Podcast Summary: Beyond Fashion Business
Episode: How To Start & Grow An Ethical Fashion Brand with APPARIS Founders
Release Date: July 11, 2024
Host: Esteban Julian

Introduction

In this enlightening episode of the Beyond Fashion Business podcast, host Esteban Julian engages in a comprehensive discussion with Amelia Brique and Lauren Noucci, the visionary founders of Apparis. Apparis is a pioneering fashion brand committed to redefining ethical fashion by offering luxurious, animal-free alternatives to traditional materials like leather and faux fur. With notable investors, including supermodel Karlie Kloss, Apparis serves as an exemplary case study for aspiring fashion entrepreneurs aiming to build sustainable and ethically conscious brands.

Key Topics Covered:

• Founders' backgrounds and brand inception
• Stages of brand development
• Defining ethical fashion
• Challenges in building and scaling an ethical brand
• Strategies for effective communication and branding

Founders' Background and Brand Inception

Amelia Brique and Lauren Noucci co-founded Apparis in 2018, driven by a shared passion for ethical fashion and a desire to disrupt the traditional fashion landscape. Both founders transitioned from luxury fashion houses, seeking to create a brand that aligns with their ethical values and market needs.

Lauren Noucci shares:

"We launched Apparis with the mission to bring vegan, colorful faux fur coats to the US market. Our backgrounds in luxury fashion made us realize the need for high-quality, sustainable alternatives."

Amelia Brique elaborates on their early days:

"We started completely bootstrapped, sharing a pop-up shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. When Bloomingdale's approached us to present our faux fur collection, it was our big break."

Their initial success with Bloomingdale's validated their concept and set the stage for rapid growth, transforming Apparis from a small startup to a widely recognized ethical fashion brand.

Stages of Brand Development

The conversation highlights a three-stage model of brand evolution:

1. Apparis 1.0 - The Foundation:

   • Focus: Building the first product and establishing production infrastructure.
   • Challenges: Limited resources led to a bootstrapped approach, sharing retail spaces, and managing operations manually.
   • Breakthrough: Presenting their collection to Bloomingdale's, securing substantial orders without a dedicated showroom.

   Amelia Brique reflects:

   "Within weeks of presenting our collection, we had orders from hundreds of stores with just paper copies of orders."

2. Apparis 2.0 - The Growth Phase:

   • Focus: Rapid expansion, increasing product offerings, and scaling operations.
   • Challenges: Managing increased demand, maintaining quality, and enhancing operational infrastructure.
   • Strategies: Upgrading to more sophisticated logistics solutions and hiring specialized personnel.

   Amelia Brique notes:

   "Our initial infrastructure worked for the first two years, and upgrading was manageable compared to starting from scratch."

3. Apparis 3.0 - Maturity and Evolution:

   • Focus: Sustainable growth, team mindfulness, and refining brand identity.
   • Challenges: Balancing aggressive growth with brand integrity, managing increased operational complexities, and maintaining ethical standards.
   • Strategies: Implementing more rigorous processes, enhancing team expertise, and evolving the brand’s aesthetic to align with French heritage.

   Lauren Noucci explains:

   "We evolved to be more elevated and chic, tapping into our French heritage while maintaining our bold and playful ethos."

Defining Ethical Fashion

Apparis defines ethical fashion as creating high-quality products that do not harm or involve animal-derived materials. Their approach extends beyond mere sustainability to encompass conscious manufacturing practices, including:

• Material Innovation: Utilizing recycled and bio-based materials to craft luxurious faux fur coats.
• Supply Chain Transparency: Partnering with factories that uphold fair labor practices and environmental standards.
• Sustainable Packaging: Employing recycled and biodegradable materials for all packaging needs.

Lauren Noucci emphasizes:

"Building a brand on a conscious foundation from the start set us apart and allowed us to gain recognition quickly."

The founders acknowledge that ethical fashion is an ongoing journey, requiring continuous improvement and openness to learning.

Challenges of Building and Scaling an Ethical Brand

Building an ethical fashion brand like Apparis involves unique challenges, particularly when striving to maintain high standards without compromising financial viability.

1. Cost Management:

   • Challenge: Ethical materials and fair labor practices significantly increase production costs.
   • Solution: Maintaining competitive pricing without sacrificing quality or ethical commitments.

   Amelia Brique states:

   "We cannot increase retail prices to cover the increased costs of ethical production, making it essential to protect our gross margin smartly."

2. Product Consistency and Seasonality:

   • Challenge: Apparis’s core product is a winter coat, leading to seasonal revenue fluctuations.
   • Solution: Exploring strategies to generate year-round revenue while staying true to the brand’s essence.

   Lauren Noucci adds:

   "Our winter core product poses challenges in maintaining consistent revenue throughout the year."

3. Effective Communication:

   • Challenge: Educating customers about ethical practices without alienating them or appearing overly prescriptive.
   • Solution: Crafting balanced messaging that highlights consciousness and sustainability while remaining inclusive.

   Lauren Noucci shares:

   "We strive to make fashion that is conscious and allows any customer to feel good about their purchase without feeling judged."

4. Operational Scaling:

   • Challenge: Rapid demand can strain existing operations, necessitating swift and efficient scaling.
   • Solution: Building scalable operations early and continuously improving processes to handle growth.

   Amelia Brique reflects:

   "We had to build an infrastructure within weeks to handle our initial surge in orders, ensuring long-term scalability."

Navigating Growth and Building Infrastructure

Transitioning from Apparis 1.0 to Apparis 2.0 required strategic enhancements in operations and infrastructure:

• Securing Financing: Leveraging industry connections to obtain financial support, enabling larger production runs.
• Hiring the Right Team: Initially relying on low-paid interns who later became essential team members, ensuring operational efficiency.
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management: Partnering with 3PL providers like Bergen Logistics, despite initial skepticism, to manage order fulfillment.
• Adopting Technology: Implementing entry-level software solutions to streamline operations and manage increased order volumes.

Amelia Brique recounts:

"Our first year involved building operations from scratch—handling orders manually and establishing reliable supply chains."

Lauren Noucci highlights the importance of partnerships:

"Finding the right factory partners was a game changer, allowing us to confidently scale our production."

As Apparis grew, they invested in more sophisticated systems and hired specialized roles to manage both direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales and wholesale channels effectively.

Raising Capital

Apparis’s growth necessitated external funding to support scaling operations and expanding the product line. The founders strategically engaged with various investors:

• Initial Financing: Secured through industry connections and partnerships with factoring companies.
• Seed Round: Raised capital from a mix of venture capitalists (VCs), institutional investors, and celebrities, led by a supportive VC interested in female founders.

Amelia Brique explains:

"Our lead investor, who admired our collection and mission, played a crucial role in our seed round, allowing us to hire our first team and establish a more robust infrastructure."

This influx of capital facilitated the transition from a product-driven startup to a fully-fledged brand with diverse offerings and enhanced market presence.

Communication and Branding Evolution

Effective communication and a coherent brand identity have been pivotal in Apparis’s success. The founders have continually refined their messaging to resonate with a broader audience while maintaining their ethical stance.

• Brand Aesthetics: Initially focused on bold and playful designs, Apparis has evolved to incorporate elements of French elegance and sophistication.
• Marketing Strategy: Leveraging both DTC and wholesale channels to reach a wider audience, ensuring consistent and impactful storytelling.
• Rebranding Efforts: A recent rebrand aimed to better reflect their French heritage and appeal to a more upscale market without losing their core values of boldness and consciousness.

Lauren Noucci articulates:

"We wanted to evolve our brand to be more elevated and chic, tapping into our French heritage while maintaining our bold and playful ethos."

Amelia Brique adds:

"Maintaining high standards in both product quality and brand communication has been essential in sustaining our growth and customer loyalty."

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

The conversation with Amelia Brique and Lauren Noucci offers invaluable insights into building and scaling an ethical fashion brand. Key takeaways include:

1. Start with a Strong Foundation: Focus on developing a high-quality, ethically sound product that meets market needs.
2. Adapt and Evolve: As the brand grows, continuously refine operations, infrastructure, and branding to align with evolving market demands and internal goals.
3. Maintain Ethical Integrity: Uphold ethical standards in every aspect of the business, from materials sourcing to fair labor practices and sustainable packaging.
4. Effective Communication: Balance educating customers about ethical practices with inclusive and engaging marketing strategies.
5. Strategic Partnerships and Financing: Build strong relationships with suppliers, investors, and logistical partners to support scalable growth.
6. Team Development: Invest in a passionate and skilled team that shares the brand’s vision and can navigate the complexities of a growing business.

Amelia Brique concludes:

"Everything looks better on the surface, but the real challenges lie beneath. Our journey underscores the importance of resilience, adaptability, and unwavering commitment to ethical principles."

Lauren Noucci echoes sentiments of growth and opportunity:

"We view challenges not as obstacles but as opportunities to innovate and strengthen our brand."

This episode serves as a masterclass for fashion entrepreneurs, illustrating the intricate balance between ethical commitments and business growth. Amelia and Lauren’s journey with Apparis exemplifies how dedication to sustainability and conscious practices can lead to successful brand development in the competitive fashion industry.

Resources Mentioned:

• Start & Grow Your Fashion Brand For Free: Fashion Anti Course
• Get Your Brand/Designs Reviewed For Free: Fashion Anti Course