SFD044: This Company Runs their Fashion Brand like a Tech Startup (and they're crushing it)

Do you ever feel like the fashion design and development process moves at a snail's pace? We often work years and multiple seasons ahead, and by the time product is delivered, it's easy to feel like it's already outdated. Voormi thinks about things differently, and they're pushing the boundaries and timelines that fashion takes. What takes many brands 10 weeks to get done, they do in 10 days or even 10 hours. How? They approach fashion with a tech startup mentality: rapid iteration and testing. They keep the entire design + development process close by (everything - even fiber sourcing and textile production - is done in the US). They use their own proprietary fabrics and work hard to push the performance limits of natural fibers. Timm Smith is the CMO at Voormi, and he graciously took time to share their story and give us a behind the scenes sneak peak at how they built a brand that parallels industry giants like The North Face and Arcteryx. If you're curious about where the future of fashion is headed, you'll love our talk (they are pioneering some amazing stuff). If you're a textile nerd, you'll love our talk (we geek out more than once). If you're passionate about made in America, you'll love our talk. In our interview, we discuss: Why Voormi decided to base their business out of a tiny town in rural CO (instead of a port town) How they developed multiple patented fabrications that push the boundaries of natural fibers How rapid iteration and testing helps protect their product from knockoffs Why they spent 3 years on R&D before they officially launched Why they had to look outside the apparel market to find partners for textile sourcing and production Guest Info & Resources Voormi's site Enjoy the show? Help us out by: Rating us on iTunes - it really helps! Subscribing on iTunes - I appreciate each and every one of you!