Lucy Hope is on a mission to transform health through textiles. Inspired by her father’s groundbreaking work in antiviral face mask technology at the family business Virustatic, where she’s now at the helm, Lucy founded The Daughters of Mars to redefine period care. Her game-changing tampon, designed to protect vaginal health, earned her a Women in Innovation award from Innovate UK – and she’s just getting started.
For the first of our revived blog series, My Uniform, we caught up with Lucy to talk about her mission, her personal style, and how she’s taking her father’s legacy of technical innovation into exciting new territory.
Hi Lucy. What are you wearing today?
My go-to meeting outfit is a checked, belted Max Mara shirt dress in Merino wool. The shoes are leopard-print Clarks. They’re so comfortable – I hunted down another pair on Vinted when they stopped selling them. I found the watch with my mum at the Royal Exchange arcade in Manchester for my birthday. It’s a dainty vintage piece with beautiful enamel work and a wind-up motion. It’s engraved with its first service date – 1929.
Do you dress differently according to what your day holds?
Absolutely. For presentations, like when I spoke at the V&A about regulations holding back innovation in textiles, I’ll wear black trousers with a blouse. One of my favourites is a Queens of Archive sample sale find, which I pair with vintage M&S trousers and Stella McCartney shoes. The shoes are kind of fabulous – I wore them to a women’s health pitch in London where the theme was futurist, so I added a silver lamé Queens of Archive dress. I love Queens of Archive for statement pieces, but for everyday staples I stick to Woolmark labels like Max Mara and John Smedley.
You’re a singer, too. Does that influence your style?
I’m drawn to bold, vintage-inspired silhouettes for performances and that does seep into my day-to-day style. Even for pitches, I’d never wear a standard corporate suit – it would always have a statement shoulder or oversized lapel. I have a signature headdress I wear on stage, made by my friend Frog Flowers. When I put it on, I feel empowered. I definitely channel that alter ego confidence when I’m public speaking – minus the headdress!
Tell me about the family business, Virustatic
My dad started Virustatic in 2009 with the goal of pandemic preparedness. His grandfather had died in the 1918 flu pandemic. Then in 2003, during the SARS epidemic, he realised how little barrier filtration technology had advanced since 1918, when they just wore cloth masks. So he spent over a decade developing the Virustatic Shield. It’s made from a breathable knit fabric coated with an organic, antiviral protein. Instead of just blocking particles, it binds to viruses as air passes through.
How did that technology inspire The Daughters of Mars?
I joined Virustatic in 2020, but I wanted to explore other applications for our patented, natural protein coating, particularly in women’s health. One of those was tampons. Most period products are full of plastics and chemicals, and we just blindly trust someone’s looking out for us – but they’re not. In the UK alone, around 75.4 million tampons are used every single month, so why not use that as 75.4 million opportunities to support vaginal wellness while managing flow? The more I researched and tested it, the more potential I saw. We’ve now done over three and a half years of R&D, including government-funded and university projects and the results are promising.
What sets your tampons apart?
Their coating isn’t just beneficial to the vaginal flora – it’s GOTS certified organic, which is extremely rare. They actively support vaginal health and are designed for those suffering with bacterial vaginosis, which affects one in three women globally at least once in their lives. We plan to manufacture to Medical Device standards, even though tampons in the UK don’t have to meet them. It’s a more expensive route, but necessary to give people confidence in the product.
What’s the goal for The Daughters of Mars?
I want to change how we think about period care and spark a movement toward safer, better-designed options. It’s shocking how little innovation there’s been in this area and we’re determined to change that. We’re aiming to have our tampons on shelves by the end of the year.
And at Virustatic Shield?
We’ve developed a fantastic supplement with the same antibacterial and antiviral technology, containing lactoferrin, which prevents viral infections and speeds up recovery. We also see potential in applying the Virustatic coating to sportswear, as most antimicrobial coatings are metal-based and harmful to health and the environment. These coatings are used on polyester to combat the odours caused by plastic fibres that don’t occur with natural fibres. There’s such a need for innovation in this space – flattering sportswear made from natural fibres just doesn’t exist yet.
Has your research changed how you shop?
Definitely. I’ve always loved vintage, but now I’m strict about materials because I know too much. I avoid polyester and look for natural fibres like organic cotton, Merino wool and silk. For essentials, I love brands like Branwyn, which makes beautiful merino wool underwear.
What’s your earliest fashion memory?
I remember my mum buying me a pair of pedal pushers with a matching top, probably from BHS. I was a real tomboy as a kid. I was the first girl at my junior school to wear a sweater instead of a cardigan as part of my uniform because I refused to wear buttons! My everyday look was leggings, slouch socks and one of my brother’s sweaters from Timberland, Kickers or Kappa.
How have you seen Manchester’s fashion scene change over the years?
Manchester’s always been creative, but there’s also this big glamorous side, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. I’ve always found myself straddling both worlds – a bit glam, but also drawn to counterculture. When I was younger, fashion felt more tribal – you were a mosher, a goth or whatever. Now it feels more fluid. There’s less pressure to fit into one group, which is refreshing.
virustaticshield.com
thedaughtersofmars.com
Image credit (unless otherwise stated): Matt Bramford