What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
The successful navigation by our team from baby product to ‘Sock Brand’. We now have stockists both in New Zealand and internationally that are exclusively Adult, Baby or Child. The brand can stand alone in distinctly different markets. This has been key in the growth and sustainability of the business. We are committed to expanding our range across multiple markets.
What do you think has contributed to your brand’s success?
A fabulous team, beautiful photography, and customer loyalty. There was also some luck: the sock that was originally designed with my own daughters was loved by other parents. We have been lucky that a couple of stockists championed our brand very early on and this certainly helped get our little snowball rolling. We remain grateful for their loyalty.
We are very intentional about maintaining the essence of the brand when designing each new season. We have certain design rules that we follow and always return to these. We have a loyal following and we never want to disappoint our lovely customers. We are always striving to improve our products and our customer experience while still conserving the features that our customers have come to rely upon.
Do you have words of wisdom to anyone thinking about getting into the industry today?
Whenever I get asked this question, I always say the same thing: do not rely on an income when starting a business. It took nearly 6 years before I was able to leave my previous profession and a further couple of years before I was able to take a regular income. We have seen so many amazing businesses start but not survive because the financial pressure was too difficult.
Are there other kids’ fashion brands you admire and why?
We have lots of friends in this industry that we admire for many different reasons. New Zealand is such a small dot on the map but the tenacity and creativity of some of the brands making waves internationally is humbling.
Shop Lamington Merino Wool Socks + Tights here. You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
