How did the idea of Tobi come about?
TOBI was born in 2007 as an online-only retailer. In our early days when online fashion retail was still a fresh concept, TOBI provided access to hundreds of designer styles at the click of a button. As we grew we saw more opportunity and a way to refine our offerings. In 2011 we moved away from curating designer pieces and brought our buying in-house. We started by shopping in downtown LA and curating a selection of independent designers' styles on our site. We'd spend hours scouring the city for the best styles - purchases would stay in my car trunk waiting to be inventoried and would be posted to the site some hours later. Our early customers loved the new styles. The response was overwhelmingly positive and we saw immediate profitability with the move to in-house buying. We knew that we had something on our hands, and it really paved the path for us to become the independent brand that we are today.
As TOBI continued to grow we moved away from third-party and brought many of our processes in-house including buying, designing and production. We acquired more infrastructure - offices, a manufacturing arm, fulfillment centers - and focused on building out our operations and quality of customer service. We're still focused on the speed of getting to market, but we also pay special attention to the fit of our clothing. Which is to say we're doing fashion fast, but we aren't afraid to slow things down a bit to ensure the best quality. TOBI continues to evolve but stays true to our commitment: we're a fast fashion brand with LA roots, yet global appeal, serving TOBI girls across the globe.
What about California inspires your brand?
The laid-back West Coast spirit is the ultimate muse for TOBI, with Los Angeles being a key influence on our brand and lifestyle. Our headquarters are based in downtown LA which is where all of our designers and buyers are located. They naturally draw inspiration from everything in the city - the girls, the energy, the attitude.
Why was it important for your company to in-house so much and cut out the middleman?
We are obsessed with providing more for our customers. We constantly push ourselves to deliver the best fashion at better prices with the best quality for our customers. We wouldn't be able to do that if we had a bunch of middlemen involved. From sourcing and fulfillment to our proprietary software, we do everything we can in-house and pass those savings on to our customers. And we continue to look for ways to provide more: we just launched free shipping and duties paid for our customers in Canada and the UK.
What is your advice to people who want to build their own fashion retail empire?
Be prepared for the long journey ahead and find a great partner. As in any business, there is a lot to learn, but particularly in the fashion business, there are so many different things to learn that you really need a great partner to cover it all.
What do you look for when designing clothes for your store and what about fashion draws you in as creators?
We look to promote positivity and effortless style in all we do. Our design team is of course inspired by trends what's of-the-moment, but as creators, we're primarily drawn to fashion's ability to empower and inspire others. We do this by designing in a way that accentuates the beauty of women's bodies which empowers them to feel even more confident and strong.
As a company how do you implement Girl Power into your brand?
TOBI is powered by women. We're set on creating a culture of confidence and independence that will continue to inspire future generations of TOBI girls across the globe.
Visit Tobi at www.Tobi.com to get shopping.