They Have The Range: How These Co-Founder Sisters Are Setting Up Their Fashion Brand For Success
The Range co-founders Brittney and Mia Rothweiler
COVID-19 has thrown the fashion industry for a loop, but maybe it’s just the rude awakening the industry needed to create change. For sisters Brittney and Mia Rothweiler, co-founders of lifestyle brand The Range, their business model and emphasis on curated, versatile collections have set them up for success even in unusual times.
We spoke with Brittney and Mia to get more insight on their launch story, what they see as the future of the fashion industry, and their go-to work from home outfits:
What first inspired you two to launch The Range?
We had always known that somehow, someday we wanted to work together. We were at opposite ends of the industry—Brittney in Buying and Mia in Sales—but when the idea of starting a brand came together we knew it made perfect sense. Mia went through a crazy life experience where she had a brain aneurysm that ruptured, which gave us a renewed sense of how precious time and life is, so after that we knew we had to make The Range happen. We had found a hole in the market from not finding what we wanted to wear, which was elevated, stylized staple pieces, and that’s where the first collection was conceptualized.
What was the launch process like? What were the biggest challenges of starting the brand and the first major success?
We initially launched with Shopbop exclusively, which was such an incredible opportunity. It gave us the chance to grow the line organically and strategically and really dial into what fabrics and styles worked and didn’t work. The pace of growth was our challenge, as it happened slowly season by season, just trusting in the process, being patient with results and letting things evolve. We targeted and picked up a new major partner each season, and now are selling to the best partners we could ask for!
The coronavirus pandemic has no doubt had an effect on the fashion industry. How have you adapted your business strategy to succeed in these unusual circumstances?
Luckily we’re selling a category that is still in demand: elevated loungewear and basics. People working from home still want to look good and feel good and The Range allows for just that. We’ve been focusing on those types of casual styles and making sure our retailers are stocked with the best selling categories.
We ended up cancelling a full Holiday collection and moved our Fall collection out 2 months because we had to shut down our factory. but we make sure to stay nimble with our partners and have been working on special cuts and exclusives with our current partners. So it’s been adjusting deliveries and simplifying things for our retailers to make sure our business runs as smoothly as possible for the rest of the year.
We’ve also been focusing on building our Instagram and PR presence, allowing for more brand exposure and creating a deeper connection with the consumer.
How do you foresee the fashion industry as a whole changing post-pandemic?
We think the fashion industry has needed an overhaul for a really long time, and now everyone can actually take the time to rethink the way business has been done and what changes need to be made. The delivery of collections were not matching up to actual seasons anymore, which makes no sense with the way consumers buy pieces. The industry should shift the deliveries to make the market more “buy now, wear now”. This also shifts the market to a more full price purchasing mentality, instead of everything going on sale during the actual weather season. Designers should be designing more curated, smaller collections, where each piece really stands for something.
The Range has a great selection of comfortable, wear-anywhere pieces that are perfect for the work-from-home life! What are your current go-tos from the collection?
We’ve been living in all of our Range gear, working and staying close to home. Our go-to pieces have been our matching sets, as they’re easy no brainers and look chic. We also love a bodysuit paired with a jogger. It’s still comfy and looks great for all the Zoom calls you may have.