Devon clothing brand celebrates success
Two Devon students are celebrating six successful months of their clothing brand Elsie & Arthur.
Having launched the business in May, the two are now reaping the rewards of their hard work.
Jack Williams, 21, and Allie Lawson, 20, both studying at university in Cardiff, were awarded a launcher loan from School For Startups, founded by ex-Dragons’ Den investor Doug Richards.
“Living in the countryside, we understand our target market,” said Jack, a Business Studies student at Cardiff Metroplitan University. “From the beginning we had in mind the type of items that we were looking to sell. The hardest part was finding the suppliers and making sure that we were using the best materials.”
The students spent the summer touring some of the UK’s biggest county shows and fairs.
‘Exhibiting at the shows gave us access to a greater market of potential customers’, said Jack. ‘It was great getting such positive feedback; everyone seemed to love our stall and clothing.’
When asked why Elsie & Arthur is unique, Allie said “Because we’re not on every high street, we’re exclusive and will only be available online and at various events and pop-up shops.
“We want to be an affordable version of the designer brands that everyone has heard of. We will constantly be changing our collections and we will be offering limited edition items. There won’t be millions of each Elsie & Arthur item available; if you want it you’ll have to buy it quickly.”
The two students are graduating from university next June, and hope to work for their brand full-time.
‘In an ideal world, we’ll both be able to create our own graduate jobs’, said Jack. ‘We put every spare moment into the business, and more importantly have fun doing it. We know the potential the brand has, and we want to be able to focus solely on building on what we have already got.’
The students have recently added new pieces for their winter collection, but say that are always looking at expanding. They are also speaking to a number of stores nationwide who are interested in stocking their products.
Information on the brand is available at www.elsieandarthur.co.uk
Elsie & Arthur
www.elsieandarthur.co.uk
Twitter: @elsieandarthur
Facebook: www.facebook.com/elsieandarthur
