Long time New York fashion blogger, Arielle Charnas, just launched a new collection of Something Navy and sold out in a day. The brand sold approximately $1 million of merchandise within 30 minutes of launching. It also saw over 80,000 online visitors within the first 30 minutes and received nearly 5,000 orders within the first hour.
That’s one successful launch.
It all happened so fast that Charnas is already promoting and styling Something Navy collection number two, which includes swimwear, dresses, and matching sets. This one is set to launch on July 27th. So, be sure to add a reminder if you thought to make a purchase.
“It’s surreal that we have already sold through so much so quickly. I’m so grateful to everyone who has been so excited to purchase and can’t wait for the second drop in July and so many more in the future,” Charnas told PureWow.
Something Navy is a DTC apparel line with a $45 million valuation. And across its 1.3 million followers on Instagram, it’s also one of the most interesting DTC brands out there.
Charnas, a life-sharer and mama to two sweet girls, Ruby and Esme – is also the primary model of her clothing line.
Those who follow her (only after being approved) enjoy getting in on her personal life and can literally shop the clothes she wears when seeing them styled on her.
What’s more, Charnas may be one of the first influencers to ask her followers for feedback throughout the development process.
It is a great way to engage with your community and build strong, healthy, and long-lasting relationships with your customer base (in this case, followers/customers.)
When Something Navy went live at luxury department store, Nordstrom, in September 2018, items worth more than $4.4 million were sold in one day. “Working with Nordstrom was one of the most amazing opportunities… with one of the biggest players in the retail space,” she said.
“I learned so much. But at the end of the day, I wanted more control. The whole purpose of this brand (Something Navy) is to deliver exactly what my followers are asking for. The best way to do that was to not be attached to anyone else.”
In March, Something Navy’s reboot was pushed back as the world began to shut down due to the pandemic. She was forced to adapt to the new reality of consumers stuck at home, many jobless.
Today, her followers are ready to shop for apparel again, even with the effects of coronavirus.
“I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from my followers, and they are ready… they are really excited to have that spark of hope and something to look forward to,” Charnas said in a phone interview. “They want to buy pieces to go to dinner, even if they are sitting outside with a mask.”
According to Retail Brew, the pandemic also delayed the opening of Something Navy’s NYC storefront that was supposed to launch as well.
“We’ve pushed up some lounge to launch that we were going to launch later down the line,” Charnas said adding that “emerging consumer trends have somewhat altered merchandising decisions.”
Her most recent savvy move of launching a new line amid a challenging retail climate, coupled with her unique Instagram approach, could be a new model for how fashion brands quickly adapt and embrace change when the economic landscape shifts.
If that’s still not enough for one fashion influencer, Something Navy is committed to increasing Black and POC employees’ representation at their HQ. The brand even entirely re-shot its e-comm images to better represent its customers.
The blueprint here is complex, but it for sure goes through a few incredibly critical practices. Be flexible, be proactive, talk to your customers, gather constant feedback, and embrace change. Build relationships with your customer base. Then you can continue to stand the test of time.
Don’t hesitate to take clues by following Charnas on Instagram or get inspired by signing up to Something Navy updates.
