Petra Ecclestone, 21

It may help to have a famous father, but untrained 21-year-old Petra Ecclestone, daughter of Formula One’s Bernie Ecclestone, is building a fashion business entirely through her own efforts. Menswear brand Form launched in Harrods in autumn 08 and has since picked up a dozen premium stockists around the world, including London’s Matches.

A womenswear collection, called Petra, follows with a launch to take place during February’s New York Fashion Week.

Ecclestone works with Saville Row tailor Edward Sexton to create the Form collection and now has a team of seven people working with her at her London base.

“I want to build a brand that has world recognition,” Ecclestone says. “I think that my autumn 10 collection is the strongest yet and hope that it will build the number of stockists in the UK and internationally.” The range will launch at Pitti Uomo in January, followed by Milan and Paris.

Ecclestone is aware that her surname is one that leads to opportunities but says: “My name has helped, and I am lucky to be backed by my parents, but it closes doors too. Some people do not take me and my ambitions seriously.”

Hudson Walker director Mathew Dixon says: “Petra’s menswear collection is slick and European looking – it has the feel of a brand with a far longer history behind it. Most impressive is that she is putting everything in place in order to run her business in the right way, surrounding herself with a strong team of people.”