If you’re a start-up in the fashion industry, you may wonder how you get to the top of the fashion game. This industry is highly competitive, with an estimated market value of $1.9 trillion. There are numerous high clothing brands and fashion houses to compete with. You may feel that it would be difficult to earn in the tough market as you’re new.
But fortune favors the bold. The reality is that you can make waves in this highly competitive niche. Read on to uncover how fashion entrepreneur Cesar Cruz managed to build his fashion empire and maintain it as one of the top brands in the fashion industry.
ABOUT CESAR CRUZ
Cesar Cruz, or as he is popularly known as Rickie Cruz, is a famous entrepreneur in luxury fashion for men. He founded Sebastian Cruz Couture with his wife, Natasha, in 2014.
Cesar entered the market by selling unique pocket squares. From the onset, he managed to win over thousands of luxury buyers with his linen pocket squares that were perfect in every way. After that, he introduced dinner jackets, bold shirts, and bow ties.
REMAINING ON TOP OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY
Cesar is one of the few entrepreneurs who focussed on an eCommerce store instead of a brick-and-mortar. It is common for fashion brands, particularly high-end ones, to shop at some high-end locations. But Cesar and his wife focused on eCommerce and set out to build the best fashion eCommerce store in the market.
Cesar also understood the value of automation and used it to his advantage. He states that back in 2014, there were few bots, with the popular ones being Ninja Pinner as an example. At the time, Instagram didn’t really limit how many likes or followers a brand could have. Cesar set up bots to manage over 300 of his online accounts. He threw the word Pocket Square on his platforms. On Instagram, Cesar set up the phrase “at the Pocket Square Industry” as his Instagram page title. He saw followers on his Instagram grow to over 20k followers in a brief moment.
Cesar committed to regularly placing products on his online platforms. He posted a white Paisley dinner jacket when they decided to get into garments. He wore a jacket with a yellow gold Rolex and a white with yellow gold border pocket square. The post was an instant hit, as Cesar ended up with over 100 pre-orders. Clients sent him archaic measurements plus a credit card authorization form via paper.
From the onset, Cesar and Natasha were passionate about building a brand that’s completely innovative, bold, and fearless. They wanted to enter the market with something really unique. They went to Isa Couture Fabric company in Miami and deep downtown Miami to look for a designer that would help them mass-produce hand-crocheted pocket squares.
Cesar also prioritizes customer value. He states that over 45% of his revenue comes from repeat customers. Cesar believes that a business is a relationship, and it is an excuse to build a relationship with the customer by the end of the day. He says that if any business wants to scale, it must set the foundation of valuing the customer. Cesar says that “the foundation usually has nothing to do with the product or service you are selling, but by the experience and execution you plan to deliver.”
So there you have it, the four secrets behind Sebastian Cruz Couture’s success are:
- Make an excellent eCommerce site.
- Automation across all platforms, including social media.
- Enter the market with a unique product.
- Prioritize customer value.
Feel free to check out Cesar’s bold fashion outfits from his website.