What's Black and White and Began with a Message on LinkedIn?
Though they barely knew each other — mostly from perfunctory hellos while grabbing coffee to bring back to their desks — Mr. Curry, who was by then trying to get a new skin care company off the ground, had messaged her that he was thinking 'about who is genuinely awesome that I would want to work with' and suggested they meet in person.
A few days later, Ms. Laxton, who is now 38, and Mr. Curry, 43, met at Côte West Bridgford, a French restaurant that is part of a national chain, in the city of Nottingham, England, where both lived. Ms. Laxton was immediately impressed.
'He was so full of crazy energy,' she said. 'I was like, 'I have to work with this guy.''
They quickly started collaborating, developing a few now-defunct personal care brands together. In 2018, they came up with one that has become a success in both the United States and Britain: the Inkey List, a line of skin care products, in black and white packaging, that aims to be hype-free but effective and fairly priced.
Ms. Laxton and Mr. Curry were together constantly — 'We were in start-up hustle mode, working 100 hours a week,' she said — but things, at least initially, remained platonic.
Still, their closest friends sensed that the connection between them had the potential to go beyond business. 'That spark was there from the get-go,' said Sarah Geary, who has known Ms. Laxton since they met as students on their first day at Loughborough University, where Ms. Laxton, who grew up in Leicester, England, earned a bachelor's degree in media and communication. 'From her talking about him, I knew straight from the beginning.'
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