SNOWE, ANDRES MODAK: The Home Body

Eat. Sleep. Drink. Bathe. Repeat. This may sound like your next meme or Instagram post but in the home business, it pretty much sums up living essentials. Thanks to Andrés Modak and his minimalistic home brand, Snowe, you can now host your next house party in style at a price that doesn’t cost a fortune, all while spreading the love for thoughtful design.

Born in New Jersey to an Indian father and a Colombian mother, Andrés Modak grew up in Hong Kong, Australia, India and Indonesia. Besides being a world traveler, Andrés was actively involved with horseback riding, soccer, art and design. His yester years also included many philanthropic initiatives such as leading a team supporting the WHO administer polio vaccinations to kids in the slums of India.

To no surprise, his childhood love for art and design (partly from parental influences as his mother was an architect and an interior designer) translated into the home business, eventually leading to Snowe. A direct-to-consumer brand in the home goods space that provides affordable, high-end design and quality home essentials, Snowe's value resides in its ability to reach the mindful, multi-tasking customer. Let’s just say #homegoals have reached a new level.

The Aha Moment

Andrés grew up in the world of management consulting with his first job at Deloitte in San Francisco. Most of his projects were related to customer market strategy within different industries but a personal penchant for international business led him to help companies with site selection and global expansion strategy. Eventually, he landed a gig in hotel development and private equity at a real estate group in Colombia.

But it wasn’t until he was pursuing his MBA at Wharton, met his partner, Rachel Cohen, and moved in with her when he realized a serious gap in the homewares market. The impetus to entering this space thus came from (1) Andrés' growing up in a family deeply rooted in architecture and design, (2) personal shopping experiences in New York that made the couple realize the unfair markups, sometimes 20, 30 or 40 times the actual making cost and (3) the terrible experience the consumer faced in shopping for the home. Between 2012 and 2013, they traveled far and wide to places such as Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, Indonesia and Colombia to source homewares from smaller designers and artisans while building their first e-commerce venture. Voilà, their first baby was born under the name, Dakorum, in early 2014 with the Founders still working full-time jobs; Andrés in consulting and Rachel in investment banking.

Andrés and Rachel, with the help of a few freelancers and collaborators, built the platform themselves. After running Dakorum for six months and offering unique decorative accessories and textiles, the duo realized a few things. According to Andrés, “We saw a paradox. By trying to make these products more accessible to customers, we were stripping away some of the value gained by the creator of the product.” They also noticed issues around standardization, quality control and the specificities of an SKU-driven business.

So, they saw another opportunity – to create product offerings across home categories that would build the foundation of a home for the contemporary consumer. Adapting to this concept, the brand re-strategized and launched Snowe, inspired by the tranquility of beginning with a blank canvas, in 2015 with four functional categories: Eat, Drink, Sleep and Bathe. By using the highest grade materials for greater resilience of product (think dishwashers, towels, etc.), Snowe offers products with functional technology and design features. Today, all manufacturing takes place in Europe and the U.S. with bedding done in Italy and Portugal. Dinnerware, glassware, and flatware are made in Italy or Portugal. 

The Challenges

While partnering with ambassadors, bloggers and influencers helped spread the word, one of the challenges the team faced was to figure out what was going to be the right cadence and rhythm for growth. “Investment in growth is difficult because the market is going through significant changes in expectations. We went through a period where investment theses for tech companies were being applied to retail. That was problematic for many companies and somewhat distracting and risky for us in the early days.” Having understood the best trajectory for the brand, Andrés and his team have now raised seed capital from angel and strategic early stage investors. 

“We wanted to build a brand that spoke to how our generation is living…better living through design is very important to us.”

Andrés believes that a direct-to-consumer business model is the way to go for them. “We really are building a home with our customers. They will try one thing and they’ll come back again and again. It’s important to create lifetime relationships with them. They are just starting to build their first home, cohabitating and starting new lives. We wanted to be part of that experience.”

From pivoting a business and answering market needs, Andrés has learned a thing or two along the way.

The Advice

• Figure out pricing and positioning early on by constant testing and in-depth analysis.

• Always focus on the product! Consumers are very savvy today and understand quality.
  

• Invest in your team. Make sure you believe in your people, and they in you and your vision for the company.
  

• Be resilient. No matter how hard the problem looks, how you solve it is absolutely critical.

Thinking of playing interior decorator for your home? No need to look further. Shop here with 10% discount off your first purchase. If you would like to get in touch with Andrés, email us here.

Photo courtesy of Snowe.

KOIO, CHRIS & JOHANNES: Shoe-Ting For The Stars

If you have seen the movie Forrest Gump you would remember that “my mama always said you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, where they going, where they been.” Founders Johannes Quodt and Chris Wichert of sneaker brand, Koio Collective, want to captivate the essence of luxury quality shoes, but provide them at half the price by going directly to consumers online. 

“The goal was not to just fix the price points of luxury sneakers, but to also build a culture around a modern brand that speaks to our generation in a personal way.”

Co-founders Johannes Quodt and Chris Wichert met at international student orientation during their first week at Wharton for their MBA. “We were both the only Germans in the room as well as the two tallest men there.” How could you avoid the other giraffe in the room, right? Both Chris and Johannes came to Wharton with the goal of doing something more entrepreneurial. As big fans of sneakers, they bonded over their culture, height, and passion for shoes. Fun fact: they have lived together forever. As college roommates and as current business partners in New York. Talk about team bonding and work life balance! 

The Aha Moment

“There was no aha moment as such. Chris and I ended up becoming roommates at Wharton and spent one of our summers in New York shopping and came upon a pair of Louis Vuitton sneakers in the store that we loved. However, the price tag was $1,000. This sparked a thought that there should be a more sustainable way to spend your money and still get good quality products. By going directly to consumers, we wanted to follow the Warby Parker and Harry’s model.”

Even though neither of them had a background in fashion or footwear (Chris had worked in Investment Banking and Johannes used to be in Consulting), they felt a need to shake up the industry and invite hustlers and go-getters to take a walk with them. “There was a steep learning curve in the first few months as we had no idea how to make a shoe. We met with industry experts from Parsons and FIT for advice and started putting a mood board and brand elements together. From a networking perspective, we were complete outsiders to the fashion world, but we wanted to make this work and had to fight our way in.” After nearly one year in R&D, Koio Collective launched in the Spring of 2015.

“Koio means leather in Italian. This goes back to our roots of manufacturing everything in Italy with the best quality leather.” 

When it comes to consumer goods, one of the greatest challenges our Makers tend to have is setting up the supply chain. While there are many companies and services out there to help connect fashion entrepreneurs to factories, these can be costly and inconsistent for reorders and quality control. Our lads over at Koio decided to book a one-way ticket to Italy without any scheduled meetings and hunt down the best factory for leather footwear. 

“We found the shoe valley of Italy known as Le Marche region and started asking around for factories. We would ask the bellboy, the taxi driver, the bartender, literally any local we could to connect us to who they knew. After visiting 40 different factories, we finally found the perfect match. Turns out these leather artisans were also producing for fashion houses such as Chanel and were willing to take on a new client.”

The Marketing

“When we launched the brand, we thought that we were going to make the most incredible pair of shoes and people would recognize that immediately and sales would skyrocket. However, we did our first pop-up on Bowery and Bleecker in March 2015, but the outcome was not what we had expected. That’s when we realized that there is so much more in creating a good brand versus a good product. Branding is about emotions, lifestyle, ideas and beliefs that people associate with you. You need to actively work every day to communicate these ideas and values effectively.”

Since launch, Koio has engaged in 15 pop-ups across New York. “You can really tell that there is a different target market in each zip code as some of the pop-ups went really well and others did okay.” As of December 2016, they have opened up their long-term pop-up store on 199 Lafayette street and it has been profitable since day one. This goes back to a major debate in the fashion industry; are retail stores dying? Clearly, the answer is no. Every e-commerce site, be it Bonobos, Warby Parker, Birchbox, Rent the Runway, etc needs a retail showroom or presence to scale, maintain customer relationships and increase customer retention rate online. 

The Customer

“Originally we started out producing only men’s shoes but quickly realized that women were also interested in our style. Right now we produce unisex shoes for customers that lead a demanding lifestyle, travel a lot and want to move seamlessly from day to night. With our shoes, you always look good, feel comfortable and can be versatile.” Most of their customers tend to come from a creative background and also include the likes of celebrities such as Adrian Grenier, NBA players, and others. Hence, Koio recently engaged in an in-store collaboration event with JonBoy tattoo artist to provide free tattoos in their Lafayette location. 

The Advice

• Don’t outsource your pop-ups in the early days. The founders are the best people to speak about the product, get people excited and sell the brand. You can’t copy this level of passion when it is outsourced.

• Fundraising 101: Know your big vision of what you want to do, your 5 and 10 year plan as well as how you would best sell the product.

• Think of ways to hack the system and look for shortcuts to do things: like finding a manufacturer. If Koio had used an agency they would not have had quality control over their products.

• Be authentic. Build a brand around something you can identify with, after all, it is a total extension of the founder's personality.

Koio Collective can be found online as well in-store at Theory and Equinox (Greenwich). Their products are priced between $248 - $368 and can be purchased here. Feel free to also stop by their pop-up store located at 199 Lafayette street in SoHo to say hi to the boys. Let them know that we sent you. 

Photo courtesy of Koio Collective. 

MAIDEN HOME, NIDHI KAPUR: The Craft Mixer

There are “first’s” for everything...first love, first job, first car, and first home. While each #lifegoal is exciting, it also comes with high levels of stress and frustration. Focusing on new and young homeowners tirelessly searching for furniture to design their first home, Nidhi Kapur founded Maiden Home by mixing craftsmanship and convenience at a price that doesn’t break their bank.

Born in Pennsylvania and brought up in California, Nidhi Kapur was no interior designer. In fact, she was quite the opposite. Having graduated in 2008 from Stanford University with a major in Human Biology, Nidhi was constantly surrounded by technology and innovation. Yet, her desire to leave the Cali bubble and move to New York led her to a consulting gig at McKinsey & Company.

Surrounded by the smartest people in town, Nidhi quickly realized her lack of interest in finance and healthcare industries and decided to move back to Cali for a job at Google. After a two year stint in their Business, Operations & Strategy group, Nidhi found herself back in NYC as the Head of Business Development at Birchbox in 2012. This was the year of e-commerce where companies such as GILT, Bonobos and Rent the Runway were just starting off. 

A big career change, Nidhi worked directly with one of Birchbox’s co-founders and was in charge of business deals. After almost three years at the job, she quit and decided to start her own direct-to-consumer business, Maiden Home in late 2015. Meant for first home buyers, Maiden Home helps one customize furniture through seamless online user experience. Goodbye hours and hours of result-less furniture shopping!

The Aha Moment

Nidhi had always thought about the home furnishing category. “When I got married in 2013, my husband and I bought our first apartment together and wanted to furnish it. There were so many hilarious moments while trying to find the pieces that fit us. I was in this world of e-commerce where every category had brands that I feel I could connect to, be it Everlane or Casper; brands disrupting industries. But, there was nothing for furniture. I saw it as the last frontier.” Specifically, she wanted to target the woman who cared about her home for the first time and was very vulnerable and scared because she was trying to spend a lot more money than she ever had. 

After sharing the same, broken experience with her friends, i.e. 14 weeks for the sofa to arrive or payment for boxing and shipping in addition to other hidden details, Nidhi found a gap in the market between entry level furniture (think IKEA) and nicely designed furniture where one would need an interior designer. In between, there were people who were just married and/or were furnishing their first home. Voilà, Maiden Home was born!

“It’s a beautiful partnership because the furniture makers do what they do best and we do what we do best by building the brand online.” 

Maiden Home launched with a beta version in late 2016 and officially hit the Internet in 2017. The differentiating point for the brand is the customization element for furniture, specially handcrafted by artisans in North Carolina. Why North Carolina, you may ask? “North Carolina is known for many factories with heritage and tradition of craftsmanship passed down generations. While a lot of production services have moved to China today, these factories are left in the dust.” After seeking out factories at a trade show and having several face-to-face meetings, Nidhi agreed upon three factories who became her manufacturing partners, each with its unique strength. 

“I have always been aesthetically savvy (one part of my life I don’t approach analytically) and I just go with what I love.”

When it comes to the design process, Nidhi works with technical designers from an aesthetic standpoint but all designs are very much her own imagination. Each piece has an original design where one can mix and match them. “We make sure that our pieces have some sort of a complicated element to it because that’s what our factories are good at. To the naked eye, you see a beautiful chair but when you ask what’s beautiful about it, there is attention to detail where the craftsmen take three hours for just the chair’s back…we wanted to let that shine!”

As a shopper, one can discover styles from different product categories, choose the fabric (the swatch is sent via mail so you can truly touch and feel it) and the wood finish. Best part? All materials are eco-friendly and are sourced from local, family-owned businesses in the U.S. Lastly, the sizing can be changed which will ultimately determine the price of the product. Where a usual sofa is sold for $6,000, you can get one per your taste for $2,000 via Maiden Home. That’s some value for your money!

“If you knew how hard it was going to be, you wouldn’t do it. Naïveté is magic!”

For Nidhi, who had for most of her life, worked in teams or with groups of people, the biggest challenge was working as a sole founder. Although she reminisces that perhaps having a mentor or a co-founder may have helped in the beginning, “what I ended up with was an organic and pure vision of me.” 

Another challenge for Nidhi was the fact that she didn’t come from within the industry. She says, “When you are approaching an industry that hasn’t changed, don’t talk to people in the industry; bring your own point of view. Don’t assume that being an outsider is a disadvantage; realize that it’s your biggest asset!” Today, Nidhi’s endless determination and constant search for newness has helped successfully raise an angel round of funding for Maiden Home. In the long term, Nidhi is hoping to provide a full home furnishing experience beyond simply furniture. 

Sick of aimlessly walking into furniture stores with no luck? Let Maiden Home be your way to designing your dream home. Get shopping here and if you'd like to get in touch with Nidhi, email us here. 

Photo courtesy of Maiden Home.

BROOKLYN BORN, TRACY HELLER: The Crib Walk

When it comes to buying baby products, most mothers are presented with a cookie-cutter solution: pink or blue, cartoons or superheroes. But what if you don’t want to be just another cookie in that jar? Founder, Tracy Heller built Brooklyn Born to cater to Millennial mothers in the nursery bedding market by providing them with modern designs. Be bold. Be daring. Be Brooklyn Born.

Let’s dive into gender for a second here. It’s a funny topic. Whenever we approach it, we receive a lot of feedback and critique. So, we like to think of it as the colors in the rainbow, sexuality on a spectrum. Forcing your child to choose between pink or blue might actually hinder their creativity and constrict them to traditional gender roles. Therefore, the colors and prints we choose for our babies should not segment them into categories, but liberate them onto blank canvases. Jumping on this bandwagon and taking inspiration from interior design, Tracy Heller reveals her journey with us and how she does not have a baby, just yet.

American by nationality and having lived in Seoul in her early life, Tracy Heller was no entrepreneur by birth. She majored in Political Science at Northwestern University and thought that she wanted to be a lawyer. After a couple of internships, she changed her mind and ended up moving to New York upon graduation to work in management consulting for two years. That didn’t seem to resonate with her either, so she enrolled at Parsons AAS Fashion program to try and land a job in merchandising. “This was a very strategic way for me to make a career transition, so I only went for one semester until I received a job at Coach as a Merchandiser.”

“I wanted to make a switch to e-commerce as the market was just starting to take off in 2010, so I joined Bonobos and after a year went to Diapers.com which is owned by Amazon.” It was during her time at Diapers.com and her experience in online retail that sparked the aha-moment for Tracy.

“I ended up loving baby products. There is something very emotional about that purchase and time in a woman's life.”

“While working in this category, I noticed that there was a big gap in the nursery market. Everything looked the same, even though people wanted to purchase something different.” Tracy felt that most of the existing product in this market looked childish. Parents of our generation could not relate to the aesthetics of crib sheets and other products offered. “After waiting a couple of years, when it didn't seem like there were a whole lot of brands popping up in this space to take advantage of the opportunity, I thought that I should do it.” With every tradeshow that passed, Tracy got more and more excited about the launch date.

“Our company is mission driven: we want to create a hospitable environment for working mothers, allowing flexible hours so that women can pursue a fulfilling career while having a family. Essentially, it’s women helping women. That’s what gets me going.”

November 2016, Brooklyn Born gives birth to a range of crib sheets, quilted blankets and stroller blankets priced between $49 - $129 and made out of organic cotton (mention promo code " radiche " for 10% off). They distribute via wholesale as well as direct-to-consumer. “As a buyer in the baby industry, I witnessed direct-to-consumer brands having a tough time getting in front of moms, especially pregnant mothers who shop via retail stores as they don't know what they need. Therefore, the wholesale route allows us to grow the business faster.”

The Inspiration

“The idea for our prints stem from trends in the interior design and fashion space. I looked at what Barneys and other high-end designers were carrying and based my inspiration on that. I liked the idea of having an abstract painting and worked with a freelance designer to create something similar. It has been one of our best sellers so far. I was very nervous to make this particular print because it was very bold and out there, but people have really loved it.” Tracy's advice: Designing around your own taste is not always the way to go when trying to launch and grow a successful business.

The Supply Chain

“I started off by exploring domestic manufacturing, but it quickly became clear that the cost involved would not be viable unless my product retailed for twice as much as that of the competitor’s. Therefore, I reached out to a product developer on LinkedIn who introduced me to factories overseas in India.” Side note: we have been seeing a steady correlation between product developers found on LinkedIn and the resources provided to help start-ups strive. Sign-up for premium now if you haven’t already (just kidding!).

The Advice:

• Take it slow. Think through every piece of the process.

• Create a minimum viable product.

• Get a strong team together.

• If you can’t get a team, think about if this is the right idea to move forward with or should you wait before executing because it is a lot of work!

• The more people you have on your founding team, the better position you have to achieve success.

• Pay close attention to quality in the baby space when it comes to textiles.

Tracy is currently looking for a badass co-founder. If you have a background in Marketing or Operations and go gaga over baby products, this may be a good fit. Email us and we shall put you in touch. After all, it has only been a few months since her launch.

Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Born. 

WILD & WOOLLY, NINA CHENG: The Fur Call

Your cell phone has been through a lot: sloppy falls, intermittent sleep, never-ending activity and sometimes even not-so-fun slides down the toilet. Understanding our intimate relationship with our cell phones, Nina Cheng is set on dressing them up with accessories that will turn heads. Dear iPhone, meet Wild and Woolly!

Nina Cheng is Chinese by origin, hails from New Jersey and currently resides in New York. Graduating from Colgate University in 2008, Nina majored in International Relations and English. Later, she worked in investment banking and private equity, finally realizing that there was much more to life than numbers, data and a desk you spent your life on. With zero fashion experience, Nina tapped into her calling and founded Wild and Woolly to bridge her love for fur and fashion.

Today, the brand is made up of “unnecessary accessories” like fluffy iPhone cases and mink hoop earrings made with authentic furs, ranging from $325 to $415 in prices. Launched in September 2016, it has become quite the fashion accessory seen on the streets and among fashion influencers. And why wouldn’t it be? The cutesy yet elegant products made out of premium fur are all about making a statement, while hugging your iPhone tight in its toughest hours.

“I have always had a love affair with fur and have been wearing it since I was a teenager. It was a no-brainer to attempt and design a high-end fur phone case.”

 The idea came into being when Nina repeatedly dropped her phone and one day shattered it completely. Like many of us, she went on a long hunt looking for a fun and functional phone case (you know you’ve been there too). Disappointed by the choices on the market and refusing to wear animal skins on her phone that she would have to touch all day every day, she decided to design a case herself.

One cold winter day, while fumbling around with her childhood love, fur, she created a rudimentary version as a phone case. When she took the case for a night out, strangers on the street stopped her and snapped photos with the hopes of finding a similar case for themselves. Within one hour, she received her first order and voilà, Wild and Woolly was born!

What’s in a Name?

Wild and Woolly’s name is inspired by the historical importance of fur trade during America’s expansion in the 1850s. It derives from a phrase that came into use at a time of fur traders and explorers, depicting a sense of adventure and lawlessness – something that our generation can definitely relate to. Each of her products is named after narratives from centurial native North American communities and fur trading posts. For example, one of the cases is named Mackinac, after Fort Mackinac in Michigan.

It may seem crazy to think that people are willing to spend more on their iPhone cases than the phone itself but come to think of it, in today’s selfie culture, a phone case is an accessory that keeps on giving. Plus, having real fur to touch every minute can be pretty luxurious, right?

The cases are as much modern craftsmanship as homage to historical cues that Nina has instilled in the brand. The fur is sourced from the highest quality suppliers in Europe and North America in addition to sheared beaver fur sourced from a Yup’ik Eskimo village in Western Alaska that uses traditional Aboriginal methods for fur handling as to not disrupt the ecosystem or over hunt. The remains of the animal are also used for food and clothing so nothing is wasted. You may be wondering if she actually went to visit the village before deciding. Instead, she received a video of their fur process and immediately knew that she had to help them preserve their heritage and traditions. 

“I am a big believer in comfort and usability.”

The inner jelly layer of the case for protection took five months of design iteration and testing by Nina and a couple of industrial engineers. To stay true to its New York genesis, the jelly layer is 3D printed in Brooklyn and the furs are cut and assembled by professionals in New York City.

An outgoing fashionista, Nina’s first retail client was Opening Ceremony, thanks to one of her fashion stylist friends (she has quite a few!). Taking over the world one furry friend at a time, Wild and Woolly today is distributed across retailers globally including Opening Ceremony (NY & LA), Browns (London), Leclaireur (Paris), and Canary (Dallas). Soon, the products will also be available at top stores such as Aquagirl (Japan), Boutique 1 (London, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Beirut), Boon the shop (Korea) and our personal favorite, Bergdorf Goodman (NY).   

What’s Next?

Besides doing a global overhaul of Wild and Woolly products in the coming months, Nina would also like to work with more eco-friendly furs in the future. She is curious about nutria, an otter-like animal, which has been decimating the wetlands in the South, causing several states to call for its eradication. You go, girl! 

Think your phone needs a furry, fierce friend? Shop here with promo code: radiche15 for 15% discount on products. Valid through March 15th. 

Photo courtesy of Wild and Woolly.

TAGWALK, ALEXANDRA VAN HOUTTE: The Cool Tagger

Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Pokémon Go may have been few of the most searched terms on Google in 2016. But while the world was googl-ing their life away, we were occupied by another search engine on the block. Say goodbye to hours of manual collection of fashion images and hello to TAGWALK, founded by Alexandra Van Houtte.

Alexandra Van Houtte is originally from Paris but grew up and studied in England since the age of 13. She studied Contemporary Chinese at Nottingham University, lived in China for a year and later studied Fashion Media Styling at London College of Fashion. If this doesn’t make you want to meet her already, here’s another part of her résumé: she is the visionary behind a revolutionary website that has changed the way stylists, journalists and trend setters interact within the fashion industry.

TAGWALK is the first fashion show and accessory keyword searcher; in simple terms, it’s a search engine for clothes. With a well-thought out algorithm running in the background and Alexandra and her team acting as fast paced ‘tag force’ in the front, TAGWALK is able to minimize the time one spends on finding fashion images and maximizes search results. No more #searchingfordays here. 

Alexandra Van Houtte by Bastien Lattanzio

From a Fashion Stylist to a Founder

Alexandra wanted to be a fashion stylist (may have even be obsessed with the idea of it) since she was a little girl. As she recalls, “it all started with Tim Walker for British Vogue when I was around 13. Walker’s dreamy images are what got me attracted and interested in fashion. Then, I interned at the Sunday Times Style at the age of 15, thinking that working in fashion would always keep you on your toes instead of a mundane 9 to 5 job, which didn’t really seem like fun.”

Making her dream come true, she worked a few assistant jobs that required her to go to many stores and shows to look for the latest trends, take photos and report back to her colleagues. Understanding how manual this was, Alexandra had an epiphany, “Is it just me or is it everyone in the industry?” Voilà, the seeds of TAGWALK were planted in 2015.

Tag, You’re It! 

TAGWALK originated via a beta version that was launched in April 2015 with fashion pros testing the product. In fact, to truly review the user experience, Alexandra also tested with her parents who knew nothing about fashion. The development process started when Alexandra sent out polite emails to every brand that showed collections in New York, Paris and Milan. Majority of the brands responded and opted in except for two. Alexandra downloaded the 1000s of images she received, uploaded them on the platform and manually tagged them with her colleague. Before the launch, a link was shared with every brand to check how the images showed, giving them the authority to make changes. 

With a genius idea and a platform in hand, Alexandra directly contacted Sophie Fontanel, a renowned fashion journalist, on Instagram. To her surprise, Sophie responded to that message, met her in person and covered TAGWALK in a full page spread shortly after. In September 2016, the 2nd version was released with menswear styles and the number of visitors quadrupled. Today, a quick search today gives 341 results in one second.   

The #Tag Phenomenon

In a world where Uber is a click away for cab service, Facebook allows for quick stalking and Instagram can transport you to places with one photo, it was inevitable that fashion needed a quick search, select, save option for the numerous images it generates on a daily basis. Indeed, taking inspiration from Instagram, TAGWALK references every single picture from every single season from every single show.

The benefits go beyond just being a stylist’s new secret weapon. The search engine has helped buyers, photographers and journalists for easy referencing for a particular collection. The tags are generated based on category such as menswear, womenswear and accessories, which is then tagged by color, materials, styles, and other garment details. Alexandra’s experience as a stylist came in handy as many of these manual tags are quite subjective. The best part? Not only can you search by designer, season, city or keywords, you are also able to create a login and save all your images in the form of mood boards and print them. Whoa! You didn’t see that coming, did you? 

“There is always space for young people in fashion!”

Alexandra started with zero funds and no knowledge in technology. In fact, she wanted to build the business the cheapest way possible and taught herself much of the tech lingo. For her, the developer was super important. Her advice: “Don’t ever get into a fight with the developer!” and treat them as your best friend. Today, the team consists of her right-hand colleagues, interns, graphic designers and taggers.

With a few mishaps in the beginning, the platform started generating an income six months post-launch. Although all brands are referenced without a charge, the monetization comes from charging brands that don't have a fashion show to be referenced in the search engine. Brands can also get access to detailed industry data at an additional charge. 

“Never satisfy yourself with what you've accomplished, always strive to develop more.”

What TAGWALK has done is nothing short of a life saving trick. It has brought two days of hard work to two hours of efficient work. Funnily, many users won’t even mention TAGWALK so as to keep their secret. In Alexandra’s words, “What makes you lazy actually works! Seamless, Uber, etc. are all making us lazy!”

Her biggest challenge? To trust your instincts rather than depend on other people's opinions. And to never satisfy yourself with what you've accomplished; always strive to develop more. Her learnings? Your reputation is the only thing that people will remember and acknowledge so be nice to every person you encounter in your career. In addition, continue to work on a business plan post-launch to understand where you want to go and to set boundaries.

Alexandra currently lives in Paris and has recently moved into the new offices of TAGWALK. Follow her journey here and register on TAGWALK to impress your next boss. Be aware, you may just get addicted (or promoted)!

Photo courtesy of TAGWALK.

AYNI, ADRIANA CACHAY: Purpose In Peru

When launching a fashion brand, most entrepreneurs struggle between having a kick-ass supply chain (like being sustainable) or great design. It’s tough for the two to co-exist. Yet, Co-Founder of AYNI, Adriana Cachay created a company both built on design and a story revolving around what goes on behind the scenes.

Born in Lima, Peru, Adriana always wanted to become a fashion designer. Coming from a conservative family, her father encouraged her to major in Business Administration followed by a Master’s in 2006 in Industrial Engineering. “My father thought that fashion would not be a lucrative career choice for me.” However, after working for three and a half years in marketing, she met her co-founder Laerke Skyum in Lima, and decided to create a brand on the building blocks of sustainability, community and fantastic designs, tremendously fantastic! (as Trump would say). Fast forward to 2011 and AYNI transformed from a hobby into a legit company.

“I want to empower women through our supply chain and help the country.”

Co-Founders, Laerke Skyum on left and Adriana Cachay on right.

For those know don’t know, Peru is known for its Pima cotton and crazy soft alpaca fabric. When searching for a manufacturer, Adriana tells us that it took her a couple of years to find the right set up. “No one was able to create our high fashion looks with the fabric blends we wanted. So, we set out to create our own supply chain.” Hence, AYNI empowers local artisans (mainly women) through micro-entrepreneurship. They engage in fair wages, build strong relationships and use sustainable materials. Their products are priced between $100- $800. 

“We have 15 different workshops we run with over 200 employees. It feels like we manage multiple children as the women we work with from these communities choose companies based on mutual respect and communication. You have to be very empathetic with them because if they don’t like you, they won’t do the work.” In late 2016, Revolve was able to tour the AYNI supply chain and get up close and personal with these communities to showcase the best practices in Peru.

“Our identity is based on our supply chain. 80% of our collection is hand knitted and is what makes us different.”

It was due to their extraordinary supply chain that Adriana launched AYNI Design Lab (with the Peruvian government) and began sourcing and designing for Scandinavian brands. Some would even call them agents.

“Back in 2014, we were approached at a tradeshow in Copenhagen by a big company who wanted us to be their agents in Peru. It was a great opportunity, so we took it. We realized that it was a good strategy to promote Peruvian design without spending our own cash. This opened the market for us to start sourcing for other brands and gave us an edge to learn the process of how big brands operate.”  As agents (we like to think the 007 kind) and designers, Adriana and Laerke didn’t have a lot of time to allocate towards brand building for AYNI. Most of their money was coming through sourcing and designing for other brands and the ladies were considering pivoting their business model for the long run.

The Death & Rebirth of AYNI

“We decided that given our time constraints, we would hold one last fashion show for AYNI, to say goodbye to the brand.” This was around the time that street style photographer, Scott Schuman came to Peru. It was backstage when Scott saw the girls in action and got inspired to take photos. “Scott was crucial in helping us. He told us that we had a beautiful story, but were not sharing it well. I felt that we were not ready to put ourselves out there. However, his advice was ‘you don’t need to talk about yourselves, you need to talk about what you do.’ From that moment on, we changed our mind.”

The Advice

• Build your identity as a brand. It is very important to know why people would choose to buy you over others.

• Choose the right suppliers because this is where your money is going to spent in the beginning.

• Allocate budget to construct a good marketing strategy before launch. Otherwise, you will end up doing things that don’t work for you.

• Find an accelerator to help scale your business. AYNI is currently part of one in Peru (they were one of the ten companies out of 400 to get selected).

• Launch your product in the U.S. first and then expand to Europe if you choose.

Interested in sourcing pima cotton or alpaca? Adriana can help you. Email us and we’ll put you in touch. 

Photo courtesy of AYNI.

BOTTLETOP, CAMERON SAUL: Can, Consume, Create

What if we told you that drinking canned soda isn’t actually bad for the environment? In fact, you could be fueling the fashion environment by your very own consumption habits. By transforming upcycled aluminum bottle tops into a braided crochet design, Cameron Saul put the s back in fashion with his sustainable luxury brand, Bottletop. Oh yes, Campbell Soup wasn't the only one to use cans for marketing.

Charismatic and charming, Cameron Saul founded Bottletop as a charity foundation in 2002 as well as a fashion company in 2012. With a background in Business Management from King’s College in the UK, Cameron came up with the idea during his gap year before starting freshman year. “After I finished high school, I wanted to explore Africa as a local and ended up working with an organization that took Western volunteers and placed them in developing parts of the country to teach children about HIV prevention, sanitation and hygiene.” It was during this trip that Cameron stumbled upon a village that designed a bag made from recycled bottle tops in Uganda. Eureka!

“It is about cross-cultural collaboration through beautiful design and about empowering artisans and young people.”

Cameron’s family life was unlike most. He grew up on a farm that was built during the time of Henry the VIII; alongside the mentorship of his father, Roger Saul, founder of fashion brand Mulberry. Upon his return to the UK, Cameron brought back samples of the bag and tweaked the design to appeal to the European market. He then launched a campaign with Vogue in collaboration with Mulberry to test out the market in 2002. It became the best selling bag internationally for that season. 

“We were able to raise 150,000 pounds for the charity organization I had worked for in Uganda, and support the teams in Nairobi and Cape Town who constructed the outside shell of the bag. I thought that this was a wonderful formula to build a brand upon. The DNA was all there.” Boom, and just like that Bottletop was created.

“We have developed a unique product and people need to physically touch it, feel it and hear the story.”

Bottletop products can be found anywhere from Japan, Canada, or Brazil to different parts of Europe. Priced between $65 to $1,500, they are extremely light weight since the chain is made from aluminum. 

Despite engaging in wholesale and online distribution, “we are now focusing more on retail because we find that we can control the conversations we have with our customers better, get valuable feedback and share our story. For us, it is very much about the bigger conversation.”

The Power of Collaborations

The best way to grow an audience or gain a following as a new brand is through collaboration. Having limited resources and design knowledge, Cameron looked towards different fields such as art, music and design for partnerships. “We found artists to remix records the way we would remix the materials of the bag; giving it a more commercial edge.” Some other partnerships included working with high-end boutique hotels in the UK, fundraising through art auctions and exhibitions, and selling music albums and accessories to support the records. “It was through music that I met my partner, Oliver Wayman.” Take note folks, co-founders can come from anywhere and at anytime!

In order to grow their team and raise more funds, Bottletop developed their own signature line in Brazil in 2010 by crocheting the tabs into a luxury fabric-like use and partnering with Narciso Rodriguez. “This gave us a big opportunity to scale the business and market ourselves as a sustainable luxury brand.” Insider information: Jessica Alba spearheaded the introduction to Narciso.

The Supply Chain

Bottletop promotes itself as a sustainable fashion brand due to its usage of upcycled aluminum tabs as well sourcing its leather from cows that are raised on farms that protect the rainforest. Also known as zero deforestation farms. “We didn’t find anything in vegan leather that matched the quality we wanted.” Given its unique braiding technique, Bottletop manufactures its products in-house and is vertically integrated.

The Advice

Besides focusing on product, product, product, Cameron tells us how he believes that “wholesale is the best way to test a product in the marketplace, but your margins will be small. Alternatively, today, pop-ups create an amazing opportunity to capture the brand ethos. Any brand starting out today should try to have end-to-end ownership of the supply chain and should support the environment. We can’t afford to live any other way. You should make a sustainable product that will have a positive impact.”

For those looking to shop online, mention promo code “ radiche ” for a 20% discount. If you are more of the social type, head on over to Bottletop’s current pop-up location at 199 Mott street, New York to say “hi” to Cameron. Let him know we sent you. 

Photo courtesy of Bottletop.

IZAAK AZANEI, KHEMLANIS: A Family Affur

You’ve met The Fockers, The Patels and The Kardashians (sorry, we had to). Well, it’s about time you meet The Khemlanis—three fashionable sisters who are building an empire on fur and fashion. As a new generation family business, they are the #bossbabes running Izaak Azanei.

Karishma, Roshni and Deeya Khemlani were born and raised in London. While sharing the same womb wasn’t enough, they also attended the same university, London School of Economics, at different times. And to continue the trend of doing everything as #wearefamily they launched Izaak Azanei in November 2014.

But what makes them and the brand so interesting is the fact that they all come from business backgrounds, live across three countries and are the epitome of on-the-go street style. Whether it is pairing a fur cardigan with a pair of Stan smiths or a Moschino leather bomber with a fur scarf, they are living and breathing bodies of effortless chic. Thank goodness for us and our wardrobes, they’ve decided to extend an entire brand that embodies this #idgaf attitude while staying coy.

“I can’t imagine having a business without my sisters. It’s tough but there’s no filter!”

Roshni and Karishma Khemlani

The eldest of the three, Karishma Rajwani Khemlani lives in the Canary Islands and has a background in accounting and finance. She handles production and deals with suppliers, sampling, logistics and back end ecommerce. Roshni Khemlani Mehta resides in Dubai and comes from an economics background. She currently handles the press team, social media and all of the company sales. The youngest, Deeya Khemlani, who studied law and anthropology, is a juggler and spends her time between dipping her toes in all aspects of the business (she loves design the most!) and working as a banker in London. 

While the roles are quite solidified, Roshni mentions, “We are still a small company so everyone really does everything.” Deeya adds, “For example, production has been our biggest challenge. But, Karishma has a knack for dealing with suppliers, she is a gifted when it comes to having patience! So, each one of us has our own strengths that we bring to the brand.” The magic mostly happens in their UK headquarters and will soon be introduced via an office and showroom in Dubai. All products are sold via ecommerce and across 20 retailers worldwide. In terms of sales, 60% comes from the Middle East and the rest from Europe and the U.S.

The Backstory

So, how does one go about starting a company based on simply one element: fur? Roshni remembers, “It was 2009 and I was working in finance covering luxury goods. I had always wanted to work for a luxury house such as LVMH or Richemont. At the time, I was the only girl on my team and all luxury investments would go through me. I would get in at 7:45 am every morning and religiously spend 1-2 hours reading Business of Fashion (it was merely a small blog then). I quickly realized that there was a huge gap in the market for affordable fur.”

Fast forward to 2013, major brands were making a comeback with fur including the likes of Gucci and Givenchy. Deeya says, “a lot of people were talking about fur in London but you would walk into a Harvey Nichols store and you couldn’t find anything cool that didn’t cost less than £3,000.” To combat this, the sisters started researching fur coats, which was the original idea for the collection, and understood that it was difficult to create a high quality fur product while keeping it affordable. So, instead of wearing apple bottom jeans and boots with the fur, these ladies decided to go with knitwear that could be worn as an everyday staple on any body shape in any temperature. 

The Name Game

Izaak is loosely based off a saint who visited India many centuries ago. The word Azanei has no meaning but just sounded cool and was thus added to the company’s name. Either way, we’re diggin’ it, ladies!

Setting #StreetStyle

Today, the Izaak Azanei collections are a mix of merino wool and cashmere with a mix of furs from blue fox, silver fox and raccoon. The prices range from £150 to £550 allowing for women of 20-35 who come from a cosmopolitan environment, travel quite often and require luxury clothes as staple items to become loyal customers.

Izaak Azanei’s marketing is based on the fact that people are less interested in spending £4,000 unless it’s Gucci or Dolce & Gabbana. “People are not going to spend that kind of money unless it’s that kind of brand and we don’t want to be that. We want people to like good quality materials and create products that are investment pieces where you can get use out of them.” Deeya adds, “Today, you see something on Instagram, you like it, you follow the brand, you go to their website and you buy the product. In pictures, you can’t tell the quality or make of a product, just how it is styled with other pieces. We want to capitalize on that!” Check out their SS17 collection that was recently shown on Moda Operandi and you’ll know what they mean. 

“There are always issues when you start your own business. You just become more knowledgeable on how to deal with them after each collection.”

The Izaak Azanei journey may have begun in 2014 with the help of Roshni’s membership into the British Fur Association but it has continued over the years. She and Karishma took up fashion studies in merchandising and marketing/branding at Parsons New York this past summer. With no design experience, Roshni also worked directly with renowned couture furrier, Rebecca Bradley (fun fact: she collaborated with Kanye West for his first Yeezy collection) to understand production techniques and fur positioning on garments.

In short, constantly reviewing fashion trends, observing street style while globe-trotting and always using af-fur-dable prices as a starting point, the Khemlani sisters have successfully created a brand that goes beyond just a product—it’s a way of living and expressing the furry fashionista in you.

As a perfect gift for this holiday season, use promo code: RADICHE for 10% discount on all collections on their web shop. If you’d like to get in touch with the trio, reach out to us.

Photo courtesy of Izaak Azanei.

SLICK CHICKS, HELYA MOHAMMADIAN: The Empowering Undie

The older we get, the less confident we become in our ability to do things ourselves. Not being able to walk, run or for some even change their own undies become large obstacles. Don’t worry, we got your bum. Founder of Slick Chicks, Helya Mohammadian, created an innovative underwear that can be changed without having to lift your foot. A product for not only those in need, but for the lazy as well.  

“Ever since I was nine years old, I drew bathing suits and dresses. I always loved fashion and my dream was to one day live in New York.”

Gorgeous, gregarious and generous, Helya Mohammadian is the Founder and CEO of the underwear company, Slick Chicks. Born in Iran, Helya moved to Louisiana as a young girl and grew up in a small town. “There were only three exits on the highway and if you missed one, you missed my house.”

A graduate from FIT, majoring in Fashion Design, Helya has over 10 years of experience in the industry. “I knew that I wanted to do something related to fashion, but I didn't know in what capacity.” Post college, she worked with companies such as Bergdorf Goodman, Gilt, and Carolina Herrera to name a few. Fun fact: she got to meet and hand pick Hillary Clinton's suits in 2007. Apparently, Clinton always stuck to red and navy.

“I didn’t think of it as a business idea, but more along the terms of how can I solve this problem for myself.”

“I was doing a spin class one day and went to the bathroom to freshen up since I had to run a bunch of errands after. I was trying to maneuver a way to take my underwear off without taking my tights off. I was very frustrated so I literally ripped my underwear at the sides and threw them away.” This was a defining moment for Helya or as we like to call it, her “aha moment.”

Founded in June 2014, Slick Chicks is an online underwear company that empowers women through their daily lives by allowing them to change their underwear without lifting a foot. Not to mention, even our grandma would love it! The product has flexible fasteners on either side, enabling customers to change their undies on the go, in the hospital, at the gym or even while breastfeeding. The fabric is anti-leak, anti-microbial and moisture wicking to promote a long-lasting feeling of freshness. “It was amazing to hear stories of customers in hospitals, wheelchairs or even mothers-to-be, who developed confidence in their daily lives by using our underwear.”

The Name

“I always looked up to Sara Blakely, Founder of Spanx and how she started her company. During my research, I read that consumers love catchy names or sounds of X, K and C. Therefore, I wanted to create something memorable and came up with the word Slick from which I ended up using Slick Chicks.” Helya is also working on another line called Undies that will be catered to men.

“No one will execute your vision the way that you would. So, get as much feedback as you possibly can.”

What started out as an observation quickly turned into a thriving business. Helya tested the market by producing a few pairs in the garment district and receiving customer feedback by conducting focus groups with family and friends. Currently, production is done overseas in Dominican Republic. However, in the beginning, Helya produced everything within the U.S. to have better control on her supply chain even though the margins were lower.

The Advice

For those looking to launch their own fashion line, Helya tells us to “always look at all of your options and don’t go with the first company who gives you attention because you are small.”

So what are you waiting for? With the holidays around the corner and Christmas coming up, get grandma, mom and Auntie Amy a pair of innovative undies to shave minutes off their day. Priced at $26, use discount code RADICHE for 20% off + free shipping.

Photo Courtesy of Slick Chicks.

TALARIA FLATS, INGRID SARVER: The Foot Healer

Bachelorette parties. Club nights. Long work days. What do they all have in common? Heels! But worse than heels is the aftermath of wearing them all day and all night long. To save our feet and men from carrying us, Ingrid Sarver created Talaria Flats.

It was a hot summer day in Chicago circa 2013 when Ingrid was attending a bachelorette. She went from partying at day to bar hopping at night. At 4 am when all the bridesmaids had taken their shoes off, Ingrid realized there had to be a solution to every girl’s nightmare: swollen feet. Voilà, the early seeds of Talaria Flats were planted.

Launched in October 2014, Talaria Flats is a product based company that sells foldable ballerina flats in silver, black, white and champagne colors. They are sold in single pairs for $38 or as Bridesmaids Pack of three pairs, with additional pairs priced at $25 per pair. You can purchase them at their web shop or at Kleinfeld Bridal. Best part? You can customize them with your bridesmaids’ initials. 

All About Business

Originally from Michigan, Ingrid studied Economics at Georgetown University. After working at a hedge fund for two years, she earned her MBA from NYU Stern in 2014. While at NYU, she was one of the seven students trying to start a business among the likes of fellow RADICHE Makers of Brooklinen.

With an entrepreneurial spirit since childhood, Ingrid engaged in garage sales, cotton candy sales and real estate while at Georgetown. It may have been this spark and work ethic that has helped increase revenue of $60,000 in 2014 to $400,000 in 2015. But like any serial entrepreneur, Ingrid needed to test her market and validate the price point before launching the company.

“You will love your idea. It will be your baby and everything you think of 100% of the time.” 

A financier turned founder, Ingrid says the hardest part of starting her business was sharing the idea. “It’s a piece of yourself. When you tell people about your idea, it’s like sharing a part of your soul.” In the beginning, while many contemplated on how she would compete with $7 flats from Walmart, she received overwhelmingly positive feedback from friends and family. This made her dive deeper into the business and work on the business as a school project at NYU. 

Ingrid conducted market surveys and had the female student population, which accounted for 40% of the total student body, over for beer and shoe testing. Just like her, these women didn’t have a fashion background but a business mind that was important for details such as functionality and design. She remembers receiving feedback from men as well (they clearly were more excited than women after reminiscing about all the times they had to assist them!).

“Having to defend your idea makes your idea that much stronger.”

The process from ideation to actual product development took about eight months. Ingrid says, “I did a lot of product sampling and worked with about 20 factories before picking one.” Through research, she found shoes that were $5 for one night stands (no pun intended) to those worth upwards of $500. There was nothing in between. “I found the white space in the market and decided to make something that was durable yet didn’t break the bank. Once I had the price I wanted to work with, I back tracked and narrowed down my manufacturer.” Today, the shoes are made in China and stored in New Jersey with sales across New York, Texas, California and the Atlantic Coast.

Another finding that helped Talaria Flats grow quickly was that many competitors were providing ballet flats but none of them were focusing on the wedding/events industry. “Most brides who buy gifts for their bridesmaids usually spend about $100 per bridesmaid. Having flats that were affordable with two $20 bills was something that stuck with me from a customer psychology point of view.” Indeed, this market segment has been enormously successful because it has led to customers being engaged and having conversations on the company’s Facebook and Pinterest pages.  

Why The Name?

Initially, Ingrid wanted to name the brand “Cinderella’s Flats” to evoke the Cinderella story...midnight, the glass slipper, you get it. She even dreamed beyond the product and hoped to rent a food truck, call it “the godmother mobile” and sell shoes around Murray Hill and the Meatpacking District. No joke.

Little did she know, a small business in New Jersey owned the rights to the word “Cinderella” for footwear and Disney licensed with them. So, after debating to take legal action, Ingrid finally let go of the word and settled on Talaria, the name of a Greek God. Known as a messenger God, he would travel from place to place with gold sandals that were never ruined. Today, Talaria is the modern day version of those sandals that can take women everywhere. The days of no pain, no gain are over!

What’s Next?

With a few false starts in the manufacturing and naming space, Ingrid and Talaria Flats are well on their way to climb high mountains. Whether it was the demand for matching shoes for flower girls to inspiration from Ingrid’s new born daughter, Talaria Flats will soon be introducing children’s and teens’ sizes. To add to the sisterhood of sharing shoe pains, the company is also hoping to get involved with Greek life at major universities. They plan to work with sorority members as brand ambassadors where they can customize shoes or sell them as part time income generation.

Want to get your hands on a pair? Use promo code: Radiche for 20% off orders. This promo code will only last for a month so act fast. Have an idea for Ingrid? Email us and we’ll put you in touch!

Photo courtesy of Talaria Flats. 

MONK, RABRINDRA & HARRIS: The Conscious Craftsmen

There are brands who create fashion for the masses and those who target the elite. Somewhere in between, two handsome and business-savvy men decided to focus on the artisans and one extraordinary product: cashmere. By infusing the two together, they introduced MONK.

It was during their travel to Tulum, Mexico while at The Wharton School when Rabindra Shrestha and Harris Atmar met. A couple of mutual friends and two cocktails later, they eventually ended up co-founding MONK Collection, a new way of wearing cashmere, sourced straight from Kathmandu Valley of Nepal.

Back to B-School

Co-founders, Harris Atmar and Rabindra Shrestha

Rabindra’s upbringing in Nepal surrounded by pure cashmere or “Fabric of Emperors” made him want to start a company that celebrated the renowned craftsmanship. After graduating with an undergrad degree in Economics from Stanford University in 2008, Rabindra was ready to take on the world as an MBA grad. On the other hand, Harris was brought up in Dubai and graduated from University of Pennsylvania with a double major in Economics and Consumer Psychology in 2011. His work stint at McKinsey & Company took him to Dubai, London and eventually landed him a post-graduate sponsorship.

“We write stories about the process of making the product.”

Rabindra tracks back to where it all began, saying, “being in school gave us some time so we started off doing research and brainstorming the branding and ethos. Although neither of us have design backgrounds, we both have a similar style and aesthetic so coming up with the initial designs was easy.” During the months that followed, they realized that the brand’s ethos was that everything was made by hand.

Indeed, that is what differentiates MONK from other direct-to-consumer brands. Everything you see and touch is hand made. The collection is hand woven or hand spun, the product tags are hand-printed on handmade paper, the buttons have carvings and the packaging is constructed by hand with handmade paper. “We tell stories of the people who make our products and their processes, that have been passed down generations.”

“We wanted to make a business case for the brand in terms of messaging, branding, and economics.”

Like many post-grad students who are trained via real-life case studies, Harris and Rabindra wanted to make a case for their own brand. So, they started by bringing their vision to life. Harris tells us, “we created digital mood boards to streamline our thoughts. This was helpful because it made us realize what we wanted our focus to be. Then, we worked with 2-3 fashion designers in Philadelphia and New York to bring the vision on paper. We had a lot of learning upfront. For example, the basics of communicating with the designers. They thought we were crazy sometimes because of what we were asking them to do.” 

As part of an entrepreneurship course, the two founders set out to actually bring MONK to reality. While there were traditional (think grandpa type sweaters) and modern (think Club Monaco) companies incorporating cashmere and knitwear in their lines, no one was solely working with good and modern cashmere. Boom, MONK became economically attractive and officially launched in October 2015.

Authenticity Goes Far

MONK has witnessed many hurdles such as visa issues (Rabindra proudly speaks about his Nepali passport and how it’s ranked as one of the last passports that is accepted worldwide) as well as emergencies (when Daily Pnut ran a promo ad making the team work till last minute to get the website running). Don’t worry, they celebrated at a bar right after the email went out!

“You have to deal with the ups and downs in a way that b-school doesn’t teach you.”

As Harris returns to McKinsey & Company with a slight touch on MONK, Rabindra reflects back on their learnings. “At Wharton, they told us about collaborating with international profiles. But, it wasn’t until we started our company that we realized how important it is to understand the nature in which you deal with people. How you manage long-term relationships and deal with the highs and lows of your business is learned by actually doing the work or in our case, carrying boxes of inventory across workshops.”

The key takeaway, per Harris, was “knowing that you have to prepare yourself that something may not work out. There were days when we were certain that ‘it was over!’ yet, we decided to move on and try something different. While we were taught in b-school that there is structure to everything, we realized that when you get down to business, it’s tough to keep that structure.”

For the Love of Cashmere and Craftsmanship

The collection today includes both menswear and womenswear. The price ranges between $130-$150 for scarves, $195 for V-neck sweaters, $380 for cardigans and $400 for hand woven and hand spun throws. Interestingly enough, they thought their target audience was the new generation of shoppers who wouldn’t really care to buy a Brunello Cucinelli sweater. Yet, their recent customers include a woman who bought a MONK sweater for her 55-year old husband. Lesson learned: it’s hard to do target segmentation.

Another realization was the fact that the most important aspect of purchasing a MONK product was to feel the quality of the product. “Ecommerce by definition means that one has to be comfortable with buying online. But, we kept hearing from our friends and family that they wanted to touch the material.” In response, Monk hosted an intimate event and began retailing at Public Factory in New York. The team will be soon be introducing a home collection, more women focused products including a one size fits all sweater and expanding their retail presence.

A perfect way to say hello to the fall season, here’s your chance to celebrate craftsmanship with MONK. Use promo code: radiche for 30% off on all orders. Happy shopping!

Photo courtesy of MONK.

MINISTRY, AMAN ADVANI: The Double Agent

It’s 8:50 am and you're running late to work, sweating, stiff and yeah, you might even smell bad. With our ever adapting lives, we need clothes that can keep up. Co-Founder of Ministry, Aman Advani, realized the gap in the market and launched his company to help unleash our inner athlete by reinventing performance based workwear.

The bold, daring and newlywed, Co-Founder of Ministry, Aman Advani always had a passion for performance based activewear. “As a generation who grew up around Nike, I found it crazy that we are still wearing this cotton woven stiff, unforgiving outfit to work 16 hours a day just so that we can look sharp enough to get through it. That’s where the dream of creating Ministry really started for me.”

What originally began as a men's only collection, Ministry (formerly known as Ministry of Supply) recently changed their name and launched workwear for the flip side of the coin, women (oh, yes!). The brand revolves around incorporating NASA’s smart fabrics, performance-based designs, and data to craft the ultimate workwear line for both men and women.

With no experience in fashion, Aman graduated from Georgia Tech University, where he majored in Industrial Engineering. Following the trend, as most engineers do, Aman worked in consulting at Deloitte for four years prior to graduation and then enrolled at MIT in 2011. Dating back to 2009, Aman made his first sock prototype by cutting out the soles of a dress sock and inserting the soles of a Nike sock into a rudimentary version of today what is called their Atlas sock. Fun fact: Aman met both of his co-founders at MIT and took a leave of absence to fulfill his venture full time. “Prior to meeting my co-founders, Gihan and Kit, I found out that we were all separately prototyping and exploring options for this space that at the time we called performance professional. So, it only seemed natural to link up.”

Why the Name?

Ministry is based upon the character Q from the James Bond movies. You know, that guy who makes all of Bond’s clothing and gadgets. Essentially, he makes Bond look suave, but also ready for anything. Q is based on a person who in real life operates under the title of Ministry of Supply. “So, for us it was an obvious link to what we call the empathetic inventor.”

“We spent a year in R&D, spoke to thousands of people, sent out surveys to men to find out what they like, don't like and what their pain points are. We initially went through 14 rounds of sampling to make our first shirt.”

Before being known for Ministry, Aman was working on a company called Beneathe with a similar concept. However, before officially launching, the gang engaged in a Kickstarter campaign to test out the market. This was a safe and efficient way to get market feedback. The best part about using a Kickstarter campaign was not having to guess size or color prior to production for distribution. Nothing was pre-stitched. As a result, Ministry was able to get an immediate understanding of the sizing and best selling colors from day one. “We got access to what our customer wanted or looked like which otherwise would have had to been predicted and forecasted.” After building up strong momentum, sending out clothing to influential bloggers and speaking at panels and bars, they raised $430,000 via Kickstarter. Not bad! “The biggest feedback we got from Kickstarter was that we nailed the functional component, but needed to tighten up the fashion style.”

Word On The Block

Word of mouth marketing has been the most influential platform for Ministry. “We don't have to go and pay an immense amount to get a customer to come to us and it has been something really special for us to see how much people have stepped up and spread the word on our behalf.” Aman also tells us how they like to surprise customers every now and then by sending them free gifts.

The Challenges

Sourcing, sourcing, sourcing. We hear it all the time when it comes to selling products. Ministry bases their factory partnerships on ethics, capabilities and service. “Geography and price points are not qualifications for us.” Most of their production takes places in Japan, Taiwan, China and L.A. “Initially we were reaching out to factories via cold calling to get their attention, but found out that it is much easier to go through a warm introduction. So we worked our way through the fashion scene and met a lot of key contacts at Patagonia and other start-ups and leveraged their networks, which was one of the best things we could have done.”

The Advice

After chatting about all the new fashion start-ups and high competition in this industry, Aman tells us how “it sometimes seems daunting and terrifying to try and break into the fashion world, but one thing I have learned about fashion is that there is a spot for everyone. It may be big or small, but there is a spot for you. Once I had the confidence of taking a vision and bringing it to life, selling a product is not impossible. I feel that it is such a deeply fragmented industry that it’s open to newcomers, even though it might not seem that way, but give it a shot!”

His most important two cents: Market pull! “Are you creating something that there is demand for? If not, it is going to be exhausting and you are probably not going to make it. If people don't want your product, it is going to be expensive to sell it to them.”

Want to upgrade your workwear and feel like a superstar? Shop here. If you are interested in visiting Boston and getting to know Aman better, email us and we will put you in touch.

Photo courtesy of Aman Advani.

MARGAUX, ALEXA & SARAH: The Perfect Fit

If you’re anything like most women on the sidewalks today, you know the struggle is real when it comes to perfectly fitted shoes. Having one foot bigger than the other is common, we get it! In fact, it’s so common that two best friends got together and launched Margaux to make sure that both of your feet “fit” in.

Founders, Alexa Buckley and Sarah Pierson met during freshman year at Harvard University. 2014 graduates with backgrounds in History, they both decided to ditch their consulting job offers for a riskier path, the startup life. Alexa reminisces, “Sarah and I became roommates in sophomore year. We spent a lot of time together dreaming up big ideas which eventually led us to walk away from those job offers.”

Alexa and Sarah started with the concept first and then developed the product. Initially, they were thinking about diving into leather handbags to craft the perfect bag, but eventually realized the gap and opportunity in the footwear category. “We wanted to construct something for the modern woman at a very high level. We wanted something that felt timeless, but yet empowering. So we took a step back to look at the staples in a woman’s wardrobe and arrived at the ballet flat as this perfect holding piece in her closet.” Understanding and honoring that most women have asymmetrical feet, Margaux’s shoes are customized to fit and made to order.

How It Works

Margaux launched via vogue.com in May 2015 and mainly sells through their website as well as pop-ups around the country in places such as San Fran, Palm Beach, Philadelphia, The Hamptons and Texas. Customers are encouraged to measure their feet using the Margaux sizing tool kit and upload their data to their online profile. They can also schedule an appointment with a Margaux Fitting Specialist to drop by their homes for a proper fitting if you like to get fancy like that.

The pop-ups have proven to be very successful for Margaux as it is a “wonderful way for people to see the colors in person because they really come to life as does the quality. We find it so important to have face time with our customers. The pop-ups also help encourage customers to create an online profile to which everything is saved so it increases the loyalty rate and likelihood to purchase again.” 

Why The Name

“We fell in love with the name because we felt it described our modern woman. It sounded elegant, elevated and timeless with a modern edge. We also loved the aesthetics of the “M” and “X” and ended up turning that into our logo. The letters felt bold, strong and classy. We didn’t want to name it after ourselves because we wanted it to be an identity that any woman could identify with or feel some companionship with. We really wanted the customer to take ownership of the brand.”

“We learnt to keep banging on doors until someone would give us a Yes.”

Margaux imports its leather from Spain and Italy and assembles the product in New York. As a result, they are able to have better quality control and ship their customized product at a faster rate, making them agile. After much competition from Looney Tunes character, Speedy Gonzales, the ladies came out first as it takes roughly two weeks from order to delivery.

“A lot of people told us to not even try visiting factories as they were not going to rework their system for our tiny orders.” However, these determined ladies were able to prove most people wrong. “This was at a moment when a lot of direct to consumer brands were taking off so we understood the value of the digital experience that allowed brands to unlock huge amounts of value for their customers at much better price points.” Fun fact: Sarah is a night owl, while Alexa is a morning bird. Between these two, the company is always in operating mode.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• You have an idea, start hashing out the business plan and target market first, then focus on the product. It is important to find a gap in the market.

• Cold email, research and find experts in the field that can help you with production and sourcing.

• You don’t need to be an expert in what you want to do.

• Divide and conquer. If you are a team of two, have someone manage operations, finance and production while the other manages the external side such as marketing and PR.

• The fashion industry is a crowded market. Develop a special function or design that makes you stand out and have a value proposition.

• Create a tactile experience, especially in the footwear industry.

• Never take No for an answer, unless it’s coming from your mother.

Interested in customizing your own shoe while feeling like royalty? Priced at $185 for standard fit and $215 for made to measure. Shop here or visit the Margaux showroom to schedule your fitting. Feeling gregarious and want to say hi to the founders? Email us and we will be more than happy to connect you.

Photo courtesy of Bridget Badore. 

ASTERIA ACTIVE, SENA YANG: The Goddess of Function

“Grocery shopping in your workout clothes? You must be crazy!” Indeed, this may have been looked down upon a decade ago. Today, it has become a norm for New Yorkers (we see you, Whole Fooders). To take it one step further, there is a new brand on the block that brings activewear to a whole new level. Hello, Asteria Active!

Sena Yang had us at kimchi (word on the street is she makes it in-house)! But, what stuck with us was her passion and commitment to bring the best of fashion to the masses. From taking SENA, a contemporary collection, to 70 retailers domestically and internationally, Sena is now jumping on the “athleisure” bandwagon.

There are Lulu’s, Gap’s, Nike’s and several other brands but what differentiates Asteria Active? It’s Sena’s vision of designing based on form, function and feeling. With styles ranging from $85 - $225 and a mix of solid and printed clothing, it’s no ordinary fashion line.

“I don’t want to give people something that’s not going to work.”

As a Rhode Island School of Design graduate in 2006, Sena focused on apparel design. Her past gigs at Catherine Malandrino, Seattle Opera House, Alexander McQueen, and LaROK led to building key relationships in the industry. This eventually helped her become a one-woman show with close experts she could get advice from.

“The idea around the brand is moving forward, positive and inspirational—the values need to be through the process—it has to be full circle for it to be authentic.” Asteria Active focuses on versatility with pieces that work for everyone, everywhere. A trend that bothered Sena was the compromise of quality when it came to activewear. Hence, technical fabrics are at the core of the brand.

The Aha Moment

SENA closed shop after four years mostly due to Sena’s change of heart and the growing competitors in the contemporary space (think Zara). “Contemporary had become a very different market in 2012. It was hard to compete. At the same time, I personally shifted gears because I became interested in health and wellness. I saw the positive benefits of working out and the mind + body connection. The wellness industry was and still is very big and we’re seeing what works, which is exciting.”

In fact, the “athleisure” market in the U.S. — including athletic apparel, footwear and accessories — is worth $97 billion annually. The term even won an entry in the next update of the Merriam-Webster dictionary! Around 2013, while Sena took a stint at freelancing, she realized that her clothes just weren’t working for her. “I thought to myself: there had to be a way to make the clothing more functional. I was wearing all your household names from Lululemon to Nike, but there was a huge gap between functional and stylish. It didn’t make sense to me that great styles didn’t come with fabric that couldn’t perform.” Boom, the idea of Asteria Active (named after a Greek Titan Goddess might we add) was born in 2015. Thanks to a Kickstarter campaign, Sena raised $16,000 that literally kick started the production process.

Sleepless in Seattle

Born in Seattle, Washington, Sena was interested in art and design from the get go. Her parents helped nurture this by letting her make garments and Barbie dolls; apparently, she made Ken before he was even alive! Another fun fact: Sena was a regular at Value Village, a thrift store where the Macklemore video was shot (#majorthrowback). Here, she bought vintage shirts, cut them up and sewed them back together. One can easily argue that this is when Sena passed fabric 101. “I learned to make things with what I had around me: immediate materials. A lot of my learning and development process began at the age of 3 or 4.”

This creative process has translated into Asteria Active today. The collection’s motto “Activewear for Everywhere” comes to life through incredible fabrics. A few characteristics include four-way stretch, color retention after wash, and durability. The tank tops are made from recycled fibers from the natural biomass found in the ocean that makes it anti-bacterial, anti-odor and sun protective. Most importantly, its anti-pill. The staple black leggings have black spandex in them so it resists shine when light hits it, giving it a strong matte finish. And the best part? Good coverage and recovery. The leggings don’t get baggy around the knees after multiple uses. All of the manufacturing is done in New York because Sena believes that “if the production isn’t right, the product won’t be right.”

“Fashion is cultural commentary in 3D form.”

Everyone knows how hard it is to enter the fashion world, let alone compete with longstanding brands. When we asked her what made Asteria Active unique, she says, “It’s my personal aesthetic and need to find what’s different, yet unique to every body type. The brand is based on positive energy and social observation on what’s going on now.” For example, one of the prints in Sena’s collection is Rain Camo, inspired by endless rain in Seattle.

Sena Yang at The Cooper Hewitt Design Museum Workshop

For Sena, education is at the crux of everything. Outside of Asteria, she is an Educator and has taught at The Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum. Next month, she will be teaching a workshop at the Children's Museum of Manhattan.

You can find Asteria Active in boutiques such as Erika Bloom Pilates Studio and Evolve Fit Wear or purchase directly off their web shop using promo code: AsteriaxRadiche for 10% discount on any order.

Photo courtesy of Asteria Active. 

ECOLE, JORGE COSANO: The Fashion Principal

We know, most men are lazy when it comes to our favorite word: shopping. Let’s face it, you would rather have your girlfriend or mother show up to your house with a bunch of garments than you having to go to a store and try everything on. Founder, Jorge Cosano realized this and launched ÉCOLE to provide a mobile friendly digital experience for the Millennial man by showcasing emerging designers and style tips.

A philanthropist at heart, Jorge Cosano introduced ÉCOLE  in March 2015 because he wanted to see men dress well. ÉCOLE sells a mixture of known and emerging brands priced between $100-$300 per piece. “We supply fashion with an edge, but it has to be wearable of course. We noticed that when most guys go to an e-commerce website, they get overwhelmed. The way I see the future of retail and how we play into that is by being an emerging platform for true designers.” You can think of ÉCOLE as a combination between etsy and Uber. Their proposition lies around customer service and experience. “It’s the Blue Apron for fashion: all about convenience.”

Why The Name?

“I saw a sign in Paris that said ÉCOLE in 2006 and I really liked the word because it means school in French. So I decided to buy the domain name and ended up using it in 2015. It took me many years to figure out what it would be, but I knew I wanted to do something around men.” ÉCOLE  acts as a fashion school for men by guiding them to find their look based on their personality test. Luckily, you can’t fail in this class. As for their marketing, Facebook has been their most successful platform. They also engage in a lot of pop-ups in NY and L.A. “When we launched in L.A., we saw a huge spike.” Inside tip: never limit yourself to one market. 

“I think curiosity is an important skill that is extremely underrated.”

Born and raised in Spain, Jorge majored in environmental engineering from ETSIAM in 1998. He then got his Masters in Landscape Design in Dublin, followed by his MBA from The Wharton School at Penn years later. An avid believer in failing fast, Jorge realized early on that architecture wasn't for him. “I always liked business so I decided to apply for a leadership program and ended up working with IBM.” 

Way ahead of his time, Jorge was working on a mobile e-commerce project for IBM in 1999 and was doing everything from coding to marketing. He learned everything on the spot in a very short period. However, the market was not ready as cell phones could not support mobile payments as easily as today. Imagine trying to enter your credit card info into your old Nokia triple click keypad, yeah right!

Because Consultants Know Best

Fast forward, Jorge worked at McKinsey in Madrid after graduating from Wharton and decided that consulting wasn’t for him either. “I love working with very smart people and engaging in challenging problems, but I needed to touch physical products. I don’t like services because they are not tangible and I needed to create things that are.” Jorge feels that there are two powerful ways to influence the economy: either you are close to the consumer or up high in the chain and are a power player like Goldman Sachs. “I like being close to the consumers.”

Jorge then joined L’Oréal and managed a team at the age of 30. He moved to Paris to launch Armani Beauty fragrance and by the end understood how to turn around businesses that are in bad shape or not growing fast enough. He also realized that consumers’ perception was changing around this time, in 2009, and presented an idea similar to Birchbox to L’Oréal, but they never bought into it (Birchbox launched the same concept later on). Frustrated by corporate constraints, Jorge wanted to oversee the incubation of new brands and build something worthwhile. Boom, he quit in 2014.

“A CEO’s job is not to be the smartest person. It is to assemble the best team.”

Need to build your team? Don’t use a headhunter! You want to find people who believe in your mission, philosophy and don’t treat it like another regular job. “I see a lot of startups stealing high-level people from corporations and trying to match their salary. Trust me, this person will leave you as soon as things get hard because they didn't sign up for the idea, they signed up for a job.”

 

RADICHE GUIDE on drafting your star players:

• Understand the key roles you need

• Talk to as many people as you can via LinkedIn, Facebook and your network to find out what the roles are about and then draft the job description

• Hire based on culture fit before skillset

• As a CEO, you should understand every job function and what it takes to make a team work

Want to look cool, but not like you tried too hard? Mention promo code Radiche for a $50 discount on any purchase of $100 or more at ÉCOLE. 

L'DEZEN, PAYAL SHAH: The Icebreaker

Beauty and inspiration can come from anywhere. Some find it at the bottom of their shoes, while others find it on top of their ceilings. The act of translating ideas into products is what makes one a designer. A young lady, in particular, set out to as Beyonce would say “put a ring on it.”

Founder of jewelry company, L’Dezen, Payal Shah is no ordinary Indian gal. A honeymoon baby, born in Mumbai, India, she grew up in Hong Kong and considers herself half Chinese. With an educational background in Architectural Design from University of Westminster and Inchbald School of Design in London and her family’s long standing experience in the diamond industry, Payal launched L’Dezen in 2011. “I wasn't necessarily looking to be an architect, but I knew that it would open a lot of doors for me because we are heading in a direction where the world is changing so quickly and structure and form is becoming very important.”

Humble Beginnings

Founder, Payal Shah

After her studies in London, Payal moved back to Hong Kong and worked for a hospitality firm as a Junior Designer. She worked on furniture pieces and soon realized that she liked working with smaller forms as opposed to larger forms of design. “In the evenings, I would work for my father in his office and help him assort diamonds according to size, shape and color. I learnt a lot in that process and decided I wanted to create a small jewelry collection of my own.”

Shortly after, Payal produced 30-40 original pieces and showed it to a jeweler and he was instantly hooked. “They took me to an exhibition in Las Vegas as a Designer. Demand was amazing. People loved the designs!” Upon returning, Payal decided to quit her job and pursue her passion full time. Fun fact: by attending the exhibition, Payal got instant access to investors and clients. So next time you get such an invite, do not miss it!

The Name Game

“I wanted something that meant the same thing in every language and had a feminine appeal to it. I really liked the word design, but didn't want to be cliché.” So she took a French twist on those letters and voilà, L’Dezen was born. It means design and reinforces her one of a kind product. “The stones I use are all irregular shaped and everything is handmade so I can never create a repeat piece.”

“The two things I think women are fed up of are heels that kill you and earrings that make you want to die.”

Extremely light and comfortable, L’Dezen pieces are ice breakers, statement makers and conversation starters. The collection is currently worn by Hollywood celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Sofia Vergara, Angela Bassett, bloggers and gorgeous ambitious women of all nationalities. “I have so many cultures behind me, which adds to my edgy side. It is very art deco.” Her collection is inspired by chandeliers, nature, the urban jungle and architecture, especially skyscrapers. “My dad was a great mentor and always told me, if you understand the manufacturing world, everything else is so much easier because you literally know what can and cannot be done.” It takes a minimum of 3 weeks to 3 months from sketch to product. Her pieces are produced in China and sold via a variety of trunk shows across the globe and at boutique retailers like Plukka in London.

 

“Jewelry is personal. It should tell a story about the person who wears it.”

In our parent’s generation, our mothers purchased jewelry as an investment, to be passed down. Today, we purchase jewelry because we want to make a statement. Understanding the popularity of see now buy now and Instagram, Payal will be launching a new mobile app called InstaJewel App soon. The idea is to post the pieces customers are wearing and tag the store so that people can instantly buy or contact the store. “The jewelry market is so saturated that the hashtag jewelry gets tagged 2 million times per day on Instagram. I feel like there can be a social network based solely around this category. The coolest part of the app are the search engine and filters which help you find jewelry pieces according to your taste.”

On Being a #BossBabe

Payal has several accolades to her name including being crowned Ms. Hong Kong Jewelry in November 2011 (the first ever non-Chinese winner) and Young Leader Under 30 honoree at The JNA Awards in 2012. You would think that having become so incredibly successful early on, Payal may have become numb to the spotlight. Yet, when we met up with her at a nail spa in New York City, we were blown away by her humility and eagerness to help others succeed.  

When she is not globetrotting, designing new collections, modelling for L’Dezen or hanging out with celebrities at red carpet events, she is just another millennial woman looking to inspire others to work hard for their dreams.

Her routinely social media posts with hashtags such as #bossbabe and life quotes #LivebyPie are a way to share her learnings from starting a business and well, being her own boss! Plus, her personal blog celebrates “sharing information, not hoarding it” as a means to reaching new heights of success and has become a must read for aspiring jewelry designers and entrepreneurs alike.

Want to get your bling on and in the words of Rihanna, “shine bright like a diamond”? Shop Payal’s collection which ranges from $1,200 to $26,000 at their next event. Want to connect with her directly? Email us.

Photo courtesy of Payal Shah and L’Dezen.

BROOKLINEN, VICKI & RICH FULOP: Sheets Don't Lie

No, they didn’t meet in bed! But they did start with a clean sheet and create a business that ended up in everyone’s bedroom. Thanks to husband and wife duo Rich and Vicki Fulop, we can now sleep with peace and comfort at a price that doesn’t make us want to cry.

Rich and Vicki share more than just their last name. Both went to New York University and were laid off from their previous jobs in investment banking and PR. Yet, it is their determination and curiosity towards seeking high quality products that has brought Brooklinen into our homes and onto our beds.

What happens in Vegas, doesn’t stay in Vegas

“We went to Las Vegas in 2012 and stayed at The Wynn hotel. We loved the sheets in our room and we tried to buy them but they were $800! What was weird is that many people shared the same experience with us.” Having recently moved into their apartment, Rich and Vicki were on the hunt for comfortable and affordable sheets. This led them to stores such as ABC Kitchen, Bed Bath & Beyond among other popular ones but each time, they returned home empty-handed.

Vicki remembers, “there was nothing in the home goods space that was filling the void for us. Everything felt very fussy, there was too much embroidery and patterns and nothing high end that we liked. We wanted something minimalist, something that was beautiful but wasn’t expensive. We knew there was a critical mass looking for the same thing.” Not having the technical background in textiles, Rich and Vicki visited Barnes & Nobles and educated themselves on the correlation between materials and quality of the sheets.

“Most people go to the same stores and get the best products there but they don’t know the brands and what they really want. We wanted to be a lifestyle brand that is cool, accessible and luxurious.”

So, what did they learn from self-paced digging? “Thread count is one of the five criteria that makes up for good sheets. People usually buy the highest thread count and Amazon even sells a 1000 thread count sheet! But there is a “too high” and a “too low” count where you can feel the groves.”

Brooklinen Classic Hardcore Bundle

For Brooklinen, the process begins with short and long stable. As the co-founders explained, “long stable can be spun into single ply, while short stable is fiber length of cotton and is not as strong. That’s what makes coarse sheets. Some people use several plies but will multiply and get to 800-1000 thread count. We found an intricate way to use long stable that can be spun into finer and tighter thread.” Their products range from $99 to $120 for the Classic and Luxe Core products (1 flat sheet, 1 fitted sheet and 2 pillowcases). Additional products like duvet can be added with the Hardcore set and Move in bundle, which cost between $500 to $700.

Insider Tips to Sheets Shopping

Besides the actual manufacturing process, customers can also look for the thickness of the sheet which can be measured by square inches. Simply, the landing zone when one goes shopping is Egyptian cotton with singly ply and 250 to 500 true thread count; anything below will be coarse and above will be dense. Plus, matte finish will be cooler and crisper and satin finish will be lustrous, smooth and soft.

“Nobody got it with sheets. It was so unsexy at the time.”

The early seeds of Brooklinen were planted during Rich’s MBA years when he and his friend, Dave Fortune, were talking about not being able to find good sheets. Understanding that everybody is a customer, they realized that it was important to communicate with them at the right time and be relevant. So, with Dave’s expertise in accounting and law and Rich’s in marketing and business development, they decided to fix the market gap. Vicki at the time worked for PR in the beauty industry and came onboard in a limited capacity.    

In 2013, the team set out to meet with investors. Rich reminisces, “We got negative feedback from every investor. They thought it wasn’t interesting enough although it was right around the time other direct-to-consumer companies like Warby Parker and Casper came about.” What do you do when sheets hit the fan? (no pun intended). “We knew it would work so we tested the market by harassing customers in stores for one minute surveys. The price point we saw was either $50-$70 or $500-$1,000, nothing in between.”

The Startup Economy

In 2014, the team launched a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of raising $25,000. Instead, they achieved $250,000! Vicki came on board full time, Dave left the company for personal reasons and Rich was ecstatic as ever. To share the product with influencers, they created a small patch of sheet sets, rented a Zipcar, and delivered them to social influencers with handwritten notes.

Having a super lean business model is a trend that keeps on giving. Similar to other ecommerce brands, Brooklinen has managed to keep their expenses quite low. Operating out of a WeWork office, most employees and sister agencies work on a contractor basis. All deliveries are made via UBERrush or Zipcar. And R&D is done by Rich and Vicki. This flexibility allows Brooklinen to give customers the convenience of buying luxury items at low prices. More importantly, it has helped them increase annual revenues from $2.5 million in 2015 to $15 million in 2016!!!

RADICHE GUIDE on launching a successful Kickstarter campaign:

• Set your target low. People are more likely to contribute if they see something being successful. So instead of going for that big number, go for a smaller number, with that big number in your head.

• Make sure you have 20 people ready to donate when you launch the first day.

• Create a presale campaign that can help pay for inventory before hand.

• Treat it as a regular launch and get PR out there before the campaign goes live; spread the word, create buzz!

If we haven’t convinced you to buy these products yet, here’s something that will: give $15, get $15. Want to get more tips on marriage or business from The Fulops? Email us and we’ll make your sleepy dreams come true.

Photo courtesy of Brooklinen.

MOTT & BOW, ALEJANDRO CHAHIN: In His Genes

Sick of paying ridiculous prices for your denim, but still want to seem cool? Worry not! Founder of Mott & Bow, Alejandro Chahin, bleeds indigo and has disrupted the denim supply chain by providing high-quality jeans at an affordable price. Some would say it's in his genes, but he believes it’s in his jeans.

Honduran, charismatic yet shy, Alejandro is the visionary behind Mott & Bow, an online denim fashion brand based in New York City. With a college major in Industrial Engineering from University of Michigan, Alejandro’s switch to the fashion world was no accident. “I saw the competitive advantage I had because of my history with the family business in denim and being involved with its supply chain. So with that expertise and with what I believe I can do with the market here, I wanted to start the company.”

 “I liked the nonchalant, cool spirit the NoHo neighborhood embodied and we wanted to give the brand a New York feel.”

Mott & Bow is named after the two major streets (Mott and Bowery) in New York’s hip neighborhood, Nolita, where RADICHE headquarters also reside. Launched in February 2014, Mott & Bow caters to both men and women and sells premium denim at an affordable price solely online. “I started seeing a lot of direct to consumer brands catering to an audience by delivering a good product at a fair price.” With a family background in the denim industry since 1982, Alejandro had a competitive advantage within the supply chain and decided to remove the middlemen (retailers) and sell directly from his factory in Honduras to consumers in the U.S. “The denim industry doesn’t have a standard bandwidth size, so sometimes you will be a 30 or 31 with bands in the waist. To solve and minimize that friction for the customer, we copied in a way what Warby Parker was doing. We started sending an alternative size of the same jeans to check for fit, which could be returned for free.” Talk about a free trial period! Oh, and did we forget to mention that they are extremely comfortable? Zip up boys!

“I believe in the power of branding.”

As an e-commerce business, having cutting edge technology and an in-house developer are at the forefront. Their best performing marketing channel is Facebook and they are highly active in remarketing to online visitors. Their free trial program helps new customers purchase the product since there are no pop-ups or retail stores to try the product. “Our biggest focus is telling a story of our core value and differentiating our brand. Customers are very happy with the product, and the way I look at satisfaction is when a customer sees a product, tries it on and perceives a value in it. If he feels he is getting a bargain, he will purchase. My job is to keep that perceived value as high as possible and the price point to be below that. This is how we maintain and retain customers.” 

“You really need to have something special to enter such a saturated market. There are too many brands out there; it’s a complex industry.”

Alejandro tells us how “there are a thousand other denim and clothing brands, so figuring out how to get the word out about your brand and what you are doing is the biggest challenge we have faced.” The first year for Mott & Bow was also a tough one since the numbers were not as expected, but Alejandro kept believing in himself and pushed to keep going. 

The Past

Not always a fashionista, Alejandro got his MBA from NYU Stern in 2013. He was also the Founder of a previous venture called ThreadMatcher, which was a spin-off Pinterest where users were encouraged to curate images of the clothes they love and discover other similar styles. Realizing early on that it would take years before seeing a revenue stream, they closed down shop, or in this case closed down the domain. 

Mentorship & Advice

Building a team for many startup companies makes or breaks you. The best way to go about it? Through connections and like minded people in the space. It took Alejandro three months to find one team member, but at the end of the day, you are only as strong as your team. For those looking to start their own fashion brand, just do it. If you have a passion and feel that you can have a competitive advantage and relate to an audience, execute. “Too many people talk about it. Study it and then act.”

Self-funded, Mott & Bow is going to be adding new product categories in the near future. “We believe there is a true demand for what we are doing in jeans in other basics, so we are going to go into shirts with the same proposition.” Alejandro will be sourcing fabrics from some of the best mills in the world, removing the middleman and offering t-shirts at a fair price. Talk about true product value!

Interested in purchasing a pair of jeans for yourself or your man? Use promo code: radiche for a 20% discount. Alternatively, email us at founders@radiche.com if you would like to meet Alejandro or pick his brain regarding e-commerce and the denim industry. 

Photo courtesy of Mott & Bow.

DAUNTLESS, PAULA MALDONADO: Vegan Leather

Shop, eat, trash, repeat. In a world where humans are constantly depleting our planet's resources, one lady hopes to start a movement towards sustainability for the fashion minded. Some might even call her Dauntless. 

Colombian designer and Founder of Dauntless, Paula Maldonado has always been obsessed with leather jackets. “I own almost every color: pink, yellow, brown, black, you name it!” The idea to enter the jacket space came about due to the garment’s flexibility to be paired with both a formal or casual look, and to be honest, who doesn't own a good leather jacket these days?

“Our mission is to bring affordable and socially conscious fashion to the masses, through high-end designs, top quality materials and a well-tailored fit for fashion-forward consumers.”

With a background in Industrial Design and Technology from Parsons in New York, Paula’s past work experience was working in the global luxury market and with creative agencies. She has had a passion for sustainability and authenticity. Having never touched a needle in her life, Paula’s life as a fashion designer emerged as a reaction to what she witnessed. “Originally I wasn't into fashion because my best friend (unfortunately, not RADICHE) was enrolled in the Parsons’ fashion program and I saw her suffer with deadlines, needles, and sleepless nights so I didn’t want to go down that path.” 

“My goal is not to be in Fashion Week. It is to create a philosophy around socially conscious fashion.”

During Paula’s freshman year in college, she got to be a lucky girl and attend fashion week with her sister in Bryant Park (yeah, back then it was held in Bryant Park!). “I saw PETA outside the show with images displaying how animals were being used in the industry and was traumatized.” As an animal rescue fanatic, she couldn't digest the information and knew that something needed to change. “I felt that if it weren't me, then who?” Unable to shake away her experience, Paula quit her luxury market job and entered the world of fashion. 

“My jackets don’t look like plastic. People always touch it and ask what kind of leather it is, but its faux leather.” 

Paula tells us how “people don’t really know the difference when it comes to clothing, which is the most shocking thing. So why use materials that support animal cruelty and add more waste to our environment?” She choose to start with jackets since they are a staple product and seasonless. “Most of the jackets created have different linings since we reuse faux silk.” On a hunt for ethically sourced and animal-friendly resources, Paula came across materials from Japan and Italy. Her advice: don’t order too much inventory before you launch. 

Boom, in September of 2015, Dauntless hit the market. To spread the word, Paula created an Indiegogo campaign to help raise funds. “I think I launched the crowdfunding campaign at the right moment. I raised $3,000 and people started talking about my brand.” Being cash poor, Paula looked towards friends to help her with Dauntless. “I had amazing photography friends who helped put my collection together.” They sent their images to Vogue and Dauntless became editor's pick for sustainable fashion. In addition to Vogue, Dauntless collaborated with our fellow Makers from the Pop Up Mob to do a pop-up event with Nobi 67 in Miami (yayee girls!). 

The Hurdles

After launching the e-commerce website, “for two months I noticed that customers were browsing and adding items to their cart, but no one was checking out. Turns out, my payment system was not working and the company did not inform me. I can’t imagine the amount of business I must have lost without knowing it.” 

Being a one woman show, Paula also hired a blogger from Australia to help her with her social media. The problem was that by using this individual, her Instagram account now only targeted Australians. We “reckon” it was a rookie mistake but Paula eventually regained control and now manages the account herself. 

Mentorship

Like most of us, Paula was looking for a mentor and found guidance through her friend who worked in private equity. “He had no idea about fashion but would constantly call me up to ask what he should wear. He really helped me learn how to make the company worth something and how to add value. Initially, I wanted a portion of my sale proceeds to go to a charity organization; however, he told me to focus on building the company first, generating enough profit and then giving back to the society.”

Financial Advice:

• Think of money last

• Money will eventually come

• You have to spend money to make money

• In order to make a change, you have to be selfish in the beginning so that you can make a larger impact in the future

The Minka Moto Jacket

So what plans does the future hold for Dauntless? Paula hopes to incorporate recycled bottles into her garments. “The cost is too high for me right now, but this is something I would like to do very soon.” Dauntless is also going to be sold in stores in Mexico City in the next few months. For those avid pet lover shoppers, the limited edition Minka Moto jacket is up for grabs. Mention promo code: radiche for a 10% discount + free shipping (typical jacket is priced between $195 to $295).

Looking to join her team? Email us at founders@radiche.com and we’ll put you in touch.

Photo courtesy of Dauntless.