How I helped Lucy & Yak turn from a 7 figure to an 8 figure fashion brand - a case study

 
 
 
 

INTRODUCTION

If you’re not familiar with the brand Lucy & Yak, you’ll now start to notice their cult logo everywhere you go!  They’re a UK clothing brand that started selling vintage clothing on Depop. After building a huge following there, they realised vintage dungarees always sold out really quickly so they decided to give it a go to make some of their own.   Fast forward a few years and they’re now one of the fastest growing fashion brands in the UK with an 8 figure yearly turnover.

 

ENGAGING LUCY & CHRIS

Lucy & Yak were the first big client I secured back in 2018 when I’d only been self - employed for a couple of months!  My diary was pretty quiet so I would spend days reaching out to people in the DM’s or LinkedIn to book in free discovery calls.

 

Cold emailing is tough but with some perseverance, I finally received a reply from Lucy & Chris who had just come home from travelling in India on a sourcing trip with a poor internet connection (hence no reply for weeks!)

 

We jumped on a call and I quickly learned that they had been burned a couple of times with consultants who had over promised and under-delivered so they were pretty wary of me initially!  It didn’t take me long to win them round by sharing my wealth of experience and transparent ways of working.

 

Chris and Lucy come from a car sales background so they knew how to SELL!  Selling the clothes was no problem at all - it was all the other tasks they needed help with in order to create a fully-fledged fashion brand.

 

Before working together Lucy even said that fashion wasn’t her thing!  “When we started Lucy & Yak, fashion wasn’t really where our interest was.  We didn’t feel inspired by the product but Elizabeth regularly reminds us how important this is.”

 

The majority of the work we did together initially was in person at their warehouse in Sheffield (this was back in 2018 before they had a head office or design studio in Brighton!)

 

Here’s a recap of how we collaborated over the 3 years :

 

DESIGN ENHANCEMENT

  • Designing new collections based on current data & sales analysis to improve their offering and make it more commercial

  • Assisted in factory meetings to introduce new product categories including expanding their jersey wear offer

  • Supported the designers to reach out to artists for collaborations & negotiate lower fees

  • Trend predictions to ensure new styles were relevant for the time of year

  • Took Lucy & Chris on an overseas inspirational shopping trip in 2019 to Antwerp & Amsterdam to map out their upcoming collection with fresh, new ideas.

  • Identified new bestseller opportunities (sunflower dungarees were an all time bestseller making approx quarter of a million revenue on this one product alone following our inspiration trip to Europe!)

  • Completed online & in person competitive shop reports to present back to the team & constantly identify opportunities for growth

  • I introduced them to a number of design contacts who produced a higher level of product & commercial appeal to the brand & therefore improving sales.

Example of the bestselling graphics introduced with my contacts

 

EMPOWERING MARKETING

  • A deep dive into the customer profile to improve marketing messaging across social media and email

  • Ongoing launch plan to streamline deliveries and execute well organised marketing campaigns

  • Helped improve their social media content & engagement to build a community of likeminded superfans

  • Assisted Lucy to feel more confident during meetings with brand collaborations EG : L&Y Kickers collab

 

STREAMLINED MANUFACTURING

  • Plan out how to keep bestsellers in stock to avoid long gaps of lost sales

  • Created industry standard systems & processes in order for the production to run smoothly

  • Improved supplier relationships with a well organised critical path & launch plan

STRATEGIC BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

  • Provided an outside commercial perspective during team meetings on design & marketing

  • Identified gaps within the business & implemented a strong team structure so Lucy & Chris knew who to hire, when and why

  • Supported Lucy through tough times being the face of the brand as the brand grew exponentially

  • I also made an introduction to a PR consultant who positioned the brand perfectly across social media, press, VIP and influencers which really helped transition L&Y from a cult brand to a multi-million pound mainstream fashion business.



THE TRANSFORMATIONAL RESULTS

Through collaborative efforts and strategic guidance, Lucy & Yak experienced a remarkable transformation! The brand achieved increased sales in the hundreds of thousands, expanded its product offerings to become a diverse brand, and solidified its position in the mainstream fashion market with their products being worn by A-List celebrities such as Ed Sheeran & Tom Cruise’s daughter! The comprehensive approach encompassing commercial design, thought provoking marketing, quality manufacturing, and inspiring business development paved the way for sustained growth and success that’s still increasing today.

 

 

CONCLUSION

The Lucy & Yak case study exemplifies the power of strategic consultancy in propelling a flourishing brand to new heights. The combined efforts in design innovation, marketing excellence, streamlined manufacturing, and astute business development brought a remarkable journey of growth and accomplishment, positioning Lucy & Yak as a standout success story in the fashion industry today. 

If you’d like to find out if you have what it takes to scale your fashion business then click here to take the quiz!

Alternatively you can click here to book in a call & enquire about working with me 1:1