Leze Apparel Inc.
About the Company
Leze Apparel Inc. creates workwear for modern women aged 25-50 who balance diverse lifestyles, such as freelancing, corporate careers, or motherhood. The product line includes blazers, jumpsuits, tops, and pants, with pants being their most popular item. They focus on comfortable, presentable, and sustainable fashion using recycled materials like coffee and plastic. The company has grown consistently, achieving 30% monthly revenue growth and aiming to expand into new markets while improving their online shopping experience.
Karen and Tanya's approach includes leveraging Shopify, social media, and email marketing to build a strong community of 2,500 women who advocate for their brand. They emphasize customer feedback as a key to product development and marketing strategies, which has been vital for retaining loyal customers.
Idea Behind Company
The inspiration for Leze Apparel was sparked by a lighthearted conversation about Karen’s penchant for wearing pajamas in public. Both founders recognized a gap in the market for clothing that combined comfort, sustainability, and professionalism. Despite their lack of fashion design experience, they aimed to create garments that reflected their vision of “comfortable living.” After crowdfunding $250,000 on Kickstarter, they realized there was significant demand for their concept.
The founders were motivated by the opportunity to create something that resonated with their hectic lifestyles. This sense of purpose set the foundation for the brand, helping them persevere through challenges. Their unique value proposition—sustainability and comfort—was shaped by their personal values and observations about consumer needs.
Creating the Company
The production process was fraught with obstacles, including a lack of design expertise, a factory fire in Taiwan, and delays caused by typhoons. To save costs, Karen and Tanya led the design efforts themselves, experimenting with various prototypes. With the help of Tanya’s family, who owned a textile business, they developed innovative fabrics made from recycled coffee and plastic.
Their first product, pants that looked professional but felt like sweatpants, went through 11 prototypes to perfect. Despite setbacks, including logistical issues during fulfillment, the founders' commitment to sustainability and customer satisfaction kept them motivated. This phase of trial and error taught them critical lessons about body fit and the complexities of production.
Launching the Business
Leze Apparel launched on Kickstarter with a modest $5,000 budget, leveraging a crowdfunding agency to manage ads in exchange for a 30% revenue commission. The campaign succeeded in raising $250,000, validating their concept and funding the first production run. Post-launch, they focused on building their online presence through a Shopify website and Instagram marketing.
They emphasized functionality over perfection, prioritizing revenue-generating activities over aesthetics like professionally designed logos. By gathering insights from over 50 women before launch, they developed a customer-centric strategy that informed their messaging and product positioning. Today, repeat customers drive their growth, supported by email marketing and organic social media campaigns.
Earnings
Leze Apparel now earns $45K per month and has paid off $180,000 of debt purely from profits. Their revenue is divided among paid ads (65%), email marketing (15%), and organic channels (20%). The founders credit their success to understanding customer pain points and employing creative marketing strategies, such as bundles and styling videos.
Their future goals include strengthening their position in North America, entering new markets like Australia and the UK, and improving their mobile shopping experience. By learning from past financial missteps and maintaining a focus on their mission, Karen and Tanya have built a profitable, impactful business that continues to grow.
