Scaling Style into Millions
Orseund Iris boasts a truly brilliant and talented designer. From the iconic Gamine Skirt, many iterations on the bustier to their trend-driving pocket pants, she consistently sets the fashion tone year after year.
When mentoring designers, the first thing I’d tell them is this: focus relentlessly on creating a piece people crave. The kind of garment that makes someone light up, text their best friend, and share it before you even ask. When you hit that level of desirability, most of your marketing is already baked in. That’s how you unlock zero-dollar customer acquisition, not through thirsty advertising dollars, but by building something so compelling it markets itself.
That is, unless you’re in the business of making dupes, but then, you probably aren’t really a designer.
From 2016 to 2024, I had the privilege of helping this brand flourish, helping to manage everything from their digital strategy to operations and finances.
My departure stemmed from a conviction that understanding AI and automating business processes, including marketing, was the next critical step for my career growth.
This led me to begin consulting with other businesses while immersing myself in AI studies and tools, all aimed at helping brands achieve significant expansion.
Most brands these days? They’re throwing cash at the Meta machine, crossing their fingers, and hoping for a viral moment on social media. Orseund Iris? We didn’t play that game. Every single dollar of that $14 million in sales, every one of those half-million-plus loyal followers? Purely organic. This was about laser-sharp community building strategy, a relentless commitment to creativity, and showing up consistently, day after day.
I was in the trenches from the very beginning, helping to not just launch Orseund Iris, but to build its solid foundation. This included fostering a cult-like following through strategic influencer gifting that generated significant buzz and desire for the brand's unique pieces. That meant setting up the unglamorous but crucial backend planning and reporting, shaping the brand's unique voice, obsessively fine-tuning the customer's journey at every touchpoint, and strategically optimizing important aspects of the business for long-term, sustainable growth.
You won't find any generic "marketing operations assistance" here. This is the deep dive into the actual work I executed, the important details, and the core principles that fueled Orseund Iris's ascent.
When it comes to building a thriving ecommerce business, forget the surface-level overviews; I bring a comprehensive understanding to the table that goes far beyond just marketing. Having built Orseund Iris from the ground up, navigating everything from backend operations and financial management to customer experience and global logistics, I offer new e-commerce businesses a holistic and success-driven approach to all aspects of their business.
I help lay the groundwork for sustainable growth by establishing efficient systems and strategic frameworks that encompass the entire business ecosystem, not just the promotional aspects.
Business Structure + a Unique Editorial Style
Before the buzz, before the viral moments, Orseund Iris needed organization and to prove product market fit. I helped transform what started as a brilliant one-woman vision into a fully incorporated, trademarked, compliant S-Corp, complete with the important systems necessary to handle serious growth.
Shopify Setup on Steroids: We didn't just slap up a basic store. I meticulously focused on configuring Shopify for launch, implementing branded automations that felt seamless, optimizing the checkout process, and ensuring a clean, visually stunning experience that mirrored the brand's aesthetic.
Building the Operational Backbone: Implemented clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for everything: fulfillment, customer service that actually cared, meticulous financial tracking, and precise inventory management. No more guessing games; this was data-driven for clarity and pathways for everyone on the team.
Navigating the Legal Landscape: As the team grew, so did the complexities. I helped manage compliance and streamline hiring through platforms like JustWorks. This meant ensuring the business adhered to all relevant labor laws, handled payroll and benefits efficiently, and had the necessary legal frameworks in place as the team expanded, ultimately protecting the company from potential legal and financial risks.
The ultimate goal? To create an operational engine that ran with the same grace and precision as the brand’s captivating visuals online.
Editorial Drops That Built Desire
We didn’t "do email marketing." We crafted inspiring email experiences that created real community. Each product drop wasn't just announced; it was unveiled through long-form newsletters that offered a genuine glimpse into the designer's mind. Think raw sketches, personal notes about the inspiration, intimate details that made you feel like you were part of the creative process. This wasn't just "content"; it was connection that resonated emotionally.
Crafting Emails That Converted (in Hours): These weren't just product dumps; they were narratives that built desire and urgency.
Building Human-Centered Flows: Our welcome series wasn't a generic "thanks for signing up." Abandoned cart emails weren't nagging reminders. Post-purchase communication felt like a genuine thank you. We built flows that felt human, not robotic, fostering genuine relationships with our audience.
Driving Traffic and Sales the Smart Way: We didn’t rely on paid ads to push our emails. We implemented sophisticated segmentation based on actual customer behavior and purchase history, delivering hyper-relevant content that drove traffic and, crucially, conversions.
Social as the Storefront. Data as the Road Map.
Every single image, every caption, every story was deliberate. There was a clear editorial vision, but behind the aesthetic coolness was cold, hard data guiding our every move.
Weekly Deep Dives into Shopify Analytics: I didn't just glance at the numbers. Every week, we dissected Shopify analytics to make informed decisions about production quantities, optimize pricing strategies, and identify exactly what needed to be restocked to meet demand.
Spotting Trends Early: We weren't caught off guard by sellouts. I developed systems to flag top-performing SKUs early, allowing us to proactively avoid missed opportunities and keep our most in-demand items available.
Turning Feedback into Fuel: Comments and DMs weren't just noise. We actively used qualitative feedback to refine our brand tone, inform styling choices, and even influence future product direction. The aesthetic grabbed attention, but the insights drove sales and fostered a deeper connection with our community.
Global Growth Without the Growing Pains.
From day one, our vision wasn't limited by borders. We didn’t just ship worldwide; we operated like a truly global business.
Seamless International Transactions: Integrating Global-e wasn't just about accepting international payments. It was about providing a seamless experience for our global customers, handling customs, currency conversion, and all the complexities behind the scenes.
Financial Foresight: I worked closely with the bookkeeping team monthly and the accountant quarterly to ensure we were not just tracking revenue, but strategically planning for taxes, managing timely payments to our factories, and making smart cash flow decisions that prioritized long-term sustainability.
Balancing Emotion with Economics: Fashion can be driven by emotion, but cash flow can't. We developed payment strategies that balanced short-term capital needs with the long-term health of the business. You need both handled with precision.
Streamlined Operations and Customer Focus
Beyond the front-facing marketing, I also spearheaded crucial operational improvements. This included in-depth research and implementation of a 3PL (third-party logistics) provider to optimize shipping and fulfillment processes. Furthermore, I worked daily with both the customer service team and the 3PL to proactively address any customer concerns and ensure consistently high levels of satisfaction.
Strategic Inventory Management and Buyer Relations
Ensuring our collections reached the right audiences involved close collaboration with buyers at both online retailers and brick-and-mortar stores. I worked directly with these partners to ensure a smooth flow of production, timely deliveries, and effective inventory management to maximize sales opportunities.
Creating Buzz and Memorable Experiences
Beyond the daily operations, we also focused on creating memorable moments for the brand. This included negotiating leases for physical spaces and working closely with the team on the execution of sample sales. One particular sample sale even generated significant buzz and became a viral moment on TikTok, further amplifying brand awareness.
Wholesale, High-Touch, and Cult Status (Not Just Mass Appeal).
Scaling doesn’t have to mean diluting your brand. I helped Orseund Iris strategically expand through curated partnerships that genuinely elevated the brand's prestige and reach.
Strategic Partnerships: We didn't just chase any wholesale opportunity. We carefully selected high-end boutiques like Desordre and secured placement on platforms like Net-a-Porter, ensuring our brand was seen in the right context.
Cultivating Exclusivity: We concepted a by-appointment shopping model that transformed casual browsers into dedicated, lifelong collectors. This high-touch approach fostered a sense of exclusivity and deepened customer loyalty.
Creating Real-World Mystique: Our offline experiences weren't afterthoughts. They were carefully crafted to mirror the online mystique, creating tangible touchpoints that reinforced the brand's unique identity.
The result? Demand stayed consistently high. Inventory remained lean and manageable. And the brand maintained its coveted desirability.
What Your Brand Can Steal From This Strategy (The Real Takeaways).
If you're a founder looking to build a lasting brand, listen closely:
Your email list isn't just an afterthought; it's your most valuable asset. Treat it like gold and use it to build genuine connections.
Automation without a human touch is impersonal. Make sure your systems amplify your brand's personality, not bury it.
Growth without a solid operational structure is a recipe for burnout and eventual collapse. Build the right foundation from the start.
Paid ads might accelerate spurts of growth, but true brand obsession and loyalty are what build empires. Focus on creating something people genuinely connect with. Designs that emotionally resonate.
You don’t need a massive team or endless funding to achieve significant growth. What you do need is a clear strategy, systems, and someone who knows how to translate raw talent and vision into tangible, sustainable revenue.
Building a fashion brand today is faster, smarter, and more scalable thanks to AI automations. From generating design concepts to streamlining operations, AI tools now handle tasks that once took entire teams, like creating email campaigns, managing inventory, optimizing customer journeys, and even powering virtual try-ons. With the right systems in place, founders can focus more on creativity and brand vision, while automation handles the rest. A few of the automation tools I am currently reviewing (although, I review new ones weekly) include -
Yoona.ai – AI-powered design platform that transforms trend data and sketches into bestselling fashion collections.
Hoppy Copy – AI-driven email marketing tool tailored for fashion brands, offering on‑brand automated copy and sleek newsletter templates.
n8n – Open-source no-code automation platform for integrating Shopify, ERP, and more, streamlining operations like order processing and inventory management.
Vue.ai – AI-powered virtual try-on solution that lets shoppers visualize garments on themselves through realistic style simulations and Doppl from Google.
Zapier – Workflow automation powerhouse connecting 3,000+ apps to automate tasks like tagging customers, syncing CRM data, and social posting. Website: zapier.com
Ready to start building a brand with real, lasting impact?
Let's talk about your Modern Marketing Strategy at www.vamosbaby.com