Sam Roddick | |
|---|---|
 Roddick in 2008 | |
| Born | 1 July 1971[1] Rustington, Sussex, England |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Businesswoman, founder of Coco de Mer, and Bondage For Freedom |
| Children | Osha, daughter[2] |
| Parent(s) | Gordon Roddick Anita Roddick |
| Website | coco-de-mer |
Samantha "Sam" Roddick (born 1 July 1971) is the founder of Coco de Mer, a British lingerie brand and retail store.[3] She is the daughter of Body Shop founder and activist Anita Roddick.
Roddick is the younger daughter of Anita and Gordon Roddick.[3] She was educated at Summerlea Primary School and then at Frensham Heights in Surrey until she was asked to leave at age 16.[1][4] She gained only two O-Levels due to having undiagnosed dyslexia.[1][4] On leaving Frensham, the mother of a schoolmate suggested she work with her in Nepal, which is where her activism began.[3][4]
Roddick's early activism included talks, fundraisers and projects worldwide.[1][5][6] In addition, she set up Cockroach, a youth magazine; and taught art in Vancouver.[1] Roddick backed the Women's Equality Party's campaign to encourage women to vote in the UK's 2016 referendum on its membership of the EU.[7]
In December 2001, Roddick opened Coco de Mer in Covent Garden's Monmouth Street with an evening hosted by Dave Stewart, and a fly-poster campaign by Saatchi and Saatchi.[2][3][8][9] In 2004 Roddick was prevented from registering the Coco de Mer name as a trade mark by French fashion designer Coco Chanel, the lawsuit citing the similarity in product range and name.[10][11][12]
In 2011 the brand was purchased by British sex shop Lovehoney.[4][13] In April 2014 former La Perla brand director Lucy Litwack was appointed as managing director of the company. Cristina Ceresoli was also brought on to be interim Chief Marketing Officer.[14]
The name comes from the coco de mer palm tree of the Seychelles, which has the largest seed in the world.[2] The seed is said to resemble a woman's buttocks.[2][9]
Bondage for Freedom was founded in 2008, focusing on fighting for human and environmental rights.[15] It had worked on a number of projects, including the 1994 Rwandan genocide; the release of the "Angola Three"; preventing sex-trafficking; and colony collapse disorder.[15][16][17][18]
Roddick is an advisor on The Joy of Teen Sex.[19]