To celebrate the conclusion of London Fashion Week, The Startup Magazine wanted to feature two interviews we had with fashion startups, Grabble and Fashssories.
Grabble is a new and social way to buy the best online fashion. It was developed to be a useful way for people to discover, recommend and purchase online fashion – all within the same platform. It’s a rich social commerce experience that the like of Facebook, Pinterest and Amazon have failed to execute. Every item on the site has been endorsed by one of their users, this creates a shopping environment that is all about community discovery. Grabble was built as a means of introducing fashion retailers, especially boutique chains, to a larger market audience through social commerce.
Fashssories is an online boutique based out of south Florida in which the common language is fashion, creativity and art appreciation. The site offers a wide selection of fabulous wearable art pieces designed by talented artists, mainly handmade jewelry for every occasion, taste and budget.
These are the interviews with the companies starting with Grabble:
Who is your startup aimed at?
Grabble was built as a means of introducing fashion retailers, especially boutique chains, to a larger market audience through social commerce.
Our platform can help all fashion brands; but we are especially keen on bespoke retailers who want to create relationships with people who love unique clothing and accessories.
How does your startup stand out against it’s competitors?
Facebook, Pinterest and Amazon have yet to create a complete social commerce experience. They simply add social functionality to products.We take an entirely different approach. Our community curates every piece of clothing or accessory, democratising the social shopping experience to create a level playing field for fashion brands of all sizes.
Our small company dynamic is matters too, along the with the skill-sets of our team in the heart of Tech City. These factors allow us to execute this vision in a fast and agile manner.
This is why we can compete with the biggest online giants and be successful.
Where did the idea for the startup come from?
We recognised that there was a whole layer of young UK fashion entrepreneurs and young consumers looking for unique items. So we created Grabble to help them find each other.
What is your business background, and what got you interested in startups?
I have substantial experience in advertising, while Joel has worked in financial services. We’ve always loved startup culture and the thrill of creating something special.<
How long has the your startup been in the making, and who is the team behind the business?
Grabble was created in the Spring of 2013 by myself and co-founder Joel Freeman. We’ve now grown to a team of eight working from the heart of Tech City in London.
What has been your biggest challenge so far as a startup owner?
There is a digital talent shortage in the UK harming all technology businesses. Developers are in huge demand in London, driven by the relocation of large multinational technology companies and government policy. Fortunately, we’ve overcome these difficult circumstance and have an excellent developer team.
In the coming year, what would you like to achieve with your business?
We’re aiming to make significant inroads with the UK fresher market. We’ve secured an exclusive partnership with the UK’s largest internet service provider to the student market, putting us in front of over 50 percent of the fresher population on a daily basis for the rest of 2013.
In addition, we’ll be appearing alongside household names such as Netflix, Intel and Amazon, as StudentCom’s exclusive fashion partner at their up and coming Digital Fresher Fair this September.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about starting a business, what would it be?
It is incredibly hard starting a business, and you can’t do it unless you absolutely love what you do. If that passion isn’t there, you’ll struggle to make it through all the long hours and difficulties that lie ahead.
This is our interview with Fashssories:
Who is your startup aimed at?
Females that love fashion and accessories. Women that love pieces that are unique and different.
How does your startup stand out against it’s competitors?
It is not the commercial jewellery that can be found at every store. The probability of bumping into someone wearing the same piece of jewellery is extremely low since not all the pieces are created 100% exact to the others.
Where did the idea for the startup come from?
I started designing some pieces and thought of the idea of promoting and giving exposure to some other talented artists that create art-to-wear pieces.
What is your business background, and what got you interested in startups?
I have a Bachelors degree in Business Administration. I have always loved art, fashion and accessories, so I thought this would be a good idea to start something on my own supporting the arts.
How long has the your startup been in the making, and who is the team behind the business?
I started the idea by the end of may. I’ve been doing things little by little, It’s only me so far with a full-time job.
What has been your biggest challenge so far as a startup owner?
Getting traffic to my website to make sales. Also, not having the time I would like to dedicate to this project since I have a full-time job that pays for my bills.
In the coming year, what would you like to achieve with your business?
Expose my brand (Fashssories) and make more sales of course, growing with the hope that this can be my full-time job.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about starting a business, what would it be?
Go for it! you will never know if it works out if you don’t start.
Related articles
- Roger Planes CEO of Glipho.com talks to the startup magazine. (thestartupmag.com)
- Social commerce platform ezebee.com continues to expand internationally (thestartupmag.com)
- Startup Series two, Thinking about the Customer & Product (thestartupmag.com)
