-boyfriend told her the brand and name was “daft and embarrassing” when she first revealed her plans.
The Scottish Sun sat down with the rising star at Glasgow’s Blythswood Hotel to find out just how she does it all.
And it’s only fitting that Livi is wearing one of her designs for our chat, the £125 House Of Affliction grey blazer with white lace cuffs.
“Can you believe I drew this?” she giggles.
“I drew that. And now it’s a real thing. You can wear it.”
She adds: “I just can’t believe I managed to turn my life from something that could have been so bad into something unbelievable.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”We’ve worked with Amanda Holden & won a BAFTA, our new TV show twist’s full of drama” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6368445000112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]“I sound like such a ‘pick me’ but it’s not hard for me to work so much. I think I’m so used to it, I’ve worked these hours since I was young, since I was about 16.
“And it’s when I come out with my best work, when I’ve had two hours sleep, genuinely.
“I thrive off it, like that’s what gives me the go because there’s no way I’m not going to be a millionaire, I’m not going to stop until I get it!
“My first Delu’Lu collection launched on Sunday 2nd February and by Thursday 6th February we were completely sold out. That’s my three staple items and they’re completely sold out already.”
Livi revealed she has always been passionate about fashion but didn’t know how to “channel” that until her early 20s.
“I’ve always, always loved fashion but I wouldn’t really say I’m fashionable”, she admitted.
“I wouldn’t perceive myself as fashionable. I stress every morning.
“Every day if I’m going to uni, if I’m going to work, I’m having a mental breakdown about what I’m going to wear. It’s just hard to find your niche, almost. And every day you’re learning.
“I wanted to make something totally different like this [Delu’Lu blazer], it is quite unique.
“Have you ever seen something with a lace cuff before? Never. I’m a genius.
“It’s a nice little touch, it’s just a bit more delicate.”
She added: “I can’t draw to save my life so I had to teach myself and a jacket came out of it.
“I’ve always had a vision in my head but never really known how to put that on paper or put that to fabric. So it’s been an unbelievable journey.”
She first attempted to break into the fashion market at 19 when she wholesaled fast fashion clothing.
But after struggling mentally during lockdown, she made the decision to shut the business down.
“I wasn’t designing anything either”, she admitted.
“So it’s nice to be able to say I’ve come so far, from selling cheap tracksuits, bikini sets, and fast fashion tie-dye gym sets that everybody was wearing during lockdown, to actual Delulu pieces.
“And now everything is all made by me. I’ve done everything. The logo, the fabric, the sketch, the website, the model, everything.”
She added: “I just hope that it all works out and that people love the clothes.
“But I’m not designing them for people to love them, I’m designing them because I like them and if you like them I’m forever grateful.”
TV HOPE
Livi could also see demand soar for her pieces as she wears her designs in every episode of a BAFTA-winning TV show’s new series that airs next week.
The 25-year old is joining BBC Scotland’s The Agency: Unfiltered, which gives fans an inside look at influencer agency Aquarius Creative, based in Hamilton.
The fly-on-the-wall show documents the trials, glitz and glam of clients based at the agency, as well as the female founders Amy Moore, 28, and Kirsten Cameron, 32.
In a big twist for season three, the duo put six of Scotland’s most promising up-and-coming TikTokers – including Livi – to the test, setting them challenges to see if they have what it takes to join their agency.
Speaking about the experience, Livi said: “I definitely learned so much from not only the other creators but Kirsten and Amy gave me so much knowledge.
“It’s just so great to have someone like that in your life, they’re like two older sisters but they’re not even that much older than me.”
Holding back tears, she added: “They’ve just changed my life, genuinely changed my life. I wouldn’t be sitting here without them
“Honestly, I’m so emotional, just because I never thought that I would get here, but just be delusional, it works.”
Kirsten said: “We definitely went on a journey with Livi. At the start, it was almost like she had her guard up and Amy and I found ourselves questioning some of her choices early on.
“But by the end, we absolutely loved her. She had so many ups and downs, but her growth was amazing to watch.”
Amy added: “Yeah, definitely. I think she broke down a little bit more and understood the potential that she had through the process.
“I think she felt like she was the weakest link because she had the least followers, but as the series progressed, her confidence grew.
“By the end, she was one of the ones who really understood us and
our work the most, which was nice to see.”
The Agency: Unfiltered series three launches at 10:30pm on Monday 17 February 2025 on BBC Scotland, with all episodes available on BBC iPlayer.