The Frenchie Co.

How Two Brothers Built A Successful Fashion Brand

December 31st, 2024

Founded By

Camilo Mejía

Founders

Monthly Traffic

52.6K

Profitable

Yes

Year Started

2015

Customer

B2C

Founded By
Camilo Mejía: Founders
2

Monthly Traffic
52.6K: Profitable
Yes

Year Started
2015: Customer
B2C

Who is Camilo Mejía?

Brothers Camilo and Daniel Mejía from Colombia combined their backgrounds in engineering and business administration to found The Frenchie Co., inspired by their passion for design and minimalism.

Brothers Camilo and Daniel Mejía, founders of The Frenchie.

What problem does The Frenchie Co. solve?

The Frenchie Co. solves the problem of bulky, unattractive wallets by offering sleek, stylish wallets that combine high-quality materials with practical functionality, enhancing everyday convenience and elegance for users.

The French Co Coverpage

How did Camilo come up with the idea for The Frenchie Co.?

Camilo Mejía felt frustrated with his bulky wallet and couldn’t find a suitable replacement despite extensive searching. Driven by an inventive spirit and a minimalist design passion, he crafted a wallet that solved his problem of functionality without sacrificing style. After using it himself and receiving positive feedback and requests from friends, he saw a market opportunity and decided to turn it into a business.

He brought his brother, Daniel, on board, recognizing a gap in the market where stylish products lacked functionality, and those with functionality compromised on elegance. They conducted research to validate this gap and realized there was a demand for well-crafted products that blend style and utility. This insight led to the birth of The Frenchie Co., where they began developing the Speed Wallet, combining Italian leather with timeless design, filling a niche that others had overlooked.

They faced challenges typical of creating something new, like ensuring the balance between aesthetics and practicality, but their dedication to design and innovation helped them overcome this. The experience taught them the importance of listening to customer needs and validating ideas with real-world feedback, which was crucial for refining their product and ensuring it met market demands.

How did Camilo Mejía build the initial version of The Frenchie Co.?

The Mejía brothers, Camilo and Daniel, leveraged their backgrounds in engineering and business administration to create The Frenchie Co.'s flagship product, the Speed Wallet. The initial focus was on handcrafting a wallet using premium Italian leather, which took about a year to develop and test. The process involved a lot of trial and error to achieve the precise balance between functionality and a sleek, minimalist design. Challenges included sourcing high-quality materials, prototyping the wallet to ensure durability and usability, and iterating based on personal use and feedback from friends. Their engineering acumen played a crucial role in overcoming these obstacles, resulting in a product that stood out in the market for its innovative features and aesthetic appeal.

What was the growth strategy for The Frenchie Co. and how did they scale?

The Frenchie Co. effectively utilized social media channels like Instagram and Facebook to showcase their product line and engage with a global audience. They shared high-quality images and videos of their products in use, highlighting the unique combination of style and functionality. By maintaining a consistent posting schedule and using engaging content that appealed to their target market, they built a strong online presence.

French CO IG Page

Why it worked: Social media platforms allowed The Frenchie Co. to visually demonstrate the aesthetic and practical benefits of their products to a large audience. The platforms' sharing and interactive capabilities helped them reach a wider audience, driving brand awareness and customer engagement.

Influencer Collaborations

They partnered with influencers in the fashion and lifestyle space to reach potential customers who follow these influencers for style inspiration. These collaborations involved influencers showcasing The Frenchie Co.'s products, often accompanied by testimonials about their quality and uniqueness.

Why it worked: Influencers have built-in trust with their followers, so recommendations from them serve as powerful endorsements. This approach helped The Frenchie Co. tap into specific niche communities, cementing their brand’s reputation in the fashion world.

Email Marketing

The Frenchie Co. leveraged email marketing to maintain and nurture relationships with their customer base. Through regular newsletters and personalized emails, they informed customers about new product launches, special promotions, and company updates.

Why it worked: Email marketing is a direct way to communicate with customers who have already expressed interest in your brand. By providing exclusive offers and engaging content, The Frenchie Co. kept their audience engaged and encouraged repeat purchases.

Product Innovation and Word-of-Mouth

The launch of unique products like the Speed Wallet and Anti-Theft Speed Backpack created buzz and prompted customers to share their experiences through word-of-mouth. By continuously innovating, they kept their product line fresh and exciting, prompting discussions among loyal customers and drawing in new ones.

Why it worked: Innovative products that solve real customer problems tend to generate organic word-of-mouth marketing. Customers are more likely to recommend products that they find unique and high-quality to others, increasing brand awareness and driving sales.

What's the pricing strategy for The Frenchie Co.?

The Frenchie Co. prices its high-quality minimalist Speed Wallets around $59, blending premium design with functional elegance without offering free products.

What were the biggest lessons learned from building The Frenchie Co.?

Find Your Unique Spot: The Frenchie Co. succeeded by identifying a gap where style met functionality, creating products that stood apart in a crowded market.
Listen to Feedback: Early reactions to their Speed Wallet encouraged them to pursue further product development, showing the power of customer insights in shaping a business.
Design Matters: By focusing on high-quality materials and sleek design, The Frenchie Co. demonstrated that craftsmanship can be a major selling point.
Embrace Your Passion: The founders' passion for design and innovation drove continuous product evolution, proving that passion fuels success.
Balance Vision with Practicality: While staying true to their design roots, they ensured their products were practical, tackling real-life problems with elegance.

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