ProVanity

An eco$-$friendly, sustainably sourced outdoor clothing brand

$$Do whatever you fucking want$$

Motivation:

How many of you have been disappointed by a company because it turned out they participated in unethical business practices while hiding behind the mask of moral virtue? Does it ever feel like big companies are trying to get away with as little as possible while bringing in record profits? Well, we are driven to make this company because we see a market segment that has not being catered to$.$ We believe it is possible to create outdoor clothing of excellent quality while upholding ethical business practices, such as avoiding animal cruelty and fighting against child labor. Through this brand, we strive to show existing businesses the value of being moral as well as serve as a role model for all future entrepreneurs. Many people out there are searching for cold weather items that have a brand name attached to them, much like how Lulu Lemmon has made its brand by making high quality leggings and yoga pants. We acknowledge the exitance of brands like Columbia, Canada goose, and The North Face, but we think our brand, ProVanity, will stand out because we will make high quality clothing while having third parties audit our claims of being an ethical and sustainable company along with our suppliers. In addition, we will implement a see$-$through business practice, where every process, from the geese to the employees, will be visible to the world to earn a sense of trust within the global community.

Background of the business:

Our business was founded with the idea that many people want and need cold weather gear, and many would like to know that their gear was made with quality, sustainability, and ethics front of mind. Our plan is to source the down from Hungarian farms with $$Ethical sourced Down$$ certifications. The jackets will be $90\%$ down and $10\%$ feathers making them extremely warm. We plan to make our coats in Switzerland or France, countries known for their quality and cold mountain environments. Our jackets will start at a cost of $$1,500.$ This is expensive, but we are a luxury brand focused on ethics and to make sure our products are of the highest quality costs a lot of money. Since we are creating something new our startup costs are not cheap either. We estimate that we would need seed money of $$300,000.$

Strategies:

Short Term:

ProVanity is an eco$-$friendly outdoor clothing brand producing a luxury product while maintaining positive moral values. Our mission is to provide quality outdoor clothing while supporting a good cause. Our goal is to promote our brand and product across the USC Upstate campus and on social media platforms to allow people to see our mission and our products.

Long Term:

We want to create a brand name that is synonymous with quality and integrity. We will have an appealing website featuring all of our products with international shipping. For the convenience of the customers, we will also provide a detailed chart explaining how to properly calculate the measurements to get a guaranteed fit every time. We will feature clothing ranging from medium duty, for those few chilly days in the south, all the way up to gear able to withstand the extreme colds of northern Alaska. Clothing types will include coats, jackets, boots, headwear, gloves, and much more. More importantly, every piece of clothing will be certified as ethically produced so you can feel warm in your heart, both physically and emotionally.

Marketing Mix:

$-$Price: At ProVanity, the price reflects the quality of the materials and the labor conditions, while still remaining on par with competing brands. Instead of adding huge markups to create an artificial sense of luxury, we will let the exceptional quality justify the price.

$-$Product: Our clothing is hand made to perfection with $90\%$ down and $10\%$ feathers from sources with the $$Ethical sourced Down$$ certification. All clothing will be ranked on a scale of protection from cold weather, from medium to extreme environments.

$-$Place: We plan to base our business in Switzerland, which is known for its colder climate and beautiful nature. This will allow us to manufacture the product in a place where it would be desirable. We also plan to open stores in cold populated cities like New York City and Toronto, Canada.

$-$Promotion: We will use Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and other social media platforms to promote our brand. To support that, we will use appealing, professionally designed websites and boutiques to cultivate a sense of luxury and strong brand identity.