2020; where do we begin. For one young Aussie designer trying to make her way into sustainable fashion, she entered the year excited for fresh beginnings; both personally and professionally. Then came Coronavirus. Businesses few and far started being forced to close their doors as consumer’s spending habits halted.
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Rebecca started IIXIIST (formerly Frankii Swim) when she was in her early 20s and was flung headfirst into a grown-up life and new normal; she had a baby, built a bikini brand to the point of earning $7M a year, all while navigating single-motherhood and running an international brand in the days where social media and e-commerce were relatively uncharted waters. Rebecca’s approach to life has always been sink or swim, which has allowed her to remain somewhat level-headed in adjusting to the new climate.
As a business owner, she made the strategic decision to use this lockdown as down-time, temporarily relieving IIXIIST of many moving parts; some employees went on annual leave and digital advertising campaigns canceled. Being an early adopter in making the adjustments prepared Rebecca for when it really hit. “We’ve been lucky in the fact that our business is 100% online with no brick and mortar doorways, so while our web sales somewhat slowed, the COVID-19 crisis was manageable. I’ve been working from home for the majority of the year and focusing all my efforts on finishing the year with some wins across the line,” says Rebecca, IIXIIST Director, and Designer.
Over seven years of operating, Rebecca has built a dedicated legion of followers and a widespread audience boasting over 220K Instagram followers and celebrity customers ranging The Kardashians, The Jenners, The Hadids, Rihanna, Hailey Bieber, and many more. “This situation is unique and I understand that once the tide turns, our audience will resume business as normal. I think it’s imperative to be mindful of how we, as brands, communicate to our customers; we are all in this together,” says Rebecca.
While COVID-19 has changed sales, Rebecca’s one of the fortunate ones: “I’ve worked hard in maintaining a healthy balance sheet and managing my financials meticulously”. Rebecca saw the opportunity that the break caused by COVID-19 might offer, and began to completely redesign the production line of her brand. She has relaunched with a collection that is 100% sustainable, ethically sourced, and produced in child-free environments.
The new collection is constructed using only 100% recycled lycra, made from repurposed fabrications and ocean-waste; IIXIIST’s yarn is derived from pre-and post-industrial waste such as discarded fishing nets, carpet fluff (the top part of nylon carpets), and tulle. Having built her multimillion-dollar swimwear brand from the ground up twice – from Frankie to Frankii Swim and then to IIXIIST – Rebecca looks back on the past seven years and pays tribute to the thriving transition her label has endured.
As for what’s next for Rebecca and her brand. She has just launched a brand extension: IIXIIST Loungewear, which is produced in responsible quantities with 100% sustainable materials. The line is also manufactured locally in Australia in child-free labor conditions… all of the important things.
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