Female Founder Spotlight: KITRI’s Haeni Kim

Take inspiration from Haeni Kim, who runs the London-based sustainable fashion brand, KITRI, known for bridging the gap between high street and high end.

Oct 17, 2024

Hello, Denyse here, and a very warm welcome to We Are Mimosa, a place for women building brands which are aligned with their purpose and values, and who care about making the world a better place.

The inspiration for this week’s Female Founder Spotlight is Haeni Kim, founder of KITRI, an independent fashion brand based in East London’s creative hub, Hackney. Founded in 2017, the brand has made waves in the fashion world with its unique blend of stylish, high-quality pieces at an accessible price point. It has rapidly gained a devoted following, attracting attention from celebrities and fashion insiders alike.

KITRI’s story is one of passion, determination, and a commitment to responsible fashion practices, making it a brand that resonates with the contemporary woman. Its’ business model is shrewd and innovative because of the way that it combines these key elements:

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce: KITRI primarily operates online, selling directly to customers through its website. This allows the brand to cut out the middleman, reducing costs and allowing for greater control over pricing and customer relationships.

Limited production runs: Each style is produced in limited quantities, creating a sense of exclusivity and reducing waste. This approach helps to avoid overproduction and contributes to a more sustainable business model.

Monthly collections and weekly drops: KITRI releases new collections every month, keeping its offerings fresh and exciting. This strategy keeps customers engaged and coming back for more.

Haeni Kim's Journey: From Ballet Dancer to Building a Fashion Empire

Haeni Kim’s journey to becoming a fashion entrepreneur is as unique as her brand's aesthetic. Born in South Korea, she moved to the UK at the age of 12 to pursue her dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer. Years of rigorous training instilled in her a strong sense of discipline and determination that would later serve her well in the business world. Although she eventually hung up her pointe shoes to attend university in London, her love for the arts, particularly the ballet, has continued to inspire her.

After graduating, Haeni entered the world of luxury fashion, working in sales and marketing in London and later in manufacturing and sourcing in Hong Kong. These diverse experiences provided her with a deep understanding of the fashion industry from design to production. In addition to her corporate roles, Haeni, along with two friends, launched Fox and Flyte, an e-commerce platform for affordable antiques. This venture furthered her knowledge of the direct-to-consumer market and fuelled her entrepreneurial spirit.

The Inspiration Behind KITRI

Haeni worked in the fashion industry for a long time in marketing, sales and finance, and her dream was always to start her own brand. In her late twenties, she felt there were no brands out there sitting between high street and high end and spotted a gap in the market for beautiful, contemporary brands with an accessible price point.

She had also started feeling uncomfortable about mass produced fashion and how long it lasts. She wanted to offer an intelligent alternative and came up with a modern way to shop i.e. online only, cutting out the middleman (no wholesale markup) and going direct-to-consumer, which lowers the price point. She basically just what she and her friends were looking for!

Unusually for a woman-owned business, Haeni got backing from investors in Korea, which allowed her to dedicate a year to researching the business before launching KITRI’s website. (To set this in context, in 2021/22 the overall number of active female-led companies that secured all forms of external capital in the UK rose to 14.8%, compared to 61% of male-led companies).

The brand was named after Haeni’s favourite female role, Kitri, from the classical ballet Don Quixote. Described as feisty, playful, and fiery, Kitri is a bold, wilful, and independent heroine who’s ahead of her time. Meaning the name perfectly represents the "smart, fun and creative spirit" of the KITRI brand.

Defining the KITRI Brand

KITRI stands out in the fashion landscape by offering a curated collection of "hard-working hero pieces" with a modern, feminine, and confident aesthetic. The brand's designs are inspired by vintage finds, current trends, and everyday life, resulting in unique pieces that are both on-trend and timeless. KITRI’s collections feature lively prints, strong silhouettes, and a playful use of colour, all designed in-house by a small team of creatives based in Hackney.

KITRI's Core Values

At the heart of the KITRI brand are three core values that guide every aspect of the business:

Premium Quality at Affordable Prices: By operating as a direct-to-consumer brand, KITRI eliminates the middleman and passes those savings on to its customers. This business model allows them to offer high-quality designs and fabrics at a price point that is significantly lower than traditional designer brands.
Compliments Guaranteed: KITRI creates clothes designed to make women look and feel amazing, with the bonus of turning heads and sparking conversations. The brand's commitment to flattering silhouettes, bold prints, and vibrant colours ensures that every piece is a confidence booster.
Always Fresh: KITRI keeps its offerings fresh and exciting with monthly collections and weekly drops. This approach ensures that there's always something new to discover, keeping the brand relevant and engaging for its customers.

The KITRI Woman

The KITRI woman embodies the brand's core values. She is smart, fun, creative, and confident, leading a busy and professional life, often within the creative industries. She appreciates style and quality but also seeks affordability and individuality. She is well-informed about fashion and is looking for something unique and interesting, shunning the mass-produced offerings of fast fashion. The KITRI woman is not afraid to express herself through her clothing choices, embracing bold prints, vibrant colours, and unique silhouettes.

KITRI's Marketing Strategy

KITRI has adopted a digital-first marketing strategy, leveraging social media platforms and online content to connect with its target audience and build the community. The brand's Instagram feed is a vibrant tapestry of style inspiration, featuring real women wearing KITRI pieces in their everyday lives. This approach fosters a sense of community, showcasing the versatility of KITRI’s designs and empowering women to express their personal style.

Limited-edition collections and frequent new drops also create a sense of excitement and urgency, encouraging customers to engage with the brand regularly. The brand also uses email marketing and its website's "The Journal" section to share styling tips, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and brand updates, further strengthening its connection with its customer base.

Highlights and Milestones

With an annual turnover of >£4 million, KITRI has achieved significant success since its launch in 2017, marking several key milestones:

Early Recognition: KITRI’s debut was marked by a full-page feature in The Telegraph, instantly putting the brand on the map.

Pop-Up Success: The opening of KITRI's first pop-up shop in Marylebone allowed the brand to connect with customers in a physical space, creating a buzz and building anticipation for future retail endeavors.

The Gabriella Dress Phenomenon: The Gabriella green floral pleated dress became a viral sensation, garnering a 2,000-person waiting list and selling out in minutes, demonstrating the power of KITRI's designs to capture the hearts (and wallets) of its target audience.

Celebrity Endorsements: KITRI pieces have been spotted on celebrities like Sophie Turner, Emma Roberts, and Claire Foy, boosting the brand's visibility and desirability.

High-Profile Stockists: KITRI has expanded its reach through partnerships with prominent retailers such as Selfridges, Brown Thomas, Harvey Nichols, and Galeries Lafayette, further solidifying its position as a leading player in the contemporary fashion market.

A Business for Good

Haeni is committed to building a responsible fashion brand, taking steps to minimise the company’s environmental impact and ensure ethical production practices. She understands - and emphasises - that sustainability is a journey, not a destination, and is constantly striving to improve its practices.

KITRI's key sustainability initiatives include:

Responsible Fabrication: The brand eliminated the use of virgin polyester in 2020 and uses only recycled man-made fibres or more sustainable fabrics like LENZING™ and ECOVERO™.

Limited-Run Production: KITRI produces its collections in limited runs, only restocking styles in high demand, to minimize waste and overproduction.

Sustainable Packaging: All KITRI orders are shipped in environmentally friendly paper bags that can be reused, recycled, and composted. The brand is also actively searching for more sustainable options for its poly bags.

Charitable Partnerships: Unsold items are donated to New Life charity, which provides equipment to disabled children and adults and recycles damaged garments into cloth for resale.

Ethical Sourcing: KITRI is a member of Sedex, an organization promoting ethical practices within supply chains23. The brand is committed to ensuring fair labour practices and safe working conditions in its factories.

The Future: Global Expansion and a Lifestyle Brand with Integrity

Haeni envisions KITRI as a global lifestyle brand, catering to the needs of creative, ambitious women around the world. She hopes to expand the brand's offerings to encompass various aspects of their lives, while maintaining a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices.

In the next five years, Haeni aims to establish a beautiful headquarters in London that serves as a hub for the KITRI community, as well as outposts in key international markets such as South Korea, New York, Los Angeles, and Paris. She envisions KITRI becoming a brand that inspires and empowers women, offering them stylish and sustainable options for every facet of their lives.

Haeni's Top Tips for Building a Successful Small Business

Having successfully navigated the challenges of building a thriving fashion brand, including through the pandemic, Haeni offers the following advice for aspiring entrepreneurs:

Visualise Your End Goal: Having a clear vision of your desired future helps to guide your decisions and keeps you focused on achieving your long-term goals.

Be Prepared for the Unexpected: Embrace the uncertainty inherent in entrepreneurship by being optimistic but prepared for challenges.

Embrace Experimentation: Don't be afraid to try new things and learn from your mistakes. The early stages of your business are the ideal time to experiment and refine your approach.

Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses: Identify your areas of expertise and delegate tasks that require skills outside your wheelhouse. Building a strong team with diverse talents is crucial for growth and success.

Surround Yourself with the Right People: Create a positive and collaborative work environment by hiring individuals who share your passion and values.

Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help: Seek advice from mentors, peers, and industry experts who can offer guidance and support, especially during challenging times.

Prioritise Action over Perfection: Avoid getting bogged down in the pursuit of perfection. It's more important to act and make progress, even if this means iterating and improving along the way.

Key Takeaways

I could write a book about the many lessons we can learn from Haeni’s story! Today, I’m going to focus on the importance of drawing on diverse experiences to identify and fill a gap in the market. Haeni's background in ballet instilled in her discipline and determination. She then immersed herself in the fashion industry, working in various roles, including sales, marketing, and manufacturing. She even co-founded an online antique business, gaining valuable experience in e-commerce. Through these experiences, Haeni spotted a gap in the market for well-made, stylish clothing at accessible prices. By combining her diverse skills and recognising an unmet need, she was able to create a successful brand that resonates with a large and loyal customer base

Haeni’s approach is best summarised by this quote from an interview:

"We do look to current trend on catwalks but we’re more inspired by vintage pieces we come across and what’s happening around us, whether that be a new ballet, play, book or even Netflix series. We are more item-driven in our approach."

Unlike the majority of female founders featured in Her Story, Haeni started her business with investment. Like all the female founders we’ve featured she’s clever, curious, determined, brave and … intuitive. She’s not afraid to follow her creativity and she plays by her own rules.

I hope you’ve found Haeni’s story as fascinating as me? I’d love to know your reflections on this story of another phenomenally gifted brand builder. Let me know in the comments box below.

Listen: Catch Haeni on TheIndustry.fashion's podcast.

Watch: Haeni Kim explain why she learned the hard way to lean into brand marketing.

Read: My Summer Business School series on business planning which includes a piece about marketing on a shoestring and my new series on building an unforgettable brand.

Shine a light

Which women-built brands do you love and would like to put in the spotlight? Help me to support and uplift amazing businesswomen by sharing the brands you love in the comments box below.

About me

If you’re new to my work, it might be helpful if I explain who I am and what I do!

I’m Denyse Whillier, a former Chief Executive with more than 25 years of business experience under my favourite Sézane belt. I upcycle my skills and experience to provide business mentoring and strategic support, reimagined for female founded businesses.

My mission is simple. It’s to make it easier for women to build thriving brands which are aligned with their purpose and values and to close the gender gap in entrepreneurship, one female founder at a time.

To find out how I can support you on your business journey, check out this link. And if you’d like to know more about the results my clients get, here are some of my case studies.

One-off advice | 3-hour intensive | Ongoing monthly business coaching | Done-for-you business audit

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