Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in clothing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kate March, founder of Undonebykate, located in Manhattan, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Undonebykate is an upcycled streetwear brand bringing a new life to vintage with their one-of-a-kind designs. Undone strives to create an inclusive line "For the people who dare to be fashionably different."
Tell us about yourself
Undone was a pandemic baby truly started by accident. Pre-pandemic, I was working under the stylist Micaela Erlanger. I was fully set on pursuing a career in wardrobe styling. Once the pandemic hit, we were all unfortunately laid off, but it was honestly a blessing in disguise. I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit and obvious love for vintage fashion, and I realized the moment I got laid off, I had to pivot. A family member gifted me a sewing machine and all the tools to teach myself how to sew. We would facetime for hours on end, and YouTube University would become my best friend. I have always had a love for vintage clothing and often always buy secondhand before purchasing a new product.
Like the rest of the world, I had assumed lockdown would be a quick two weeks, and we would be back to normal. I packed up my two fav vintage band tees and sweats and headed to stay with my boyfriend for the time being. One day out of pure boredom, I took those vintage band tees, cut them up, and put together my first split band tee. I posted it on my personal Instagram with no intention of selling it, again just out of pure boredom. I ended up having quite of few people interested in the shirt. I started making them for my friends and family only, and quickly the word spread to friends of friends, etc. I began taking custom orders and started a regular Friday drop schedule where I would release 30 shirts, and whoever would DM me first would get them. I realized I had something bigger when I had more demand than I ever anticipated and not enough product due to supply chain delays (keep in mind we were still at the peak of the pandemic). Due to the drop selling out, I knew I needed to take it to the next step. So I registered as an LLC and created Undonebykate.com. Undone was still run out of my bedroom at that point.
Fast forward three months later, I had my first bulk wholesale order of 100 pieces and signed a small office lease to operate Undone out of Connecticut. I quickly realized that this could no longer be a one-woman show, and I needed some help. Within a few weeks, three of the best young ladies ended up in that small Connecticut office. Stefani, Ellie, and Sarah were my first three interns that quickly turned into paid employees. They took the brand to places that I could have never thought of on my own.
During the next few months, our customer base was in NYC, and we needed to get there too. Pre-pandemic, I lived in New York for five years and knew I had to go back to be able to take the brand to the next level. Pop-up shops were our mainstream revenue once we got to New York and also how we were able to make such a strong personal connection with our customers. As soon as we finished our Chelsea showroom, we threw a kick-off party to commence our new avenue of selling, in-person showroom appointments.
From a design perspective, I wake up extremely excited and often in the middle of my sleep with new designs and collections I want to create. The creative freedom that upcycling allows you are truly limitless. Something I love about Undone is that each piece is one-of-a-kind, so you will never see another person wearing the same piece of Undone that you have. It was really important to me to bring personal style back into the wardrobe, and I think with all these fast fashion brands, it's easy to succumb to microtrends. From a managerial perspective, I love to teach and mentor as much as possible, so knowing that I have a team of people that are eager and excited to see the brand grow with me is a really special experience.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Being able to pay my bills off my creativity.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Separating my personal life from work. It feels like I can never turn the business off, which can interfere with my personal life.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Know your numbers.
- People talk a big game and always take their chat with a grain of salt.
- Know your customer; it's more important than what's trending.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Would love to meet you - book an appointment to come hang out in our showroom.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.undonebykate.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Undone-by-Kate-100850981809156
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/undonebykate/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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