LizzieWood / Work / Realex
Presenting sourced labels and tags to the client.
Realex: Business Development for a Fashion Startup
Overview
I consulted for a men's fashion start up. Due to an NDA, I’ve adjusted details for presentation purposes.
Goal
Develop a distinctive brand that redefines sustainable fashion and create a business plan to secure investment.
Outcome
A fully developed brand, business plan, and a digital soft launch
Early design board for Realex
Defining the Brand
The founders of this company had a logo and some ideas of the “feel” of the brand. I worked closely with them to help them understand their vision. This involved conversations and presentations to turn their abstract ideas into something concrete suitable for brand development.
Once we were able to agree on direction an experienced creative director was bought in and together we created a Brand Bible and values statements for the start up to follow.
Product Development
The goal was to produce high-quality, organic cotton garments through accredited factories. I managed supplier relations, sampling, production, and shipping logistics, working closely with a production consultant to ensure cost efficiency and industry standards.
My role involved risk assessment, supplier accountability, and advising the founders throughout the process.
Checking the samples received from our factory in Chennai match the pattern we carefully developed in our London studio.
Understanding the logistics and costs of shipping from India.
Technical design drawings (”flats”) with production tolerances.
Checking the samples received from our factory in Chennai match the pattern we carefully developed in our London studio.
Slideshow showing logistical and technical details
Business Development
Working on the business plan for Realex was one of the most interesting parts of this project but due to the NDA it’s innovative structure isn’t something I can talk about. Our small team included a service designer who specialised in working with social enterprises, a production and costing specialist, a communication expert and a creative director.
The goal was to align youth culture and sustainability with the fashion industry in a meaningful way. The plan was prototyped, costed, and presented to experts for feedback. It was decided that the next step should be to soft launch the brand and prove the viability of the product.
Secondary research showing the comparative growth in menswear sales.
Soft Launch Execution
I led the launch of Realex, delivering:
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Product: A limited run of 300 organic t-shirts (5 sizes, 2 styles, 2 colorways).
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Visuals: Model and product photography.
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Digital: Website, online store, and social media strategy.
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Content: A youth culture blog with freelance contributors.
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Sales: Packaging, logistics, and order fulfillment.
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Simple soft launch website made on Wix (we didn't have a web designer on the team)
What did I learn?
Working on the business plan with our service designer was the most valuable part of the project and shaped my shift away from physical product design.
A major challenge was bridging the founders’ personal vision with market insights. Their initial brand concept, tightly held from the start, didn’t fully evolve in response to user research.
There is space for a business who’s organisational purpose is to use youth culture and the underground music scene to engage and connect young people for community benefit; but for any brand to do this successfully they must listen closely to those who they wish to engage with their product.