Starting a Clothing Brand: Hakata Couture's Journey

About this episode

In this episode of The eCom Show, host Shan A Salam sits down with Haripriya, Kadeeja Shimla, and Tashya, the three co-founders of Kerala-based clothing brand Hakata Couture. The founders discuss meeting as colleagues in an IT company before teaming up to launch an online apparel venture with an initial pooled capital of just six thousand rupees. They recount their early mistakes, including buying unsuitable fabric in local markets, before travelling to wholesale hubs in Bengaluru and Surat to source directly. The trio highlight their core unique selling proposition of offering customised sizing and height adjustments, which drove high customer retention and organic word-of-mouth growth. They also share practical operational lessons on managing Instagram DMs, dealing with an account action block, leveraging non-paid influencer gifting, and utilising state bus parcel services to guarantee urgent festive deliveries. Finally, they discuss scaling from outsourced tailoring to running an in-house manufacturing unit.

Key takeaways

1. 1Starting small with minimal pooled capital while working freelance helps validate product demand before taking major financial risks.
2. 2Offering custom sizing based on exact customer height and measurements can create a loyal customer base with low return rates.
3. 3Excessive and rapid direct messaging using shortcuts across multiple devices can trigger an Instagram action block.
4. 4Barter-based influencer gifting works best when selecting creators who genuinely align with the aesthetic and comfort of the garments.
5. 5State transport bus parcel services can act as a reliable alternative to courier partners for urgent same-day or overnight deliveries during peak festive rush.
6. 6Transitioning from outsourced tailoring to an in-house production unit is essential to maintain delivery timelines during high-demand festival seasons.

Chapters

1. 0:00Highlights
2. 2:32Founders introduction
3. 3:10Personal journeys
4. 7:48Early planning & brand naming
5. 12:46First product launch
6. 16:55Fabric sourcing trips
7. 21:39Production setup
8. 25:42Influencer marketing
9. 31:36Customer service
10. 38:38Scaling & delegation
11. 44:42Custom fit & USP
12. 51:48Sales growth & viral reels
13. 56:37Social media challenges
14. 1:02:20Logistics & delivery
15. 1:07:16Production team growth
16. 1:10:55Website & automation plans
17. 1:13:21Next Step and Conclusion