Founders of Young Republic, Andrew Yang and Marianne Sea
The fashion industry is a highly competitive market, with a driving force that is continually pushing it forward into new design territories and trends that come and go in the clink of a stylish stiletto. So for an emerging designer hoping to put their manicured toe into the ring, it can be an extremely daunting and terrifying experience. Not only is it a challenge to come up with something new and fresh to compete with the established fashion brands, they also need to convince retailers to take a chance on an unknown label in their boutiques. It can be tough building exposure and getting face time with the right consumer.
Enter Young Republic – Australia’s first interactive marketplace for fashion, jewellery, homewares, art and lifestyle products from home-grown upcoming and independent designers. The YR website offers new designers a platform to showcase and sell their label as well as unique brand positioning, innovative marketing tools, regular press coverage and incisive management. While YR are handling much of the business and promotional end, the designer can focus on what they do best – designing!
This passion for the emerging future of Australian design inspired us at Fashion Exposed and we are proud to announce Young Republic as an official sponsor of Debut design competition. Debut is considered a successful launch pad for over 135 young Australian labels since its inception in 2006, with past winners including now established brands Alexi Freeman, Limedrop, Trimapee, Subfusco, and Catherine Leon. On top of joining the Debut judging panel, Young Republic have offered an exciting marketing and PR package for each of the winners worth over $4,500 each.
We took five with one of the founders of Young Republic, Marianne Sea to look back at their journey from concept to launch date; how important sites such as YR are to the future of the Australian fashion industry; empowering young Australians; and their scheduled trip to New York
Catherine Leon Move the Air dress
When did you dream up the Young Republic philosophy? How long did it take from concept to launch date?
Andrew and myself (Marianne) were running a boutique digital agency for a few years and we experienced first hand the struggles many emerging designers had – they all realised the importance of having a website and online store but many found it difficult to build, manage and then market an e-commerce site.
The answer came pretty naturally to us from there – build them an online marketplace that they could sell their products on, that would be free to join and free to list their products!
For designers, it would be a platform that empowered them to grow both locally and internationally without any upfront fees. For customers, a central place to find all the latest in fresh and unique designs whilst supporting emerging talent.
At the end of 2010, Andrew and I felt very strongly that it was time we began the journey of creating Young Republic and we have never looked back. Young Republic launched the beta version of the website in May 2011.
Can you tell us what the underlying mission statement is of the YR site? What the main objectives are for YR?
The underlying mission of Young Republic is to empower today’s emerging fashion entrepreneurs to become tomorrow’s leading labels. Our main objectives are to provide an online community where emerging designers can connect to and transact directly with fashion lovers, and to bridge the barriers of entry within the fashion industry.
Who is the team that makes up YR and their roles? How important is each member to the running of YR?
Our team currently consists of 4 – Andrew, Michael, Living and myself (Marianne). Our small but highly focused team handles everything from customer service and technical support; to social media, marketing and PR; to business strategy, growth and development.
Each member of the team is extremely crucial to the running and growth of YR and motivated by our passion to support these emerging designers. Our efforts have proven fruitful, with now over 340 designers on board and a growing interest from US & UK designers too.
How does it feel to empower young emerging design talents in Australia?
It’s incredibly rewarding to see people who previously saw their own fashion business as a distant dream, to actually have that vision become a reality. That’s what motivates us and is the driving force behind all our actions.
Do you feel as though you are mentoring these designers somewhat, especially with the business management and marketing end of their brands?
At this stage we feel like we are more of a partner than a mentor. However, we are aiming to collaborate with key industry leaders & launch workshops through this year to help educate our designers across a broader spectrum of areas in establishing their business. As we see more of our designers achieve success, it would be great to see these guys “mentor” other up & coming designers especially from a personal level about any mistakes & challenges they had to overcome.
Tulip
Do you feel the pressure of ensuring these brands get the recognition and exposure?
We don’t see it as pressure, but rather as an opportunity to provide emerging designers with the tools and knowledge to become fashion entrepreneurs, generating their own recognition and exposure. We can get designers recognition and exposure however if we empower them with the resources and capability to do it themselves, then its more meaningful for them. This then encourages other would-be fashion entrepreneurs to become a part of the Young Republic community.
What are some of the top selling labels on the YR site right now? Is the future of Australian fashion design in good hands?
It most certainly is. In the past it was difficult for Australian emerging designers to go into other states let alone other countries and compete on a global stage. With the advent of the internet and its now acceptance into modern life, anyone from any country with the right mentality and initiative can become a global brand. Some of the labels we’re most proud of and excited about on Young Republic include Fiel Sol, Dubbleyou, Alice Nightingale, Cloverlove, Moons of Apollo and Kid. Designs to name a few.
The best is definitely yet to come in regards to the future of Australian fashion design. We are already seeing some incredible emerging designers coming onto our platform and it’ll be exciting to see how they grow over the next few months & years. We’ll be doing everything we can to help foster their success on a local and global level, so look out!
You have also gained great press in magazines and other fashion sites for the YR brands, can you tell us about those colabs?
There’s a great team at Shop till you Drop and Cosmopolitan and we’ve been privileged to have a selection of our designers’ products in a few of their monthly editions. We’ve also had recognition in magazines like Frankie, Giftrap mag, Selector, StyleZilla, Fjorde, MelbourneGirl, Biscuit Mag, Lady Melbourne and Style Melbourne to name a few.
Our partnerships with design colleges and events companies also help us spread the word in the offline space. We’re always looking to partner with people, groups and companies that share our vision.
Love of Reign shirt dress
You have just become a major sponsor / media partner of the Fashion Exposed Debut competition – how important is this collaboration for the future development of YR?
We’re extremely excited to be a major sponsor / media partner with Fashion Exposed, who we consider to be the most extensive fashion event on the Australian buying calendar.
This collaboration is a great opportunity for Young Republic’s designers because those that are truly determined to take their brand global will need to partner with the right companies to facilitate their expansion into other countries. Fashion Exposed is the ideal platform for that transition.
You will also be a guest judge on the Debut panel, what are some of the things you will be looking for in the winning designs?
I’ll be looking for labels that display a keen eye for trends whilst bringing something new and exciting to the table.
Do you have any words of encouragement and advice for the Debut finalists before their FE showcase?
Have fun and enjoy the showcase, it’ll be a fantastic experience not to be forgotten. Regardless of the outcomes, each of the finalists have already shown positive signs of moving in the right direction with their labels.
It’s such a great achievement to be a Debut finalist and the YR team are looking forward to meeting with all of you!
How can young designers join the YR team? what do they need to do etc.
Designers interested in being a part of Young Republic simply need to visit our Sell page here for more info and to apply – http://www.youngrepublic.com.au/sell.html
What is in store for YR in 2012? We hear you are off to the States soon, tell us more!
That’s right, were very excited to be heading to New York within the next few months in order to explore areas of growth and suss out US emerging talent! More details to come soon so stay tuned!