I met and photographed Agnes a few days ago in her home and workshop in north London. Talking to her was a reminder that coming to a new country, establishing a regular income and then branching out to set up your own business is not for the faint-hearted. It has taken grit and determination and, most of all, sheer hard work to get established, and it takes continuing hard work to earn an income. When I met her, Agnes was working her way through a mountain of dress orders to be completed by Christmas, other own and without help. Of course, it is better to have orders than not to have them, but the pressure of having some 50 dresses to complete in a three month period is not to be under-estimated.

November 2015