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The Glossy Podcast

Never Fully Dressed's Lucy Aylen on the 'learning curve' of reaching global consumers

In the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast, international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska sits down with Lucy Aylen, founder of the U.K.-based fashion brand Never Fully Dressed.  Known for its bold prints, size-inclusive designs and vibrant community, the 15-year-old brand has seen 42% year-on-year sales growth this year and has expanded its store footprint. Its styles, which include the popular Jaspre skirt, "boob shirt" and reversible wrap dress, have been worn by Lena Dunham and Beyoncé, among other stars. On the podcast, Aylen discusses the brand’s U.S. expansion, including with stores in NYC's Nolita neighborhood and L.A.'s Melrose Place, both of which opened in June. In addition, she offers advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. For her part, Aylen started her brand with a stall in London's Spitalfields market.  Tune in to learn how Aylen is building her brand while prioritizing inclusive fashion and community-building.

Duration:
45m
Broadcast on:
21 Aug 2024
Audio Format:
mp3

In the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast, international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska sits down with Lucy Aylen, founder of the U.K.-based fashion brand Never Fully Dressed. 

Known for its bold prints, size-inclusive designs and vibrant community, the 15-year-old brand has seen 42% year-on-year sales growth this year and has expanded its store footprint. Its styles, which include the popular Jaspre skirt, "boob shirt" and reversible wrap dress, have been worn by Lena Dunham and Beyoncé, among other stars.

On the podcast, Aylen discusses the brand’s U.S. expansion, including with stores in NYC's Nolita neighborhood and L.A.'s Melrose Place, both of which opened in June. In addition, she offers advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. For her part, Aylen started her brand with a stall in London's Spitalfields market. 

Tune in to learn how Aylen is building her brand while prioritizing inclusive fashion and community-building.

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Learn more and register today at digitay.com/retailmedia. Hello, and welcome to the Glossie podcast. I'm your host for this week's Afidska Glenska, International Reporter for Glossie. Today, I'm joined by Lucy Aylen, the founder of Never Filly Dressed, a UK fashion brand that is capturing hearts with its bold designs. We'll explore how Lucy is leading the brand's expansion into the US market and the key role that building a strong, positive staff culture has played in the brand's growth. I'd love to hear a little bit more about, you know, what inspired you to launch at the brand and how has the brand kind of evolved since its inception? So, I think I talk about brand, not crazy articulate, but in a much different way to how I did when I started. I didn't start out to make a brand, I didn't start out to set up a business. I think I only identified as an entrepreneur a few years ago, I suppose, when it started to become a bit trendy, that female entrepreneurs were a thing and people wanted to talk to you. Which is a shame, actually, because when I was speaking to my mum recently, I'm like, "Oh, actually, my mum was an entrepreneur." She had a business as a woman, but it wasn't a thing you just cracked on and that was your, that's what you did. So, when I set out, I was a failed actress, always creative, and I was at home, living at home, and my mum was like, "You need a job, basically." So, that's why I started doing the markets, I started making things, and I started to sell them. Still never really with, there was no social media at the time, and I wasn't aware, I didn't come from, I suppose, if I had a really good friend, his parents were more in publishing, so you were aware of brand and media, that wasn't my world, we were like, working class. So, you just graphed, that's what I was taught. And then that grew, and then social media happened. So, then I was, "Okay, actually, you can reach this creative space, really community-focused, kind of the origins of what social media was about, I think real collaboration, creativity, communication, all of those words." And that's where I started seeing that community build. Meanwhile, alongside that as well, I was doing the markets at the time, so that was my community. I think so, the veins and the truth of the brand now were still very present then, even though I was unaware, which I think is what makes a truth and a brand as honest, and it gives it that longevity when something is there before buzzwords become a thing, or before you're aware of that strategy piece, I think that through line has been constant because it has been truthful. So, yeah, community was there, I suppose, the styling, the integration with our customer. So, community from a, because it can be quite lonely being an entrepreneur, but community from me from a other traders and other people who were starting businesses. So, they were your colleagues, even though they weren't in your business, but then also the community from the consumer, and where I think so much of society and culture is built on that interaction. I don't know, I'm going on tangent, I know, but I don't know, being from the UK, if you're aware of like Pearly Kings and Queens, they're a charity focus, but again, like from the markets, and it was just a barrow boy, which again, for the U.S. listeners, is just someone that comes and helps you pitch up and set your stores. You saw people in need, and then rallied around with the other traders for some money to help people out whenever they need. We're actually weirdly working with them next year now, we're designing with them, but so that real community focus from there, I think a bit of a working class thing, I think where you borrow a cup of sugar and you help and stuff, that was there, and I think maybe we got a little bit lost along the way when I'm learning and growing, but I think our structure as a business now has really brought it back to what I believe in, what the type of business that I want to create, how I want to support our staff. And again, I think it strengthens our message as a brand, and I think that rings true the way it comes through, and that's the message we want to spread. Yeah, of course, that answers the question. Oh, no, definitely. I mean, starting out in markets is a very unique way of doing it. I don't think that there's many brands today, which have such a kind of root connection with their customers, especially in the UK, like markets are, you know, the kind of the center of the town, like it happens every week. Everyone comes together. You don't see that many brands coming from those environments now. No, well, I think less so now because you've got social media, which is amazing. That is the birth of the bedroom business. So you can start it in your attic, but equally, it's not. I say this, but you do have that interaction, and you do have a communication with them, but it's on a DM that you're a little bit removed. I mean, you can. There's a bit like keyboard warrior thing you can be someone else when you're standing in front of a customer serving them. There's an immediacy. There's an energy that is exchanged. I think even now, like our staff have to do a day in the shop, like within their hotel, like it's really unique and I think a really great teaching and just great about people. I think it's how you build those engagements. Yeah, definitely. So how long were you doing that for? And kind of when did you transition to getting your first proper kind of store or like online marketplace? I've started it for about five years and a little bit on and off so that I still, and then it kind of moved into the pop up culture as well. So I'd do the market when I could or I'd travel about. I'd go and pop to New York and do a few markets or pop to a friend used to model for me and she was living in Australia. I'd pop there and I'd do the markets there. I just think when you've got that in your blood, it's a bit of an old, I'm reading Billy Connolly at them and in the rambling man, Billy Connolly's rambling man, his book, just about that. I think when you've got that traveler in you and you've just got an exchange of skills. Maybe I'm a bit of a hippie. I mean, no money. You can just exchange. I think when you've got that in your blood, you have it so I could travel anywhere and sell something or make something. Probably a dying thing. So when we were doing the markets, I'd say for about five years, I'd still do them, but they just, they stopped. So that's a lie. Sorry. We do spitterfields now once a month with our pre-loved initiative. So there we sell secondhand, never fully dressed and samples. So we have no wastage in our process. But at the time where the my time and the market needed to be to generate more money, it wasn't really worth my time in how I was structuring when there was probably just me and someone else in the business. I mean, I couldn't justify doing it anymore. But now we do it again now, but with a different intention. Now it is community focus and I say our sustainability program. So we do it with a different focus. So I think you're lucky when you can build that business out. It enables you to do things that may be eight years ago. I would have thought sounded a bit romantic and because I'm from that graft background, you had to and we've never had investment. It's always just been me. So we've had a really strict discipline to be profitable. Every time you put a dollar in, you need to see X amount return. But I think we've built that structure now that the strategy is slightly different with how we invest. Yeah, of course. Since Fiddle Fields is obviously a really massive market in London and somewhere that a lot of kind of secondhand markets are now kind of going to seems like there's a big kind of opportunity there. And it's fun. Oh, yes. It's fun. I think just maintaining the fun within what you do. I think it's really key. Yeah. No, I mean, it's, it's so nice to actually see brands present in places like that and commute like again connecting back to those consumers in a very like basic way beyond like a store environment. But that doesn't hamper you from opening stores. I know that you've opened, you know, the New York location. And now the LA 12. So tell me a little bit more about, you know, what it is like opening stores as a UK brand over in the US. Fun. Again, I just, I like any challenge. I think. A little bit like what we were saying before about the markets for us is that customer engagement. It's an energy that you can't get from a keyboard interaction. So as we're growing in the yet in the US, it just seems natural to make sure that that is at the foundation of how we grow. So we started with New York. It's probably the nearest for us to get to and the opportunity just worked. I do believe in when things aligned. I mean, we were doing a pop up there. So we started with pop ups. They were successful. The New York one that I think the most recent New York one was our most successful. We've done. And that was about six months before we opened the permanent store. And it was in that. The exact store where our permanent store is now. And I was just like, this, this just feels right. Like that. It's quite unique. New York has a little bit of that London feel the shoppers walk around. I mean, completely different to LA. LA is destination shopping. You drive to somewhere. So that was something to adjust. I think with the approach, LA is different. But yeah, New York's a tree line store. Really good neighbors. Just a good like community. I think that's kind of a common theme in what we look for. But that felt right. And luckily the landlord was just about to put it up for long term tenancy. And we made that work. But I think it's just key for us. So those core values of the business have to be present in every stage of growth or every project we do. So we always make sure we come back to that and community engagement is one of those. So that was natural in the US expansion. Yeah, of course. And did you do anything specific to kind of engage that local community in the US, like, especially within New York store after the pop up. In New York, we do a lot of charity work in the UK. And again, that's really close to our heart, something that we believe in. So we work with Girls Inc. in New York. Again, as soon as we can, when things feel right, I don't think it's good to force anything or do anything. Not green washing. What's the equivalent just in a business term? But yeah, social washing. Yeah, social. Yeah. So yeah, we work with Girls Inc. there. And it just felt natural. And then when the times right in LA just to anchor the the roots within the community, we will find a charity to connect and support there as well and help where we can. So I suppose it was just key that we kept that in that approach. Yeah, of course. And obviously, you know, opening the store in LA was a little bit of a further venture for you guys. You know, why did you choose LA and like, what do you think that you'll gain from the customers then? I do. Weirdly how you ask the question for me. And again, maybe it sounds a bit romantic. It's how we serve the customer there. I think that's the, I do believe it's a full circle. But rather than what do you gain? What do you give? And I believe that that energy comes round. But for me, again, it just anchors are like cuddles, the US for us. So where we see organic growth and then a little bit more of a strategic approach as well. I think it anchors our intention in it as a territory. And then we can look at cross country activation, which I suppose leads to the more wholesale partner set up. That's a little bit more cross country. Yeah. And I suppose they're two major tourist states as well. We get a lot of tourists that might go to New York that don't come to London or the shop and they get to experience it in person. They might not be from New York. So that's probably 5050 as well in both both states, both stores. Yeah, of course. And tell me a bit more about the product because obviously we haven't touched on that yet. You know, did you do something special for the US customers? That you're kind of looking at editing some of those product bits. And what is, how would you, I guess, define the product mix that you have right now. A few questions in there. So, yeah, the product for us is. When I say colorful to me, it's not necessarily wearing a head to toe rainbow color, colorful, that kind of adjective to me is more of an energy. So it's how someone feels how infectious that is. And I think women and people are amazing. So our job is for someone to realize that. So whether it's in the store or they get it delivered online. But if we're talking store for our customer service or sales associates in there. To unlock that in someone, I think it's really special and why I think the store stores are such a focus because that's something that you can lose just on econ. So, and you see, you see it when people come out the changing room and they feel that confidence in them. I think it's beautiful to see and then they can just can smash whatever they're doing in that outfit. I used to kind of downplay a little bit what we did, like making clothes, but I actually think it can unlock something in someone or it can be so much more for that person. So I think it's great. I say you have that I suppose the size range inclusivity. But yes, I was ranked is key for us and it's been really special to bring to physical retail space in the US. I think people do do that on e-commerce. But I think it's been my experience that it's not represented physically so much in stores out there. So you have, it's beautiful to see. I say on the shop floor in New York, you have women in tears. I've always taken for granted that I could go shopping for my 16th birthday, don't mean with your friends for a birthday outfit, but if you are over a size, probably 12 back in the day, like they wouldn't have had that. So really, you can run over me. Do you want me to completely, I've taken that for granted. So, and even now that it's still not a thing physically to be able to do, I feel really honored to be a part of that and I'm proud to stand for that in the physical stores out there. Yeah, of course, you're right. Like, size inclusivity in stores is harder to do. There's not as many models out with a range of sizes. I think customers really do end up responding really well to just seeing the kind of range that you have. And do you find that you see that a lot in the US that you'd get people looking for more extended sizing as well? Yeah, that's a big part of our demographic in our New York store. I know we've been there longer, so I've got more reporting and stuff on it, but yeah, we do sell larger sizes proportionally, I mean, really well compared to our UK store. Yeah, I think because it is so such a rarity. Yeah, definitely. Exactly. It's just that like the store experience is just lacking those extended sizing. It's interesting to see how DTC brands are kind of transitioning to offering that because they know that what's happening online is converting to, you know, what's happening in stores as well. And I know that you brought up wholesale before and I guess the uniqueness of store associates and kind of how they work with customers to unlock themselves. What does that look like on the wholesale side? Because obviously you lose some of that control a little bit. So how do you kind of put that across? You do. And that's something that we've launched recently with Revolve and newly so DTC retail and then that was our first venture into rental. We've been approached quite quite a bit, actually in the US that's our first big venture into it. And both of them have bought into extended sizing, which hasn't always been the case, and it's tough to balance. Say whoever, I mean, an amazing partner that you would would be on your hit list would want to stock you, but hey, they only want to stock these sizes. That's a bit of a battle of where you would stand. Luckily, I say with both of those, they have really bought into that full size range because you want the brand to be represented and, and seen for what it truly is. So both of those are online and then we're launching with delads, which again is a different approach, but that's that in store piece cross country. I think in those more middle states. So hopefully the mix of those partners, they're all slightly different and do a bit of a different job, I think should be within that little cuddle that we're doing in New York and LA. Yeah, of course, I mean, it's a very wide market to come for compared to the UK. I know that, you know, starting out kind of London, some of the other places in the UK might be easier to get a hold of than the massive kind of US market and all of the different pockets inside of it. And with delads, you know, is there anything that you do to kind of focus on that kind of customer aspect for them? Or, you know, how is that going to go? Because I'm assuming that partnership hasn't started yet. No, it's really new. So, and they just work, they're so massive, they just work on even their own critical past and stuff that we're getting used to. So, yeah, they're launching in August with a smaller, actually it's in a couple of stores now, but smaller offering August and then it will start to be a much bigger range. So, we've got activity planned with them next spring, which will be more, there's a little road trip and I'll be out there and we can do a bit more activation. So, which feels nice, it feels like a sustainable kind of program. Do you know what I mean, of growth and activation and product offering and stuff. So, hopefully that will feel manageable, how that will grow. Yeah, of course. And, you know, you've got quite a strong brand identity in the UK. So, how are you kind of planning on maintaining that in the US where the brand is obviously newer and might have quite a few DTC brands to compete with? I think a little bit while I said at the beginning, I think if you maintain your truth and everything comes back to that, I think then that will filter down across staff, across our customer service, across our DTC, Jeremy and partners. Sometimes I always think that growth is a bit slower, like word of mouth is the best form of marketing, you can have it, it is slower, but equally it's more sustainable and more truthful. I suppose in turn, then it's about us hiring correctly, learning fast there as well, and maybe we've made mistakes in hiring out there, I think we've got that structure that feels right at the minute. And then, again, it's very easy like before this, I just had trade in our office, it's very easy to chat across the office and everyone's on the same page, but there you've got a whole sea and time zones and completely different cultures to get your head round and try and get them together with, I say the brand ethos and messaging as well, because I say we speak the same language, but there are a few things that get lost in translation still, Jeremy, so just making sure that we hire top level well, and so for then that can filter down. Yeah, of course, and I know that it's challenging approaching a new market, so with those hiring strategies, is there anything that you're kind of looking for in particular, that maybe is more specific for the US? In hiring? Yeah, for those top level positions. I mean, the first thing is just communication for me, I say we're very direct in how we, in our approach to stuff, in how I talk to people, we've not really got those ears and graces, we're not from a corporate background, so someone who understands structure and hard work, but communication, I remember when we interviewed our new manager in New York and you know from 22nd to last week, I can talk to you and this is really easy. I know that I can pick up the phone quicker or things just works easy, I'm not sweet, you've got the job. I mean, I think communication is so key when you're so far away, you just need a trust, and I don't care if mistakes will always happen if people do things wrong, whatever it is, but as long as you've got a trust between you can work through anything. Yeah, no, I absolutely get that I think it's so important to build that up and it's so much easier when you just get yourself. And in terms of kind of like surprising I guess all rewarding things that you've been thinking about, you know, with the US expansion, is there anything that's happened that's been surprising for you when you've thought about that market. It's surprising that's happened to not really this, there's things that we're still learning and hurdles, do you know what I mean, but I don't think, I don't think surprises. No, I think our growth has been quite, again, I don't want to say slow I think in the great, I mean, but sustainably and started organic then we invest small, small, and let that grow. I don't believe in any kind of magic wand in business. I don't think, oh, when you do this or when you make that higher or when this happens, everything falls into place I believe in, again, working hard all the little things and slowly they build I think we made a bit of a shift. I'd say for me about two years ago, because we came out of COVID a different size business to what we've been in, then there was an I'd say about a two year period where I was like oh well, I mean I've never managed that many people before. I think people thought well this is a different size business you suddenly had people in your head being like, this is what your business is worth you know like a lot of ecom. I assume that businesses went crazy I think I was maybe distracted or just a good few learning situations. Coming out of that kind of resetting what I want to create a business what success looks like for me as a person for me as an employee for us as a brand and then resetting those foundations. So I actually think we're in a really good place we've had a couple of years of that growing so you're then not fussed by whether it is a small surprise or something nothing throws you we've taken any spikes out of the business and you all learn to really work well as a team and keep that agility as you scale that that's a tricky thing I suppose to as you scale to you want to be a not an SME anymore to me like you want to scale to keep that boutiqueiness or whatever I mean I want to carve our own way as an employer so we can support the working parent or you can do this or you can help while having corporate structure or we can grow at this couch I mean so yeah our foundation feels right I think to to learn and work together to work through any surprises that might come. Yeah I completely get that and I know that when we had the glossy dinner there was some things that we spoke about about you know how much you're retaining some of the staff that you're working with you know there's a lot of people that have been with the brand for a really long time and you talked about supporting them. So what is it exactly that you do and why do you think that that's important for an apparel brand kind of support its workers like that. I've been learning it for more recently I think when people come to us for more of a corporate set up I don't want to say trauma sounds really intense but I mean like people are quite fixed I think there's I'm learning how unique our culture is that I say like I don't have a bit of what I touched on before I don't care if you've made a mistake like you can come to me within it call how do we work through that. Whereas if someone if I was to find something out or someone's been shady about something then I'm bothered Jimmy we. But you're in such a safe space that if I know that you're coming with good intention then you're you're good. I mean there's no for management and I'm hoping this comes down like no complexity to that there's no sides to how I would approach something. So I feel like everyone's on the same page and I say to people like you're in a safe space here and you can grow whatever ambition you come with I will match so equally for a smallish business. You're very exposed. Jimmy so you can come and if you're if you bring it like I just said we will match you and you can sort equally if you think you can get away with something or you can't hide like you're you're quite open. So yeah it's quite a unique little set up but very supportive. Like if someone does something good like we we love seeing that it's amazing yeah. Are you a brand in the fashion or luxury industry. The glossy fashion and luxury awards provide the opportunity to recognize your company's work with categories including Sustainable Brand of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Experiential Marketing Activation and more. Don't miss the chance to be recognized alongside past winners from good American skims and Gucci. Learn more and start your entry at glossy dot co slash awards slash fashion. And yeah what kind of like programs I guess or awards do you have for those employees that do well and you mentioned obviously the kind of parent support as well. Like again that is something that in corporate structures like you don't see as much nowadays. No we do I mean we have our head of buying logs on at 4am one day she does a little shift so people can manage their time timetable or whatever routine would work for them to enable that especially now you've got we've got. Some are holidays you call it I mean off school that is a big juggle so like I said I think it was like when the whole working from home thing came about like if you've got to question whether a member of staff is trying to have you overall or trying to be flexible for a different reason then you need to question what that dynamic is anyway but if you fully support and trust that member of staff if someone needed to work for home for forever or really got whatever is you've got that trust that that gets done. So I think comes back to that as long as you've got that trust there you can support anything really but I mean other ways but we've recently started a personal development program so anything that people want to develop in themselves someone was saying management today like public speaking like anything that you want to develop I think I've noticed in myself as I suppose in that two year period. When work is your life you've not really got much to bring to the table anyway you're quite boring in what you bring but I've started to do a few other courses or things that I've always been passionate about that maybe before you know I've not got time so much more of a colourful person to bring to the table when you are at work you have to really protect that personal development so I'm saying that for me but and then also within all of my staff as well so because you find it niggles someone's got a passion or something they want to do if I mean if you to say no you can't do that or it doesn't work at that time or they shun it because they think they need to focus on something else it will always be there it will always niggle do you know I mean so it will just come about in six months or two years or whenever it was I think your best off scratching the itch and seeing how you can make things work I say you want someone to be the best version of themselves to come to to work anyway. Yeah of course and what about kind of store employees I know that you know hiring younger employees has been a bit of a challenge for some brands is that something that you found and is it easier or harder in the US or the UK. I don't think there's a difference between the two territories to be honest. I say I actually think we're in quite a good place at the minute even with the younger employee but I know cross industry and just the whole employment sector is not just within fashion maybe there's more tendencies that the more of a creative environment and creative industries sorry. A TAFA maybe for that retention piece within younger staff but I do think it's industry like cross industry I hear another podcast or people with you in other sectors and businesses. I think it's tough when people have it might be the first job since COVID or it might be. I say the employment now is such a different space to when even I was younger let alone maybe if you're 20 your parent might be 45 so very much closer to what they. Their experience of employment so I think it's even for me now getting used to that when something is the truth because it is present across the whole generation. You can't deny that because it is what it is but when it's so different you're trying to learn how that employee how things might be working for them. So yes I say it's a tough one to articulate I think but I know that retention piece there is hard I think there's a different expectation of what the workplace should be. I think resilience is a dying trait or a diminishing trait in people for all senses of the world like I was talking to like even marriages or whatever it is I think it's very easy because you've got access to everything and everyone is very easy to see what else is out there or easy to try something or definitely it's easy to believe in the good part of anything that someone might show on social media so you're quiet. The grass is always green and maybe I do think social has fueled that mindset and you want a quick win a quick promotion a quick qualification whatever I mean without going back to what I've said that truth and I've been doing this for 15 years and I'm like okay the last couple of years I've been seeing that come through now I think that respect of time doesn't feel present. Maybe we're on a bit of a turn I think the last six months maybe I think there's a lot of anti social media within kids or I mean I think there's a little bit of slowing down and maybe an appreciation of longer. Craft or processes and stuff so we'll see what comes of it because I say even for us as an employee employer that shift has changed I'm not in. I think we're fine with that retention piece in young stuff at the minute I think there was a bit of a weird space where people came out of covid and it took a while to know what you want or I don't know work that work that out for us. Yeah of course I mean it takes time it was such a different period for brands and for employees as well. And you know I know that going back to that social piece you know so much of the brand is built upon that and you mentioned you know community multiple times there. So how do you connect with your community on social now and you know how do you expect that that will be growing I guess or changing in the future. Again we're very agile and we're approachable as a business as something came to my attention recently. I'd go okay cool let's get in touch with them and how can we support that and it could be a one off thing or we could okay. A charity could come to our attention we tend to support three charities for the year but then every year that's reviewed and actually maybe we've supported them or a member of staff might suggest a new one that we. Want to support them and and back. I forgot what the question was. It was about the role of social media and community. The role of social media and we've been checking about at all am I. The role of social media but I suppose covid highlighted how key our communication is with with our community at that time so we serve them in other ways that wasn't necessarily through. Selling product I mean how do we. Do a little crafting for your kids or how do we. Hold space for a conversation about a topic that people might want to talk about so. Again that was a. Within current culture during covid I mean that that was how you. Facilitate that that's changed I suppose now actually got rained off really unfortunately classic British summer but last month we were doing just a community. Wellness day so that'd be for all of our local community to come and do yoga and. Hold space and listen to each other so it can be in. A massive way that we support we did the charity this year for Tommy's like a baby lost charity so it could be a big thing that takes a year to train to or it could be. Mentorship for I mean I'll do zooms of people that wanted to start business it can be. The tiniest act of kindness or that's such a big gesture I think you can. And social media is your way of that's your channel to the world that's your how you communicate that and how you can tell that story. Yeah of course and now with the US expansion piece you know how is I guess social media changing there too like is that something that you're. Learning into like there's different trends over there for sure. Yeah definitely again Covid kind of closed. The world made made the world seem a bit smaller in a way so luckily we've got that channel and that voice on social media that you can. Even organically not even within paid but you can target and resonate with. A crazy amount of countries and territories and cultures and stuff so. It's nice seeing the store staff more present on on social so then they can it raises their voice. And raises then the stores voice the brands voice the individuals for this Jimmy so when we do it personal styling in there. You feel like you get to know. Everyone in that German it feels like a community even internally within never fully dressed so then that can spread so hopefully we can mirror that in LA as well and start getting more creative from the from the store and around that so you can make their own little. Micro communities within that that spread it yeah yeah and then we'll see it just opens up doors so when you. Want to do a pop up I say I'll go on the road or do something you can tap into. Those little pockets. Yeah definitely I think that that localization pieces really come up and you don't see that many people actually transferring it to social media obviously store activations are a big thing but. As you said like bringing those stores associates online also helps connect with everyone as well and gives you a bit of an insight as to what that's like in that particular location. Looking ahead to next year so 2025 and kind of beyond what are your kind of key goals for the brand and how do you plan on achieving them. I suppose there's a few one for me is. I said that personal growth which I think within as the owner found a kind of everything of NFD that used to worry me a little bit that if that's not there. I think that comes through with never fully dressed so that for me and then really I'm so excited for next year we've just done sign off spring summer. And I think all of the the hard work and those foundations that we've built. Particularly over the last few years from a design point of view from the designers on their education of. Factories fabric product inspiration. Is now all coming and gives them the freedom to create so amazingly like next spring summer is just amazing it's insane and I think we're getting better at that storytelling piece of. Conception that integrity of that design process into product. The more every season if more fabrics can be sustainably sourced great I mean we have that program set out so less carbon footprint every season again without green washing we just try and do every season. Better so next year that's a big focus objectives for our for our team and. I say all of that groundwork within even within smaller teams coming out and doing doing that better being able to do what we do now but hopefully next year we'll do it better whether it's. Say the product we create all the staff benefits we can provide or whatever it is I think as long as. We're trying our best and enjoying it and. To do that better there's no product areas all of those specifics yeah of course there's. Bigger better but like like all of that comes but I think. And just protecting the. Like the growth so it's sustainable like still fashion industries is not safe space like the people just being like shut down left right and center so I think that resilience piece the fact that we're still about on where we're growing and. It feels exciting is I'm proud of so I say protecting that and making sure that those foundations are strong. Yeah of course and is there kind of future expansion plans further out as well because obviously you know that's UK US was where's the next flag going to be everywhere. We're looking for another story in the US yeah yeah more in the southern kind of state I think our color really resonates there there's an energy that is fun at central London. We've been on the lookout for about two years still can't get the perfect thing I think I'm too fussy when you're from somewhere you I don't know you just know it so granulary that I'm probably fussy about the right thing but. I mean in the case we've got a swap shop like part of our circularity program in September. We've got an amazing thing to celebrate you know our iconic boob tea show you know seeing Kendall Jenner wear it or whatever we that supports mind and mental health charity we're working with our local mind now but we're doing a big fun thing. At the end of this year for that we had it before it like rather than the boob now there'll be saggy boobs there'll be big boobs there'll be one boob there'll be someone who's had a single mastectomy double mastectomy like so that whole celebration and empowerment piece there. Say the new product areas that we launched this year so Jim swim night where they're all being built out next year territories yeah so another story in in the US really looking to solidify with those partners I mean I think it's it's one thing launching with a new partner but it's another thing to be three seasons and keep with them and still having a program on how you're going to grow so yeah. That's how we grow it yeah. Lots and lots of things planned and so many kind of expansions to come I think 2025 will be a big year for you guys in terms of that awareness piece so very much looking forward to it. I think that that's everything for me Lucy and thank you so much for coming on to the podcast it was a pleasure to have you. Thank you for having me. And thank you for listening to this episode of the glossy podcast. If you enjoyed it please give us a rating and a review on Apple podcast Spotify wherever you're listening to this it really helps us out a lot. Also don't forget to subscribe to the glossy podcast to hear interviews with industry insiders every Wednesday and we can review episodes every Friday. And for even more coverage on the fashion industry visit glossy.co. [Music]