Company/Designer Name:  Glass House/Daniel Bernardo

Glass House makes form-fitting, high-quality, for work and play, men’s button up dress shirts, with more intentions than simply dressing men well. We focus on a trim fitting silhouette, while using the most sustainably relevant and technologically sound fabrics available to date, that look and feel great. All this, with a focus on local manufacturing and U.S.-based vendors, suppliers, & distributors.

Why did you join Noblivity®?

It’s an exciting way to reach retailers that may never get to see the product at a trade show, and allows for possibilities of expanding to markets that may not be exactly in our scope and opens that bridge of opportunity.

How did you get started?

Having always been a slim man, I was never able to find great fitting shirts that flattered my slim body and gave the silhouette I was looking for. Also, being in the Green Development sector for many years, it was the only option for how the business would be run and how the shirts would be made. So seeing the need to fill this void was what created the vision.

Who is your brands targeted customer and how do you know it’s the right target?

Our target market is what I call the “fit generation.” This encompasses well educated and traveled, young professionals in major urban areas, self-aware and stylish, exercises routinely and cares about being fit and healthy. Having lived in many major cities around the USA, the urban man has a consciousness and is well educated and would prefer to have high-quality garments, rather than a large amount of mediocre garments. When it comes to classic menswear, men keep it simple, and we are offering a simple solution to ill-fitting shirts.

What are consumers saying about your brand?

They love the fit! Which is our goal. People enjoy the small and subtle quality details that are not obvious, but show that the shirt will last.

What are retailers saying about your brand?

Retailers enjoy the feel and styling of our shirts. Some align themselves with the same ethos and philosophies in which we hold, which makes a great selling point for certain clientele.

What obstacles did you have to overcome to bring your product to market?

Learning the fashion industry on the production and back end sides have been the largest and most challenging obstacles. Also, getting the right fit was a long process, because we want our measurements to be spot on. Finding the right manufacturer to make the quality that we want as well has been a hurdle, too, because that’s one of our key elements in the shirts, the high quality.

How did you overcome the obstacles along the way?

Learning as I went and talking with people in the industry supported getting over these obstacles. I always look to learn more and educate myself, so it’s part of my natural entrepreneurial process. I’m an experiential learner, I learn by doing.

What has been your greatest moment on your journey so far?

The greatest moment thus far has been when we distributed a trial run of shirts in the Spring 2012. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive and the support was huge, and through that whole process we knew we had a great product that people would love and enjoy for a long time.

What’s next for your brand?

What’s next for Glass House shirtmaker is sales. We are working diligently to slowly build relationships with shop owners and buyers to show them we are an authentic brand, looking to build long-term relationships and a solid customer base.

If money were no object what would you do right now to promote your brand?

Right now, we’d market our philosophies along side our garments to show we are much more than a shirt company, but not as a do-gooder brand, but a company that considers the consequences of every step in the process and wants to make it the best experience anyone can have.

Where are you promoting your brand?

We are on most forms of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, etc). We are also working with bloggers and writers to share their experiences of the brand, in hopes to get some honest write ups on what we do.

Getting a product into the stores takes time, patience and perseverance. How do you know you have what it takes?

We’ve been asked, “what’s your deadline for success?” Our response, “There is no deadline. We will continue to grow and expand and are open to feedback.” So, there is no deadline for us, we will continue to progress and be innovative. And we believe we have an honest product, which everyone wants.

What is your philosophy of life?

We believe everyday is about making conscious steps toward creating the most extraordinary life. Expressing our authentic self is a gift and should be conveyed passionately. In life, it’s not only about what we do, but who we are.

If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

As cliche as it might be, we wouldn’t do anything differently. The past is the past, so anything we would change, we can always change it now.

What are the three things a retailer should know about your brand that will help them get their margin?

Selling points are the fit and feel, ethos comes secondary.

We can deliver more shirts if needed in 4-5 weeks.

Request that the client try it on. The shirt will sell itself.

Company/Designer Name:  RAW Materials – Skin Care/Anna Beekman

How did you get started?

I started making personal care products about 4 decades ago while in my youth. I am from a large family and the oldest child from a group of eleven. Money was tight and if I desired anything beyond a bar of soap or a bottle of shampoo, I had to make it myself and thus I did. My first project, at the age of 12, was a tiny bottle of perfume. About 10 years ago, I decided to pursue my dreams and therefore created a woman’s brand that morphed into a men’s line called Raw Materials. I have 6 brothers, many uncles and an unlimited resource of cousins and friends that helped guide me towards this redefined focus with men products.  I find that the male market is lacking in product choices, especially in truly, natural formulations featuring only plant-derived ingredients.

Today, I reside on a beautiful Pennsylvania ranch with my fiancé (Tim), many pets, chickens and cows. Tim is a dairy and cattle farmer specializing in natural dairy products, and grass-fed cattle for Whole Foods Market and many other natural stores.  Every day, my work and personal activities focus towards doing what is best for our environment, developing natural products, and taking care of our land and animals.

Why did you join Noblivity®? 

Noblivity® connects boutique companies, start-ups and designers directly with retailers and buyers. With their programs, I can promote products, build brand awareness and develop beneficial relationships that might not have occurred without Noblivity’s support and tools.  Their customer support and willingness to help companies grow is fabulous.

Who is your brands targeted customer and how do you know it’s the right target?

The Raw Materials target market is men, with women as a secondary market. Our brand’s personality is “rugged yet refined” and is designed to attract a variety of consumers ranging from the rugged outdoors-man, athletic and extreme sports enthusiasts, to the metro-sexual. The name Raw Materials supports our natural, unaltered ingredient story by bringing to mind commonly used raw materials for traditionally “manly pursuits” such as sports, manufacturing and construction.

What are consumers saying about your brand?

Kiko in NYC (Skin Grit review) – “BEST exfoliant  I have come across. I have VERY sensitive skin and up until recently, I could only use Clinique for my skincare.

Dan in IL (Steel Cut Soap Review) – “Once you try this soap, no others will do! You feel clean and fresh, with the scent being addictive!!”

Scott in Bellevue, WA (Sport Fix Spray) – “It seriously          BLOCKS odor…..and this stuff LASTS.”

Cindy from Chicago (Sport Fix Spray) – “I use this product every day. Best personal hygiene product I have every used.”

Chris at Amazon (Skin Grit) – Great product! Leaves my skin feeling fresh and smooth. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good morning wake up!

Swimmers (Sport Fix Soap) – using our product to remove chlorine smell from skin.

Athletes  (Sport Fix Spray) – are using before a workout and after a workout to neutralize odors on contact.

Skin Grit – our most popular product with men and women. Addictive.

Extreme Shave Cream – free of fragrance and is 100% natural. Men that have issues with ingrown hairs are using our shave cream to reduce skin irritations from shaving.

What are retailers saying about your brand?

My focus is to improve our customers’ outer well-being with truly natural, eco-friendly, sustainable products that are made in the USA. We are passionate about creating natural solutions that delight customers and have minimal environmental impact.

“Great products with amazing packaging.” Our brand identity really stands out from other products. Our formulations are premium, thus reorders are high. Many of our retailers order extra products for their team’s own personal use and purchase. We get high reviews from our retail customers about our professionalism and customer support.
Our retailer’s success is vital to our growth and customer satisfaction.

What obstacles did you have to overcome to bring your product to market?

Formulating our products can take over 3 years from concept to final market launch. Getting the right blend of extracts, oils and active ingredients at the correct concentration with similar textures, aromas and skin feel of premium products can be difficult when you only use natural ingredients.

How did you overcome the obstacles along the way?

With passion and determination. I never give up and keep on trying until we realize our goals. We continuously analyze and make refinements and believe that determination and honest efforts yield results that benefit customers and partners.

What has been your greatest moment on your journey so far?

I have many great moments including our first customer, first retailer and now with the growing demand for the products at Whole Foods Market. I also have a personal and favorite memory when my son became excited about my business. On this day, he found Raw Materials products at his friend’s home, which was purchased from a local store. His friend didn’t realize the connection my son had with Raw Materials. At that moment, he realized this business was beyond a website for family and friends.

What’s next for your brand?

More products will be launched in 2013 and beyond. We have recently retained senior level support to increase brand awareness and marketing.

If money were no object what would you do right now to promote your brand?

Consumer education on skin care, ingredients and how to improve your outer health. I would also invest heavily in PR, social and traditional marketing. Probably the biggest investment would be samples and demo events to get products directly into the consumers’ hands. I know that trying our products is a sure way of getting a customer. This is why we encourage our retail partners to have testers.

Where are you promoting your brand?

As of today, we have wholesale accounts covering 15 states along with Whole Foods Market in the Atlantic region. In addition to enhanced brand recognition driven by our current retail relationships, we have online and offline marketing programs to further strengthen our market share and improve brand awareness. Raw Materials products have been featured in blogs and magazines during the past year.
My team believes in customer retention and supporting our retailers towards success. We are available for on-site sampling programs at retail stores, which allow us to meet your customers and promote the products.

Getting a product into the stores takes time, patience and perseverance.  How do you know you have what it takes?

Simple – because of the time, patience and perseverance the Anna B Skincare team has endured over the past 7 years

What is your philosophy of life?

The words painted on my home wall best express my philosophy of life:  love, trust, faith, believe, hope, encourage, share, create, and forgive.

What are the three things a retailer should know about your brand that will help them get their margin?

HOW ABOUT 5…

1. Market to women. 62% of women purchase personal care products for the men in their lives.

1. Men prefer fragrance free products and most encounter ingrown hairs from shaving. I can easily get a purchase when asking a potential customer if they or their partner have any skin-related issues like ingrown hairs. Raw Materials Skin Grit will reduce ingrown hairs if used 3 times a week before shaving.  This is a VERY popular product with men.

1. Men are brand loyal. Once they try our products, they will remain loyal to the Raw Materials brand.   Auto-shipment programs provide a simple solution to retain future purchases from your location, and one that has worked great with a few of our top retailers. Men also enjoy the convenience of having their favorite products shipped on a regular basis.  A loyalty program helps encourages repeat purchases directly from your place of business or website.

1. Many male consumers prefer function over form. Rather than promoting ingredients, we suggest promoting results and skin benefits such as soft skin, reduced ingrown hairs, less irritation, and … how others will notice.
2. The male market for grooming products is booming and is expected to exceed $4.7 billion by the year 2014 in the USA.  These male market figures do not include gender-neutral products purchased by male consumers, which, if included, more than triples the market potential.

Company/Designer Name: Adriana Laura Mendez

How did you get started?

I started four years ago alongside my son Julian, who inspired me to become the artist that I am today.

Before I was an artisan, I was the owner of a landscaping company for more than 20 years. Even though I studied botany, I always wanted to fulfill my passion for jewelry and I decided that this was the right time in my life to do it.

I self taught the technique and master it by learning from the mistakes I was making to finally create unique pieces of art. Patience, hard work and perseverance were the key to achieve the goals of making the finest wire crochet jewelry.

Why did you join Noblivity®?

We were looking for an online marketing platform that will enable us to expand our brand and boost our sales. Also we found Noblivity as a great tool for business to business transaction and marketing because it speeds up marketing process and saves overall transaction costs. It’s a great company to help designers from all over the world to share their art and get internationally recognition. 

How would you describe your design style, design signature and who is your targeted customer?

I would describe it as one of a kind jewelry style because we combine the flawless crochet technique that will dazzle the audience. The weaving is unconventional, jewels and sculptures are created on a spiral curl-styled woven base. My weaving art is not based on patterns. The designs are developed as my hand weaving is in progress and are not influenced by popular trends or short-living fashion trends, a characteristic that makes them timeless and everlasting.

Technique skills, imagination, dedication and passion enable creations of work to enclose a magical creative world. Beauty in these jewelry pieces can be perceived by touching sensations as well as by visual perception. Material flexibility enhances its refinement and every handmade piece becomes an ornament that should be sensed as a natural extension of the body.

Our targeted customers are women from 25-55 who are looking to wear a unique piece of art.

What inspires you?

My three sons are truly my inspiration. They are the biggest treasure that I have in my life. Their constant guidance and support to my artwork helped me from day one to constantly move forward and overcome every obstacle that was in my way.

What obstacles did you have to overcome to get to where you are?

The biggest obstacle that I had to overcome was to create a jewelry style that will dazzle the audience.

How did you overcome the obstacles along the way?

We did a lot of research in crochet jewelry and we found that there were a lot of ways to improve on a field that few people knew about.

What has been your greatest moment on your journey so far?

The greatest moment so far was the amazing feedback and recognition from people all over the world. Expanding our brand and building strong business relationships keeps us moving forward to the next level.

What has been the biggest change in your designs so far?

We try to evolve all the time and make new concepts so we can satisfy every customer. But if I have to pick something I would say that the bridal collection had a great impact on our designs, the feedback was incredibly amazing.

What’s next for your brand?

We are always trying to take everything to the next level. From the management point of view, we will keep expanding the brand and try to reach as many people as possible from around the world.

We are also working right now on our tanzanite collection that will make a statement of the uniqueness that we are constantly looking for.

If money were no object what would you do right now to promote your brand?

I would travel around the world to be on the most important and exclusive fashion showcases to promote, expand and revolutionize the market.

What are the best and worst things about bringing a product to market?

I think people is scared of creating a product that will not make an impact on the market. Also, afraid they are not getting the recognition they deserve after leaving their soul and hard work on something they have created.

 What is your philosophy of life?

My philosophy is to live fully, making the most out of each day leaving nothing for tomorrow. Learn from every mistake because it will lead me to succeed in life, helping me to become a better person.

If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I would start earlier the passion that I have for jewelry.

When will you know you have made it?

I will know that I have made it when the brand is globally recognized and that I have fulfill my goal of sharing my art with others.

Company/Designer Name: Aparna / Aparna Puri and Shireen Hafeez

How did you get started?

We wanted to address what we believe is a key gap in the women’s clothing market – clothes for women who like fine fabrics and haute couture styling in more realistic sizing. Women in their thirties and forties do not want to dress like their teenage daughters.

 Why did you join Noblivity®?

Noblivity’s promise of a global showroom where boutiques source new talent appealed to us.

What are retailers saying about your brand?

They love the understated sexiness in the classic, sophisticated styles.

How would you describe your design style, design signature and who is your targeted customer?

Our designs are alluringly ageless and will appeal to a wide range of women from their early thirties to sixties. Having said that, we are targeting the segment of affluent women in their thirties to mid-fifties for whom fabric, cut and quality are paramount. We design clothes for women like us who find that there is a lack of structured and comfortable clothing in the market.

Our clothes are classic but modern, not dull. The hemlines come down a bit but the necklines are sexy. If the hemline is shorter then, the necklines are more modest. The woman exudes confidence and attitude in our styles. Classic and sexy never goes out of style. Our signature lies in our ability to integrate masculine techniques with a feminine silhouette, enhancing the figure’s sensuality.

What obstacles did you have to overcome to bring your product to market?

It has been a steep learning curve as neither of us come from a fashion background. Industry specific challenges such as sourcing fine fabrics in small quantities and finding adequate production partners can be challenging for a low volume start-up company.

How did you overcome the obstacles along the way?

We are acquiring a large set of skills merging creativity and business skills with art and commerce. We are small enough right now to be personally connected to every aspect of our business. It has a lot to do with passion and perseverance.

We differentiate ourselves from our competitors through our design and quality and have received positive feedback from complete strangers! Fortunately, we have had no shortage in three vital areas – creativity, work ethics and financials. We were adequately funded at inception and going forward.

What has been your greatest moment on your journey so far?

When we had different fit models try our clothes in different sizing and the fit works perfectly for different body types and shapes.

What’s next for your brand?

The next collection will not be very different from the present one. Our signature styles will be updated by changing fabrics and colors. It is liberating for women not to be preoccupied with too many silhouettes but to feel confident in what works well for their body shapes.

If money were no object what would you do right now to promote your brand?

We would show our collection in the Paris catwalk since our clothes have a French understated sensibility and sophistication.

If we had a great PR firm, we would like to build brand recognition. In the long run, it would be our goal to establish connectivity in the internet world that could allow us to communicate directly with our clients.

What is your philosophy of life?

We are going to pass on that one!

Our philosophy for our work is that we don’t believe in doing things in half measure. We do things the right way, going all the way. We pay great attention to detail, fit, fabrics, construction. If we will not wear a dress, we scrap that idea – that is the bottom line, we design clothes for ourselves!

If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

Sounds like a cliché but we don’t have any regrets. If we were to do it all over again, we would probably make different mistakes, but still learn along the way! Sometimes going the wrong way is more interesting because every mistake takes you in a new direction. Had we done one single thing differently, we would not be where we are today.

What are the three things a retailer should know about your brand that will help them get their margin?

Our clothes appeal to a wide customer base both in terms of age as well as sizing. Our clothes are well proportioned and look good on many different shaped women.

When will you know you have made it?

When we randomly come across a stranger wearing our brand in the streets of Mumbai or Milan!

Company Name: Fiber Kraft

Manufacturer Background Summary:

Started in 2011 by Mithra Levis with a motive to revive forgotten craft traditions by injecting them with contemporary appeal, FK is a avenue to explore and to help underprivileged craftsman and their craft. We closely work these craftsman and try to uplift them.  FK is more a ethical brand.

Why did you join Noblivity®? 

It’s a platform for promising brand to venturing new markets; and they make the process flexible with less hassles.

How did you get started?

My love for beautiful accessories, Inspired by Indian arts and craft diversity and the need to revive these traditional crafts, FK was born.  There was a tremendous response from naturalistas and fashion critic, owing to the unique blend of sustainable materials.

How would you describe your brand aesthetics, design signature and who is your targeted customer?

A traditional Indian beauty with contemporary attitude, minimalistic, clean look targeted mostly on and FK is for a intellectual woman who wanted to set their identify and make a statement through her accessories.

What inspires you?

Exquisite Indian Handicrafts and nature…

What obstacles did you have to overcome to get to where you are?

To propagate eco-friendly products can be ultra stylish, edgy, unbashed and smart and to make people accept FK as eco luxury brand.

How did you overcome the obstacles along the way?

With utmost Belief in our Unique concept,smart  designs, uncompromising quality and minute detailing we made people accept our brand as eco luxe brand

What has been your greatest moment on your journey so far?

Our international recognisation in a very short period of time

What has been the biggest change in your designs so far?

Global appeal to ethnic crafts

What’s next for your brand?

FK M.E.N

If money were no object what would you do right now to promote your brand?

Celebrity endorsements, attending International trade fair and fashion shows and FK lifestyle boutique.

What are the best and worst things about bringing a product to market?

Best thing is to know people like your product and worst thing is to make it survive in rat race of lifestyle product and differentiate it

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

Chain of FK lifestyle boutique, to promote FK as a lifestyle choice

What is your philosophy of life?

Build your dream or somebody will hire you to build theirs

If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I am happy where I am because of my mistakes from the past…

When will you know you have made it?

When FK becomes Global brand