When it comes to luxury shopping online, there are a few go-to ports of call: Net-a-Porter, MatchesFashion, Farfetch... A little over five years ago, two sisters entered the e-comm fray with a platform that mixes emerging designers from around the world with some of the industry's most established brands. Avenue32 was founded by German-born Roberta Benteler and her sister Maya. At the time, Roberta was 26 and working in finance: She was a fashion enthusiast, though, and grew more and more frustrated by how difficult it was to buy then-young labels like Christopher Kane and Erdem, both online and IRL. Eventually, that nuisance inspired her to set up her own U.K.-based retail site to champion these lesser-known brands and make their designs more readily available to shoppers everywhere.
Fast-forward to 2017, and Avenue32 has grown immensely, not only because an expanded team (including fashion director Stephen Ayres, who joined from Liberty London in 2015) but also because of an engaging social media strategy which includes high-profile collaborations with fashion influencers. It certainly doesn't hurt that co-founder Roberta has quickly become an Instagram style star herself, regularly captured during Fashion Weeks mixing Céline, Balenciaga, and Gucci with Y/Project, Vetements and Louis Vuitton. It's a reflection of the mix found within Avenue32's stock — and, hey, what better billboard for the retailer's massive selection of designer goods than its founder's always-on-point street style?
We sat down with Benteler at Avenue32 HQ to discuss building the brand from scratch, discovering new designers, and what it's actually like to be a street style regular.
What inspired you to leave private equity to launch your own e-commerce site?
"My dream was always to start my own business eventually. Fashion was my first love, so when the financial crisis hit [in the U.K.] and no one was investing anymore, it seemed like the perfect time to make that change. I started getting experience and industry insight by working for a young designer, understanding the challenges that they face and being frustrated with the limited availability of up-and-coming labels, from a consumer standpoint. at the same time. That's how the idea for Avenue32 was born."
How did you go about building a team?
"I started off with recruiting a fashion director on a freelance basis, in order to help get the brands on board. Once a good number of brands had confirmed and the concept for Avenue32 was really well-received, I hired our fashion director [Erin Mullaney] full-time. Together, we recruited the rest of the team: Candidates came partly from a pool of people she had previously worked with in the industry, and, on the operational side, we had an e-comm advisory firm that helped find suitable candidates for the more technical positions."
Photographed by Holly Whittaker.
You launched Avenue32 with relatively little experience in the fashion industry, over five years ago. What's been the key to your success?
"The key to any company’s success lies in really knowing your unique selling point (USP), and in assembling a strong team of people who have longstanding experience in the particular industry."
What are the biggest challenges you've faced? And the biggest lessons you've learned since launching?
"The biggest challenge in this industry is undoubtedly to get the right designers on board, especially in the beginning when you don’t have customers or track records. Consequently, the biggest lesson I've learned is that every challenge is an important lesson that inspires improvement and innovation — and that there's always a solution."
Has Brexit affected your business?
"It's difficult to say whether it's a consequence of Brexit or of changes in fashion [overall], but it does feel increasingly like fast fashion has put a damper on the industry as a whole last year."
Photographed by Holly Whittaker.
Thoughts on the current state of the fashion industry and the vast numbers of collections produced each year? Are you interested in the "see now, buy now" movement?
"It's a trend that stands in direct contrast to the very definition of luxury, in my opinion. For me, luxury is something that has emotional value and longevity."
How do you decide which brands to buy, and how do you discover new designers?
"Gut feeling plays a big part for me. When you see something and have to have it — that’s when I know we have found a new brand. My fashion director will balance that with a slightly more rational approach, looking at sellability, quality, and long-term strategy of the brand. That's proven to be a successful approach for us.
"We discover designers in many different ways: Some find us, some we stumble across, some get recommended. Increasingly, we also find them on Instagram, believe it or not: If it is eye-catching on Instagram, it will stand out on the website, too."
Photographed by Holly Whittaker.
What does your typical day look like?
"Typical days don’t really exist, due to the frequent traveling I do for the job. But when I'm at home in London, I will start my day with a strong coffee and a Barrecore class or a run in Hyde Park, followed by breakfast at home. My day at the office starts at 9:30 a.m. Mornings are usually spent answering e-mails and interview requests.
"If I don’t have a lunch meeting, I like cooking lunch at home, which is walking distance from the office. It’s a nice way to clear my head and reflect on the morning.
"I might meet an editor or designer for tea in Mayfair, or sit down with the team to discuss strategy at the office in the afternoons. Evenings are reserved for dinner with friends, as I try and see them as much as I can when in town."
Photographed by Holly Whittaker.
You've become quite a street style star over the years. How have you built your own personal brand, separate from Avenue32?
"It’s not something that happened intentionally, but of course I'm really flattered that people like my style. I love dressing up, mixing and matching brands, and just having fun with fashion. So, of course street style is a really fun aspect of Fashion Week. At the same time, it's also a great way to showcase some of the exciting young designers we feature on Avenue32."
Photographed by Holly Whittaker.
Any advice for young entrepreneurs trying to start a fashion brand or e-comm?
"Aim high; believe in yourself and your idea; really know your USP; and outsource as much as you can in the beginning, which will give you flexibility to grow or not to grow, and will keep fixed costs to a minimum."
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