Meet Instagram’s cult new brands
NEW RESEARCH shows that the rate of women’s entrepreneurship rose by 10% last year – with 163 million women starting businesses. That’s good news when you consider that Boston Consulting Group report the global economy could be boosted by $2.5 trillion to $5 trillion if women and men participated equally as entrepreneurs. Plenty already are, of course – and the one place where female-led businesses are visibly flourishing is Instagram, especially when it comes to made-to-order fashion businesses that champion a smart, sustainable approach to shopping.
And one that’s still big on style.
Take Maisoncléo’s Insta-friendly puff-shoulder tops and organza blouses, which have amassed more than 42,000 followers, including French cool girl Anne-laure Mais. According to Stylight, the fashion search platform, the brand has had a 267% growth in clicks from November 2019 to February 2020.
Handmade to order in France by Marie Dewet and her mum, each piece is made from leftover fabric and their Insta success has led to the collection now being stocked on Net-aporter. Libby Page, Net-a-porter’s senior fashion market editor, says, ‘Maisoncléo has a loyal customer base on Instagram, which drives sales. The brand also has a strong, clear ethos and is transparent. Being honest about being a small family business and producing small quantities as a way to be sustainable adds to the connection that customers might feel towards the label.’ Olivia Rose The Label is another such brand. Founded in 2017 by Olivia Rose Havelock, pieces like shirred tops and puff-ball bags are handmade to order in her Edinburgh studio. ‘Most pieces take around four hours to be made. I can accept around 20 orders a week and no items are pre-made as I like to have as little wasted fabrics and resources as possible,’ says Olivia, who sources all fabrics in the UK.
While Olivia sells through her own website, her loyal Insta following is no doubt part of the reason why her designs were picked up by Selfridges last summer as part of its Bright Young Things initiative. Over in New York, look out for designers such as Mrs Jones and Ivy Kirk, who have also launched made-to-order businesses on social media. ‘I want the clothes to be something you could keep in your wardrobe forever and even pass down,’ says Ivy. ‘What we don’t produce made-toorder we make in limited quantities. People are tired of having the same fast-fashion looks as everyone else.’
Whether or not this movement will become more widespread remains to be seen, but it certainly seems like a smart way to shop. So how’s this for a new mantra: if it ain’t bespoke, don’t buy it.