EXPERTS

We speak to Toni Black about resilience, identity and building House of Black — a studio rooted in story, strategy and strength.

What also meant a lot was having my team there, genuinely excited to be part of it, backing me, believing in me, and wanting to be part of this next journey and new road we’re building together with House of Black.

People mean everything to me. Relationships mean everything. Without them, I truly believe we are nothing. Having all of those worlds come together in one moment, all part of the same journey, was incredibly special. And I know you’re probably going to ask why. The answer is simple. I love people, I value friendship, and I love my family. All of that defines who I am.

As for the confident creative voice you see today, that probably comes from somewhere else entirely. Art wasn’t actually my first love. Before that, I went to a performing arts school, The BRIT School, where I was acting, singing in a girl band, dancing, playing instruments, you name it. I was surrounded by performers, and I loved that environment. That sense of expression, confidence, and presence has always stayed with me.

Growing up in the 90s also played a huge part. As a first-generation child, with grandparents and parents who came over during the Windrush era, that time was very much about defining your voice and your identity. Being in a performing arts environment gave me the space to explore and express that.

It wasn’t all rosy, though. There were knockbacks early on, rejection, and moments that really tested me at the beginning of my career journey. But without sounding too cliché, those experiences shaped my resilience and helped build the confidence and strength I carry today, both creatively and personally.

What also became clear was that even with a separate division within Blacksheep, the lines were still blurred. There wasn’t enough clarity between the hospitality-led luxury work my team was doing and the broader scope of the original Blacksheep business. It became harder to clearly articulate that difference, both internally and externally.

Blacksheep will always be the founder’s baby, and rightly so. But I realised I needed a platform that clearly reflected my vision, my leadership, and the type of hospitality and lifestyle work I wanted to focus on. House of Black was born from that need for clarity, focus, and space to evolve, while still building on years of experience and shared history.

I’m also incredibly fortunate to have the most supportive family and true friends around me, and I genuinely give thanks for that. They keep me going, they keep me smiling, and I like to talk. A lot. Talking things out, releasing it, having a laugh when needed, and then moving on is how I protect my energy.

I don’t think I have one single source that keeps me going. I think it’s a mix of patience, perspective, and learning when to let go. Knowing when to pause, reset, and give myself a bit of grace. And honestly, some days, that’s what balance looks like for me.

This is definitely one of those questions that makes you stop and really think. I think one of the biggest challenges is wearing so many hats at once. You’re networking, engaging with new clients, leading a studio, and at the same time trying to stay current. And when I say current, I don’t mean trends. I mean technology, tools, and what’s available as things shift and move so quickly around us. The challenge is doing all of that without letting any of those plates drop.

I often think about that old saying, “it takes a village to raise a child”, and I apply that same thinking to my own growth as a leader. Behind every great leader is a fantastic team. I know I can’t do it all by myself, and I’m lucky to have a strong team that helps keep everything on track.

Learning how to delegate, not being afraid to ask for help, and leaning on others has been key. I also find real value in speaking with other designers and leaders from different agencies. It’s reassuring to know you’re not alone, and sometimes even a shared experience, a piece of advice, or a different perspective can make all the difference.

I’m a people person, I love being surrounded by people. In my early twenties I used to people-watch, not in a creepy or stalker way, lol, but because I was fascinated by how people interact with their spaces. There’s almost a science to what we do as designers.We can influence how people connect with each other just by changing a chair, a layout, or the way a space flows. I’ve always believed design should feel approachable and interactive. For me, that’s what sparks conversation, connection, and emotion.

When it comes to how I approach business, I’m honestly just myself. I don’t really know how to be anything else. I used to go to design shows, watch talks, and see these incredible people on stage and feel a sense of awe, and if I’m honest, sometimes a feeling of inferiority. I’d think, they sound so confident, so sure of themselves, am I like that?

But over time I realised it’s not about how someone sounds or how they present themselves. What really matters is what you bring to the table, your knowledge, your perspective, and your authenticity. Once I got over that initial sense of inferiority and stopped comparing myself to others, I found my own voice. And once I trusted that, everything started to fall into place, both in the way I design and the way I build relationships in business.

Maya Angelou would be number one, my hero above all. Through her words, she taught me that I don’t need to apologise for being a woman. That women can be strong, powerful, beautiful, and still feel pain, sadness, and vulnerability. She shaped the way I think and see myself. My teenage & early 20’s weren’t easy, her story and her ability to love herself through everything life threw at her felt phenomenal and deeply grounding for me.

Octavia Butler absolutely fascinates me. To me, she feels like a kind of prophet. She had this extraordinary ability to look at humanity as a whole and question where we are heading, particularly through the lens of power, gender, and society. Her work is fiction, but there is so much truth embedded in it that it still feels incredibly relevant today.

Margaret Atwood shares that same quality. Both she and Octavia Butler have this rare gift of almost forecasting society, especially when it comes to women, autonomy, and control. Their writing makes you pause, reflect, and question the world around you in a way that stays with you long after you’ve finished the book.

And finally, Georgia O’Keeffe, one of my favourite artists of all time. I see her as a real light rebel of her era. I would love to talk to her about life, her time, and her courage. The way she painted the female form, often interpreted through flowers, turning anatomy into something powerful and beautiful, at a time when women didn’t always have a strong voice, feels quietly radical. Whether intentional or not, her work opened conversations and challenged perspectives, and that’s something I deeply admire.

Like everyone, of course I hope to build a successful company that works on incredible projects around the world and is financially strong but that’s only part of it.

What really excites me is the journey itself. Continuing to grow as a person, learning new skills, meeting new people, and staying curious. Being present enough to enjoy the moments in between, not just the milestones.

And if along the way I can create spaces that people genuinely connect with, spaces that spark feeling, conversation, and memory, then that feels incredibly meaningful to me.

The possibility of what House of Black can become, and the life that grows alongside it, is what excites me about this next chapter.

In the end, it’s not just about what I build, but how it feels to live it…