Are these our next young rich listers?
IT’S telling that Gold Coast fashion entrepreneurs Evangeline Titilas and Sami Lorking-Tanner talk about “audience”, instead of “customers” when discussing how they’ve created their flourishing young business.
The friends, both 25, returned from a trip to Europe in 2016 determined to build a business together, using their shared love of fashion and their combined skills.
Ms Titilas had been working as a buyer at SurfStitch and Ms Lorking-Tanner was in marketing and photography when the pair quit their jobs to start online store “With Jean” with no outside funding in July.
The brand was born from the simple notion of finding the perfect pieces to pair with jeans and other denim – hence With Jean.
The online-only store’s collections overflow with feminine frills, ruffles and polka dots, with several styles selling out three or four times.
In the past six months, dresses produced by the company also proved popular and have joined tops in the permanent range.
“Our background aligned and we thought we should do something together,” Ms Titilas said.
“Originally, it was just different tops that you could wear with your denim, because we wanted to find something as timeless as denim.
“The dresses had such huge success and that became really popular, so now it’s half-half.
“That’s very us – we went with, in the end, what was most true to ourselves, something we could relate to,” Ms Lorking-Tanner said.
“No one backed us or helped us, it was all on our own, which is something we’re pretty proud of.”
The pair has outsourced their accounting, finance, manufacturing and logistics and are confident of swinging a profit in their first 12 months – a rare feat for any small business.
“We basically had our life savings and decided to both quit our jobs and put all our savings and all our time and effort into it,” Ms Titlas said.
“Everyone was really supportive and encouraging.
“The first few months it was super small – grossing maybe $10,000 – now it’s closer to $50,000.
“We’ve managed to pay back all the expenses and costs we had outlaid ourselves, within the first few months.”
The designs they create are made in Bali, which was able to produce the small volumes required when the business first started.
Now demand is growing, they are looking to China where more costs savings are available – and are also on the hunt for a warehouse so Ms Lorking-Tanner can stop processing orders from her home.
“Working with different cultures and languages has had its difficulties. Other than that, I don’t think we’ve had any major challenges,” Ms Titilas said.
As the business grows, the friends hope to sell 500-800 of each style, compared to the 300 units they currently sell.
Distinctive photography displayed online has been a key to getting their products in front of their target market.
“Our imagery and our content has been really important, creating innovative content every few weeks has been really beneficial,” Ms Titilas said.
“With our culture and our age group, it’s the most important tool – we’re targeting girls like ourselves and harnessing the power of that has been really helpful.”
WE BASICALLY HAD OUR LIFE SAVINGS AND DECIDED TO BOTH QUIT OUR JOBS AND PUT ALL OUR SAVINGS … INTO IT
EVANGELINE TITILAS