A pop-up period full of inspiration and new insights

"How do I introduce a new product to a large audience?" It's one of the many issues I was wondering about when I started my business. A possible answer: by engaging in conversation with the target group. But as a starting entrepreneur with a limited network, that's not easy. Until I got to know via De Startersfabriek the concept of The Box.

The Box is a "plug & play" business where entrepreneurs can test their ideas. For me, this meant that I didn't have to worry about the design, decoration and facilities of a space to introduce my product and story to the general public.

The sweaters are made from residual flows of mattress covers. This way they contribute to a durable wardrobe. But how important is it to my target audience to wear ethical fashion, where do they look for it and what is the price they want to pay for it? These are all questions about which I collected a lot of information during the pop-up period in The Box. I got the answers through conversations with visitors and through an online questionnaire that customers filled out.

I noticed it was a surprise to many people to whom I told my story. There was a lot of curiosity. People who want to know more. It motivated me in my commitment to be as transparent as possible. I want to tell as clearly as possible how I approach things, where everything comes from and how it is created.

Finetuning sweaters

The prototypes were predominantly white, which is not everyone's favourite colour. Understandable. I got the valuable tip to go to a company that often works with other colours. That collaboration was a success. The result was a collection of sweaters that you can see here. In addition, I also took it to heart to design forms that fit for everyone. A passe partout in clothing. Not easy. It stimulated me to design a piece that was as accessible as possible, fitting in just about every wardrobe.

I also met other starting entrepreneurs, listened to their pitch and they listened to mine. I went home with inspiration to fine-tune my design and with a desire to start production.

Thanks for the opportunity and good luck to all the other starters!