It started with a question no parent could ignore. One December evening, two young girls looked up at a Christmas tree glimmering with gold and white angels and asked, “Why aren’t any of them brown?”
For Croydon mums Natalie Duvall and Alison Burton, that innocent question pierced deeper than tinsel and lights—it exposed a quiet but persistent absence in British Christmas traditions. The kind of absence that shapes how children see themselves in the world.
What began as a conversation around their own living room tree has now become March Muses (@marchmuses)—a $160,000-a-year inclusive Christmas brand that’s redefining the festive market across the UK.
From Six Angels to a National Brand
In 2019, Duvall and Burton launched March Muses with just six handmade decorations—angels and figurines crafted with care, featuring brown skin tones and natural hair textures. They sold out in ten days.
Word spread quickly. Soon their products were being sold through Selfridges, Liberty, Tesco, and even the Royal Albert Hall. The pair’s story struck a chord with families across the country who, for the first time, saw themselves represented in the magic of Christmas.
But success didn’t come easy. Like many small business owners, they started modestly—working evenings, juggling motherhood, and reinvesting every penny back into their growing venture. In their first year, March Muses earned £12,000. Five years later, backed by Dragons’ Den investors Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones, that figure had grown tenfold.
“Representation matters, even at Christmas,” Burton has said in past interviews. And in an industry long dominated by Eurocentric imagery, March Muses didn’t just sell ornaments—they offered visibility, joy, and pride.
More Than Décor: A Mission Rooted in Love
March Muses isn’t just a business—it’s a statement of belonging. Their website captures it best:
“We believe that Christmas is about more than just décor—it’s about traditions, stories, and cherished memories.”
Their ornaments celebrate diversity, craftsmanship, and sustainability, embodying what Duvall and Burton describe as “Christmas with heart, creativity, and a touch of magic.”
Each piece tells a story—a reflection of Black beauty, motherhood, and the quiet resilience of women who dared to fill a cultural void.
Breaking Barriers in British Retail
The UK retail market has historically struggled with inclusivity in its seasonal offerings. From greeting cards to toy aisles, the lack of cultural representation has often gone unnoticed by mainstream producers.
March Muses flipped that script. Their brand now serves as both a business success story and a cultural wake-up call, showing that inclusion isn’t a niche—it’s a necessity.
Retail analysts note that the company’s rapid growth reflects a wider consumer shift toward representation and authenticity. As one expert put it, “March Muses didn’t just make ornaments—they made people feel seen.”
The Legacy of a Question
At its heart, March Muses is still rooted in that moment when two little girls asked about angels. Their mothers answered the question not with words, but with action.
From living room dreams to a national retail brand, Duvall and Burton’s journey proves that even the simplest questions can spark transformation. In a world still catching up to inclusivity, March Muses reminds us that representation is not decoration—it’s affirmation.
And now, every December, somewhere in a home across Britain, a brown angel gleams from the branches of a Christmas tree—her wings wide, her presence long overdue.
