Perks of Pre-Ordering in Ethical Fashion

Hello! I have a few exciting things to update you on. I’m in Bali at the moment working on the new collection, but in this video/blog I’ll be sharing about a special little PRESALE I’m running for the new collection and WHY pre-ordering is sustainable, so grab a cuppa, or save this for later if you don’t have a quiet 10 minutes to get caught up!

Transcript:

First of all, it’s FAB to be back! I had so many of you supporting me throughout my little hiatus. If you’re not sure what happened, in a nutshell, I burned out, bad. I just reached a point where nothing felt worth it, I was unmotivated, I second guessed everything, and so of course I couldn’t be creative from a space like that, and I didn’t think I would even make a summer collection at all. Read that blog here >> to know you’re not alone when it’s all too much!
Fast forward a good few months, 3-4 months really, to August where Tim and I went travelling for 5 weeks through the UK and Europe. We had booked the trip ages ago, but it really was the perfect timing for me. I closed the online store and stepped away from everything to do with the business, and it was only then, that I allowed myself to start dreaming again and feel inspired and reminded of why I started. For a more in depth update about that process read this blog here >> So now, I’m back! I definitely have a BEAUTIFUL summer collection (possibly my most favourite yet!) that will be available in December and that leads me to this little bombshell…

Next week, the summer collection will go on PRE-SALE!!! If you’re on my mailing list, you will get to view and pre-order the new summer range on WEDNESDAY 23RD OCTOBER and you will get 20% off if you do so.
The pre-sale is a chance for me to gauge which styles are the most popular and which sizes seem to be the most popular within those style, then adapt the quantities that I produce accordingly. This limits waste because I can order less of the ‘less popular’ styles and more of the popular styles, rather than overproducing and being left with that stock at the end of the season, and also means you’re less likely to miss out on a popular style or size. I can place more accurate estimations for orders, which will then be produced, and ready to ship at the start of December.

I have also REALLY enjoyed seeing your responses to the survey and to the Instagram polls I've been making about which fabrics to use and what styles you like most. They've been SUPER helpful in helping to create wonderful basics that will hopefully serve a lot of you. I got so much information from the survey so I will cover that in more detail in another video/blog so that I can share the direction and future of Theo then!

As a bonus, it will also help fund some of the cost that goes into making a collection, so while you’re not paying any extra (you’re actually getting a discount of 20% off!), you’re helping me manage my cash flow, which ANY small business will say is one of the trickiest things about business! Basically when I do a collection, it means forking out a large sum of money to pay for everything all at once - the fabric, trims, being here in Bali to visit our makers, paying them for their labour as well as the design and development costs. So this pre-sale is a pretty neat approach to fashion and there are lots of sustainable perks that go with it!

The perks for YOU are that you get to see the collection before anyone else does, you won’t have to worry about your size running out because you would have ordered it already, and you’ll get 20% off your total order for being patient and willing to order in advance. Yay for mutual benefits!

I do want to mention that I specifically designed a few more men’s t-shirts so that you can order than as Christmas gifts. (Yes, we will definitely ship them in time for Christmas!) I will be making little info cards to go with them, you know how you can buy chickens from Oxfam and stuff, this is better than that because they actually get the t-shirt as well! (But I do love Oxfam and their work :D) So the info card will explain that it’s not just a t-shirt - it’s investing into the maker’s lives and a more sustainable fashion future. I’ve found this is actually a really cool way to get people on board with ethical fashion. It’s non-threatening, and it’s thoughtful, and because our aesthetic is quite minimal and the quality if really good, guys appreciate that stuff. Well, Tim appreciates that stuff.

Next up, you might have realised that the Finders Keepers Market starts this weekend in Melbourne and sadly, I won’t be there… I won’t be doing any of the Finders Keepers or Big Design markets for the rest of the year, so the only market I’m doing is the Ethical Night Market on Tuesday 10th December in Melbourne (4-9pm One Church, Blackburn), so put that in your diary! I’m not sure why I didn’t apply earlier in the year, but it turned out to be excellent timing again because I wouldn’t have had anything new to share with you, and it’s given me time and space to create a new collection that will be ready in December.

And lastly, the survey! Recently I asked you to participate in a survey which exactly 100 of your participated in - THANK YOU to every single one of you that did it! I mean, there was my mum, and my sister, and my husband… but then there were 97 more of you! I am filming another video with a summary of all your responses because there was so much to take away from that. There are some things which I can respond to NOW and some things that will take a bit more time to implement, but I will be actively working towards those things to the best of my ability.
That’s it for now, friends! I hope you enjoy being part of this community, because I really enjoy having you here. ’Til next time,