From Kitchen Tables to High Street Shelves: The Rise of WAT The Brand

The fashion industry has seen the rise of WAT The Brand, a loungewear company founded by three friends who invested their life savings to launch in March 2021. Sarah Ellis, 41, Philippa Ross, 38, and Nicky Green, 43, each contributed £30,000 to start their venture from their respective kitchen tables.

Their initial offering, an 11-piece loungewear collection accompanied by two childrenswear sets, sold out within ten minutes of launching. "It was unbelievable," said Ross. "We had built this brand remotely in a frightening time. But we were on to something special."

The Genesis of WAT The Brand

Ellis and Ross, who first met at a fashion event in 2010, discovered a striking synchronicity in their lives. They had coincidentally worn identical outfits to their first meeting and later found they had shared past jobs, even had grandfathers who knew each other. This deep connection led them to co-found the popular fashion and lifestyle blog, We Are Twinset, in 2014. The name itself was inspired by their similar styles and the concept of "twinning" outfits, a unique selling proposition at the time.

Their blog gained a significant following, amassing 801,000 fans on Instagram to date. The success of We Are Twinset prompted Ellis and Ross to leave their industry roles four years later to pursue blogging full-time. Their first sponsored post was for Marks & Spencer, featuring a versatile little black dress.

Building a Fashion Empire

To translate their blogging success into a commercial venture, Ellis and Ross enlisted their friend Nicky Green, who brought extensive retail experience from companies like River Island and Kurt Geiger. Together, they launched WAT The Brand, focusing on ageless wardrobe staples such as co-ords, T-shirts, and blazers.

The brand has since partnered with Marks & Spencer, with several exclusive pieces available. These include the £98 Blake barrel jeans, which is currently their bestseller, an £165 Everyday raincoat in brown, and a £68 puff-sleeve cardigan in black.

Overcoming Challenges

The founders have not been without their challenges. A significant hurdle occurred when a pre-order system for restocking nearly jeopardized the business. After an initial success, they offered items on pre-order to fulfill demand but encountered issues with the subsequent batch of products from their supplier in Turkey. "Every seam, every colour was wrong. We couldn’t sell it," Ross explained. The pair personally contacted 400 customers to apologize and process refunds, a move they consider testament to good customer service and a valuable lesson learned.

Despite such setbacks, the entrepreneurs have demonstrated resilience, even using their cars as sample rooms and shooting a winter collection on the hottest day of the year. The collaboration with Marks & Spencer is forecasted for the next five years, with Ross expressing a hope that M&S might one day acquire their brand.