When I first came across the gin brand Renais I was instantly captivated by the glowing smiles and warmth radiating from the brand, with the marketing photos featuring the founders - Alex and his A-List actress sister, Emma Watson.
Alex is the younger brother of Emma Watson, who the world knows as an activist for women's rights, gender equality and the environment, plus for her little-known role as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter.
With a glittering film career under her belt, and the fact that Emma is currently studying at Oxford University, I wondered where did the idea of Renais come from, how did she make time for it and how has it changed Alex's life? Did working closely with his sister and seeing his dream fulfilled make him happier? I suspected it had, and science agrees.
In his viral TED Talk released, in 2015 Dr. Robert Waldinger, a psychiatrist and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development said: “Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. The people who fared the best were the people who leaned into relationships, with family, with friends, with community."
So, how does Alex find working with his sister?
Alex and Emma Watson's close bond
Alex and Emma have always been tight-knit and it wasn’t a difficult decision for the duo to work together to launch Renais.
“Ems and I are very close," Alex exclusively told HELLO!. "She's always been a big source of inspiration for me, everything she’s accomplished and how she’s gone about it - I have a huge admiration for her. We’re hugely supportive of each other, mostly I try to give her reasons to laugh. I think we were both looking for a new challenge and thought we’d make a great team, and here we are."
READ: Where are the Harry Potter stars now?
"There’s a deep level of trust and understanding that goes on [building a brand with family]. With that comes a level of stability which is great. On the flip side, we’re still brother and sister and are more than capable of pushing each other’s buttons. But Emma is a fantastic partner to work with, she brings so much creativity, support and enthusiasm and is a great balance to my personality type.
"Working with a family member is great - although you have to fight for the space to keep your relationships outside of business which is the challenge. But having a common passion that you’re working on with your family is a huge blessing, and something really special.”
Living his dream
On why they decided to create Renais, Alex explained it's a lifelong passion. "My family has always worked in drinks, which is what I’ve made my career out of these past 10 years. I’d always wanted to start my own business and had a clear vision based around our family’s history in winemaking.” When asked why gin specifically, he simply states. “It’s my favourite spirit!”
Alex is determined not to take any day for granted and says he is living the dream as his own boss, sharing that the positive response from critics has been one of his happiest memories.
“I think when you do something like this, you put a piece of yourself out there, and having that received well was amazing for me," he enthuses.
"I love waking up every day with a clear sense of purpose, working on something which has a huge amount of significance to me and I feel hugely privileged to get to do what I'm doing.
"Happiness for me means I'm looking after my relationships with friends and family, loving my work and am leading a healthy lifestyle - with those foundations in place and with enough attention to those pieces, you’re in a happy state."