Successful Fashion Entrepreneurs - Just Like You: Princely Wear by Michele Roberts
Success in fashion does not have to be “Catwalk Dazzling” glamorous styles. Simply find a niche with underserved needs and fill it. Michele has been in the Navy for 12 years and has three very active boys. She got tired of the same, unexciting boys’ styles, and launched Princely Wear. Here’s her story.
No time is no excuse! Michele was serving in the Navy, had a family, and 3 active boys. That’s enough to overwhelm any multitasking woman. She identified a need in the fashion market to refresh the styles offered in young boys’ clothing. In her spare time, which she had very little of, she managed to conceive, create, and launch a stylish clothing line for boys that is different from the norm. Her fashion line, Princely Wear, claims it is expressive wear for your young prince. It offers unique, durable styles that resist the daily torture tests active boys subject their clothing to.
In spite of the incredible demands of her busy lifestyle, Michele successfully launched this growing fashion start up. It’s an outstanding black woman owned business that’s quickly capturing the interest of other parents. They are excited about the prospect of buying boys clothes that are not the boring khakis and plaid collar shirts that are ubiquitous in every retailers’ boys’ department.
Princely Wear: The Idea
The key to Princely Wear’s success is the niche. Michele discovered an overlooked area of fashion that had grown very stale over the years. She decided to take a fresh look at boys’ activewear and give it some flash, flair, and style. Since this is an ignored and overlooked market, Princely Wear was able to launch into the niche and nearly instantly find a target audience of parents who were also bored with the common boys styles. Since Michele had defined and targeted her niche so well, she managed to successfully market her fashion line without the intense competition found in other fashion markets.
Even the name she chose, Princely Wear, reinforced that she was filling the niche for active boys clothing. Michele used her creativity to design the fashions, and her sound business sense to successfully navigate the process of taking the designs through the manufacturing stage.
She kept the Princely Wear line simple and initially offered only about 6 different items ranging from a Varsity jacket to tees, jeans, and bottoms. Each item has a specific look without losing the function and durability needed for everyday rough housing wear and tear.
Business model:
Princely Wear is a black woman owned enterprise that kept the initial start-up costs sensibly low. Michele opted to launch using an eCommerce online website: www.princelywear.com.
She actually follows a business strategy similar to the one we describe in our seminar and video: “How to make your first sale in 30 days or less.”.
She identified her target audience on Facebook and Instagram. Then she created trust by being her authentic self in her posts. In addition to visually appealing fashion posts of her line, she directly appeals to parents by sharing as a peer who undergoes the same type of challenges as they do.
One specific post that nearly all parents will understand is her frank and honest discussion of “The Talk”. In this post, she shares her apprehension and resistance related to discussing “the birds and the bees” with her son. She frankly explains her fears, and then describes the experience and her relief that she got through it. Any parent will appreciate the honesty and authenticity. Through sharing this experience, Michele becomes a human being others can relate to rather than some impersonal business entity. This human connection helps build trust amongst her target audience community.
Since she is a mother of three active boys, it is obvious that she’s fully immersed in the world of parenting. She talks to her audience as a good friend, and asks them to share their experiences raising children with her. It’s clear she’s the real deal.
In addition to building a connection with her followers, she effectively uses the Instagram and Facebook Marketplace selling tools. You can buy Princely Wear right on the platforms or shop the entire line by moving over to the website.
Princely Wear also maintains a growing presence on TikTok. By using various social media platforms, Michele is growing her target audience, building brand loyalty, and converting her followers to customers.
Growing and evolving:
Princely Wear is off to a successful launch and is rapidly moving towards its growth phase. In the coming seasons, you can expect more variations and colors on the existing line, and the introduction of some new styles and items. It’s very important to let sales and revenue dictate the speed of the company's growth and expansion.
Princely Wear items are very reasonably priced from about $40 to $100. This makes the styles affordable and within most household clothing budgets. Michele plans to continue this pricing strategy and make her clothing easily available to the everyday family.
Michele serves in the Navy and manages her family with 3 active boys. Somehow she also finds time to manage her fashion business. She had an idea and a dream, and she did not let excuses prevent her from making her dreams come true. She put in the late nights and hard work and earned the success of her start up, Princely Wear.
What’s your idea? What is your dream? Maybe you’ve identified an underserved niche, or have a fantastic idea for a fashion item that solves a common problem. No matter how many pulls and tugs you have on your time and busy day, if you have a dream, you can find the time to succeed. The toughest decision is to just get started. As Nike says… Just do it!
You owe it to yourself to schedule a call with us to discuss your strategy and find out what your options are. Your potential is unlimited. You just need the right team on your side, and your new successful fashion line is within your reach.
Stuck on product Production? At V.Mora we can help you through the entire production process from designing, to sourcing and so on through our Production Development services. If you are in need of the following Development and Production services:
Sourcing
Technical sketches
Pattern Making
Prototype making
Sample Making
Fittings
Digitizing and Grading
Marker Making
Manufacturing
Please contact us at: vmorainquiry@vmora.com
