Candice Collison
Of an Origin
Illinois
What is your product(s)?
Of an Origin is a line of sustainable, responsibly-made transitional clothing for early motherhood. Our line has flexible fit and multi-way styling that honors the fluidity of shape and changing functional needs for the early days…and beyond.
We are committed to people and the plant in multiple facets of our company. These are our primary tenets:
1) Our collection is made from 97% naturally-derived materials. Our goal is to reach 100% naturally-derived materials in at least 50% of our styles by 2022.
2) Convertible designs and flexible fit, we allow women to do more with less through multiple seasons of life. This means owning fewer things, slowing down consumption and simplifying your closet.
3) We also believe in environmental stewardship. We partner with a reforestation NGO in Peru, and our production partner is active with several NGOs. Learn more about our efforts in Peru.
4) Responsible production. Our partner in Peru is currently working towards their fair trade certification. They also have 100% traceability in their supply chain.
Where were you with your idea or business before joining Factory45?
Before joining F45 I didn’t have a strong supplier network, and was intimidated and overwhelmed by the process of bringing a brand to market. I had been working with a patternmaker and a firm that was helping with development, but it was costly. I had my initial prototypes developed, but I was still in the early stages.
I had several gaps in knowledge from sourcing, to production, through to my branding and go-to-market plan.
How did joining Factory45 help you?
Once I joined F45, I was able to better understand the steps and process to bringing my brand to life. The phased lessons helped illuminate the exact steps I should be taking, and at what stages. The reference guides and resources have also been incredibly helpful.
We worked with Rise Creative for our branding, and the marketing and PR list has been helpful as well. I refer back to the branding resources again and again.
In your opinion, what is the most valuable thing about Factory45?
F45 has been incredible in building the foundation for Of an Origin. The video lessons gave me the confidence to create the brand, the databases and resources gave me the tools, and Shannon has been an amazing connector and coach along the way.
What were some big or small milestones that you hit after going through Factory45?
Last year (March 2020), after having my second daughter, I pivoted from my initial concept that revolved around babywearing. One of the styles that I was working on gave me the idea of a convertible capsule designed for the specific needs of early motherhood.
By June 2020, we had our initial samples which have become our launch collection.
By August, we had onboarded our factory in Peru, and by November we had our photo samples.
Our biggest milestones in 2021 have been our January photoshoot, and the early March launch of our presale on ofanorigin.com
Please describe your business after Factory45.
Our presale is outperforming our current projections. We are doing light advertising to drive email subscriptions, but customers who are discovering us are shopping, and word of mouth has been incredibly strong for us.
Factory45 has provided the resources and direction that is driving our business growth. As an alumna, I continue to reference the databases, and have access to tools and information that are critical to our success.
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