On the rugby field, Anne Fernández de Corres has earned a name for herself for her dedication and talent. Off the field, her story is more unexpected: a small scrunchie company that was born almost by chance and now supports several teams in the Liga Iberdrola.
"My mother, my aunt and my grandmother have always sewn, knitted and made clothes, but as a child, I never had that interest," Anne recalls.
"Two summers ago, I was bored at home. I saw a tutorial on Pinterest and made a scrunchie with fabric my mother had. I liked it because it was super relaxing, I had free time, and they looked really pretty."
At first, she bought fabric and gave her creations as gifts to family and friends. However, everything changed the following summer, when the Spanish Rugby Federation organised a course for entrepreneurial projects.
"That's when everything started to take shape," she said. "I started investing some money in buying fabric and machines, and making more hair scrunchies. They were still going to friends and family anyway."
The final push came from her friend and teammate, Zahía Pérez. "She always kept an eye on how I made the hair scrunchies and told me: 'Don't be silly, in the end, this is something you do with your time and you have to make the most of it'.
"She was the one who spoke to the members of her club team, arranged it, and in the end it turned out really well, there were lots of clubs interested.
"It's also a way for me to not spend all day thinking about rugby or my studies, to have something else to do that I really enjoy. Who knows, maybe it could turn into a business or something bigger, but for now it's staying at home."
So, Blossom was born. The name was no coincidence: "Blossom reminds me of flowers, because of the colours and because they have a bit of the same shape. I've loved them since I was little, and it seemed perfect for the brand. Also, blossom means to bloom, and it's also a metaphor: to blossom through the hair ties."
