FASHION FOUNDER Q&A - LIWEAU

Jessica, the Founder of brand new Petite Ladieswear Brand Liweau, answers my questions on everything from Concept to Launch on her debut Bloom Collection.

What was the driving force behind launching Liweau?

There’s two reasons I founded Liweau. The first one is that I was always frustrated when I went shopping. Jeans are too long, midi dresses are maxi dresses, the clothes simply are not made for petite women. Living in the Netherlands, with the tallest people on Earth, clothes for petite women are not a top priority. The second issue I came across is that as a working professional you’re easily underestimated or undervalued because of your height. It makes no sense, but it happens. Clothes that fit perfectly can make you feel like a million dollars, so I want to empower women to look and feel amazing from desk-to-dinner.

The Daisy Petite Midi Dress

Is your background in Fashion? I have no background in fashion at all. I have a Communications and Data Science degree, which both come in handy but it’s of course so different compared to fashion. As an industry outsider I had to learn everything on the go, I didn’t know anything about fabrics or grading. I see it as an advantage though, because I questioned every step and think differently about things. Luckily I also got some help of a few experts like Sam and my seamstresses along the way.

What are Liweau's values and Unique Selling Point? Empowering petites is our core value. Next to that, community is also very important to me. Petite fashion is just one thing, but there’s so much more to be done. It was so difficult to find a petite model for my first collection. In the end I asked a petite friend, but it says a lot about how much work there’s still left to do . Liweau is a slow fashion brand. This means that everything is ethically made in the Netherlands in small quantities.

'We keep the planet and people in mind with every step we take. We pride ourselves in making high quality pieces that are made to last, whether you wear them in the office or at a restaurant.'

What was the biggest hurdle you overcame? The first hurdle was to just go for it and start a petite fashion brand. Letting go of the fears and seeing how it works out. Of course there were also some practical things like unexpected costs, and just generally a lot of things that went wrong and constantly needed adjustments (like pushing your launch deadline back or taking a WHOLE day to install a labelprinter). Do you have any advice for anyone looking to launch a Fashion Brand? Yes, I have a saying that always keeps me going: “the ship is safest when it is in port, but that is not what ships were built for.” If you have an idea or a dream, go for it. Have a budget and stick to it. If you fail, you have learned so much from the process. In my opinion there’s really nothing to lose.

The Lily Petite Satin Midi Skirt

Do you have a favourite item within the collection? I feel like it’s illegal to say I have a favourite item, just like you can’t say who your favourite child is. But I do have a favourite! It’s the Daisy dress. I always wanted such an elegant dress, but it was never available for me. I’m petite but not skinny, but the Daisy dress is really flattering on all body types. I feel like a princess in it! Tell me a little bit about your plans for Liweau in the future.

The debut collection was all about learning and exploring. I hope to get a better picture about what the real need and demand is. I learned so much already, I have some ideas on how I can lower the price to make it more accessible for more people.

Jessica X

All items are handmade and available on https://liweau.com/

#petitefashion #slowfashion #startupbrand #premiumfashion #ethicalfashion