Building a brand
the idea
I’ve always been drawn to fashion and running a brand. When I was in 1st grade I attended NYFW and that’s when my love for fashion began.
I learned to sew in 4th grade. I learned in paint in middle school.
At 16-18 I was upcycling thrifted garments to reduce textile waste to create new pieces. The pandemic gave me time to hone my creativity of seeing a garment and making it new.
In 2020, cottage-core hit its peak and Vivienne Westwood corsets were all over Instagram in early 2021. Bridgerton had released its first season and violin pop music was trending. I painted and sewed my first corset that year.
It went viral.
From then on I leaned into the escapism aesthetic to sew and paint custom corsets.
Marketing
The first TikTok that went viral was set to violin music to a viral TikTok song. It followed the format of Day 1 of a certain aesthetic where users post a series of days in different outfits/vibes.
Several video formats for storytelling were used in documenting the process. Using this method the first 3 corsets were made in this 7-10 second video. Views slowed so longer process videos of the entire painting process were posted between. The most successful videos were the handmade card coloring to final product transition. These three together captivated an audience and virality.
Music
I personally love Taylor Swift so I used a lot of her music in the early days. This coincided with her recordings of Fearless which ultimately gained the attention and traction of Swifties. Nicheing into pop especially with someone as popular as Swift (in the re-recording era) was perhaps the most strategic marketing alignment I unknowingly did.
I also loved Olivia Rodrigo so when deja vu came out I created a corset immediately. Allie Avital, the music video’s director reposted my Reel on her story which was a pretty cool experience.
Utilizing reels on Instagram (IG) was the key to success in this platform. The algorithm during 2021 favored short-term content to compete with TikTok . Usually I would post TikToks again on Reels.
Additionally partnering with creatives on the platform from other small businesses (jewelry), photographers, and influencers increased audience reach.
Selling
I started on Depop at first selling my upcycled work. Depop takes a 10% commission and in order to to grow I learned how to make a website.
Everything was handmade to order, so I opened pre-orders allotting anywhere from 5-10 spaces a month and would sell “corset spots”. I worked with each client as a partner to create their dream corset in their size and with their chosen aesthetic.
