Life Stories

Anita filling bottles at the first Body Shop, below, which opened in in 1976

life stories Anita Roddick She was a passionate s the morning sun streamed in through the windows of the human and animal A tiny green shop, a woman sat inside, frantically writing labels. ‘We’re rights campaigner nearly there. It will all be worth it,’ she who revolutionised the said, rallying the three friends pouring coconut shampoo into tiny plastic bottles. cosmetic industry by They had been working through the night. creating . The woman was Anita Roddick, and the date was 26 March 1976: the opening On the third anniversary of the first-ever Body Shop. What happened of her death, Mandy next reinvented the UK’s cosmetic industry and turned Anita into one of the world’s Appleyard celebrates the most famous and successful entrepreneurs. By bringing trade and ideals together, she extraordinary life of this was the first businesswoman who made it maverick entrepreneur sexy to care. The Body Shop {continued}

september 2010 MARIE CLAIRE <#R#> Life Stories

Princess Diana meets Anita at The Body Shop HQ in With husband Visiting a forest tribe in Becoming a in 1986 Gordon in 1995 Brazil with daughter Sam dame in 2003

products came in simple packaging and aim was to create a product so good that voice of their campaigning. They were a AT A GLANCE promoted health. The result was a multi- people would pay for it.’ formidable team: Gordon was the busi- 1942 Born in national company and a £51 million fortune. But it wasn’t just economic necessity ness brain; she provided the passion. In Littlehampton This year marks the third anniversary that drove her. Anita’s travels had exposed his words, ‘She dreams and I make her 1970 Marries of her death from a brain haemorrhage her to all kinds of female body rituals. dreams come true.’ Gordon Roddick and, last month, The Body Shop finally ‘In Morocco, I found piles of mud called It was pioneering work. The Body 1976 Opens first launched the campaign she had been Delivering an anti- rhassoul – you mix it with water and wash Shop’s signature products (nobody Body Shop in Brighton vivisection petition to working on in the last weeks of her life your hair,’ she said. ‘In Tahiti, women took survived the 80s without Peppermint 2006 Sells the Gordon with, second Downing Street in 1992 – the Stop Sex Trafficking of Children and lumps of cocoa butter and rubbed it Foot Cream and Brazil Nut Conditioner) company to L’Oréal from left, Justine Young People petition. on their bodies. All those became the caught the consumer imagination and put for £652 million and, right, Sam and 2007 Dies on Anita’s grandchildren Speaking exclusively to Marie Claire, instant and, at 26, they both shared a building blocks for the original 20 her company on the map. She wasn’t a at a memorial event 10 September Anita’s youngest daughter, Sam, 38, says: belief that relationships are best when products that I had.’ natural speaker, but her enthusiasm made in October 2007 ‘The things I love are rooted in what Mum both partners remain free spirits. And so, in 1976, in Brighton, The Body people pay attention. By 2006, The Body gave me. She was captivating. She taught Speaking of the day they met, Gordon Shop was born. With its trademark green Shop had 2,045 stores in 51 countries and me about the environment, different says: ‘The door flew open and in came this decor, the premise was to provide high- was hailed as a cultural phenomenon. It the choice, but she insisted that ‘the work When Anita died on 10 September cultures and human rights. She had such a attractive dark-haired girl. I turned to the quality, ethical skin- and haircare earned the Roddicks £51 million, and that they do is honourable’. Then Anita 2007, age 64, it was sudden and shocking. silly side to her, too, which the public guy sitting next to me and said: “I am done products. There wasn’t enough money to Anita the title of ninth most admired announced she was giving away her The day before, she complained of a ‘sore might not have seen. She believed we only for.” I fell in love as soon as I saw her.’ buy fancy containers, so instead Anita and powerful female on the globe. fortune via The Roddick Foundation, head’ and started to lose movement in her have one life, so mustn’t compromise it.’ Five days after they met, Anita moved stocked up on cheap plastic bottles used But her personal life was making which supports ethical entrepreneurs. legs. She was rushed to hospital, where Born in 1942 to Italian immigrants, into Gordon’s flat and they opened a by hospitals to collect samples. Gordon headlines. Despite claiming that an ‘open Her daughter Sam, founder of erotic she died half an hour later. Anita Perilli grew up in restaurant, Paddingtons, was still trekking the Americas, so with marriage’ was the secret behind their boutique Coco de Mer, insists that Anita’s cremation in a biodegradable an era of hand-me-downs ‘Her mother in Littlehampton. When the help of her friends, she set about filling 30-year relationship, she was distraught inheriting her mother’s spiritual riches coffin marked the end of a remarkable life. and food shortages. As taught her how to they married in 1970, each one with creams, handwriting the when it emerged that has done her more good. Paying tribute to her, Topshop owner her family struggled to they already had a labels, and asking customers to bring Gordon had had an affair ‘Anita had a fear of ‘Mum gave me things Philip Green said: ‘Anita was 20 years make ends meet, her use beetroot juice daughter, Justine, and them back for refills. It was the start of a with PR executive Kelly that money could never ahead of her time in ethical trading.’ mother, Gilda, taught as blusher’ their second, Sam, was reusing and recycling culture that would ex Luchford. But still, dying rich: “Money possibly buy. She was As for Gordon, in June this year he won Anita how to use on the way. But the couple encapsulate The Body Shop brand. the couple remained does not mean my university.’ the lifetime achievement award at mayonnaise as conditioner and beetroot had to accept that their entrepreneurial Anita’s pursuit of environmental and strong. ‘It would take a By early 2007, Anita’s The Observer Ethical Awards, which juice as blusher. Anita trained as a teacher, venture wasn’t going to plan, and quit. social change dovetailed with a wider miracle for us to split up,’ anything to me”’ health was beginning recognised his work co-founding The Big then travelled the world for two years Gordon responded by embarking on a public appetite for ethical products; within Anita said. to deteriorate as the Issue and providing micro loans for those before returning to England, where her long-term dream to travel from Buenos six months she opened a second shop. By In fact, it was a fear of dying rich that hepatitis C she contracted from a blood on low incomes. Gordon has his own mother introduced her to Gordon Aires to New York on horseback. In now, Gordon was back and had come up worried Anita the most. ‘Money does not transfusion caused cirrhosis of her liver. ways of remembering his wife. ‘I miss her

Roddick, a regular customer of her café- contrast, Anita decided to open a shop with the idea for ‘self-financing’ new and R Library T he P icture A P hotos, mean anything to me,’ she said. So, in 2004, She had begun to complain of tiredness, sense of humour and the way she used cum-club. Anita had recently joked with that would allow her more time with her stores through a franchise network. The she started giving money to different memory loss and difficulty concentrating, to buzz around like a bee. The world is a friends that she was broody and searching family. Inspired by her mother’s lessons, company went public in 1984. For the next charities and, in 2006, she made the and told the world she had the disease just richer place for her having been here.’ for ‘sympathetic sperm’ from ‘a bearded she focused on skincare. ‘My only two decades, Gordon remained in the controversial decision to sell The Body seven months before her death. ‘This is For information about The Body Shop’s Stop poet’. Along came Gordon, bearded and business acumen was Gordon’s advice to shadows working full-time on the Shop to giant L’Oréal for one of the biggest emotional hurdles that Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People

given to writing poems. Their bond was take sales of £300 a week,’ she said. ‘My business, while Anita was the face and Alpha, P by P hotographs £652 million. There was deep criticism of I’ve ever had to face,’ she said. campaign, visit thebodyshop.com/stop.

September 2010 MARIE CLAIRE <#R#>