Small Business: Kiwi online retailer Threads joins growing circular fashion movement

Mel King's passion started with ripping pieces and outfits out of magazines. She's now partnered with an Australian software platform. Photo / Supplied

Mel King, founder of Auckland online retailer Threads, talks sustainability and how partnering with a Australian software platform is allowing the business to do its part to reduce the fashion industry's carbon footprint.

What does your business do?

Threads is an online clothing website that sells multiple brands, owned by my husband and me. We've had the business for a number of years and grown it over the years and added different elements with the intention of building a community vibe - because it is online-based it is important for our customers to feel that - as they can't walk into a store to physically be greeted and assisted by someone. The business began in 2017.

What was the motivation for starting it?

It started with a passion, an addiction to magazines actually - this was before social media. I would rip pieces and outfits out of magazines, things I loved, and would put them into scrapbooks. I created things and visions that way, and it was my husband David who said 'Why don't you make it something?' And that's how Threads came about. My background though is in beauty therapy.

How big is your team?

The team is at 10 people at this stage.

What's taking up your most time with Threads at the moment?

It is mainly the buying and being fashion forward; making sure we buy the right things and are on top of seasonal drops. The Zooms and the purchasing do take up a lot of time. When you run a company you oversee so many different departments and I'm a bit of a perfectionist so I'm always checking into all of the different areas to make sure they are doing their best.

What are you working on at present?

In recent weeks we have partnered with a company called Air Robe in Australia which reached out to us. Because we are a multi-brand platform we can't control the narrative of those brands, but we knew as Threads we wanted to somehow get into the circular fashion sustainability space and it just happened that Air Robe reached out and wanted to partner with us. We are one of the first brands to partner with Air Robe in New Zealand. They work alongside The Iconic and Camilla & Marc, among others, and what they do is promote a circular fashion movement which extends the life of purchases. It allows customers to repurpose, rent or resell their purchases once they have been bought through us. It is an amazing movement to be a part of to repurpose fashion, extending product life and reducing the industry's overall carbon footprint.

When a person buys from Threads they can opt in to be a part of the Air Robe network. Reselling, renting and repurposing is something we have always wanted to offer but we just didn't know how we could make a difference. We have been working on the Air Robe partnership for a few weeks and have launched it on our website. It is free for our customers to opt in.

Brands and retailers this side of the world seem to just be getting into sustainable fashion and looking to extend the lifespan of garments - do you think this will be a new normal industry-wide within time?

Circular fashion will definitely be a way of the future, I think it is just going to keep growing. Everyone is aware of it and even in two years' time the whole concept is going to be utilised worldwide. The consumers' buying patterns have changed, they are a little bit more aware in what they purchase; considering is it going to be a piece they keep forever or is it going to be a fast fashion item. Retailers are definitely wanting to make their contribution to sustainability and meet consumer expectations.

Where do you see Threads in three to five years' time?

Huge, hopefully. We do very well in New Zealand and we've expanded into the Australian market. We want to bring on further areas of Threads, so more of a lifestyle and homewares department. We want to expand our men's range - there are always things in the pipeline. Retail stores have never been on the cards for Threads, we may incorporate some pop-up stores along the way but online is where the future is for us.

What's the biggest issue your industry is facing at present?

Shipping delays mainly, from suppliers. Thankfully we're pretty good with customers getting their orders. However, brands from the Netherlands and Denmark and the US; it can be a bit slow and what you predict you will get in August has been pushed back to September. That is a bit of a juggle because when you're trying to put together for the marketing team what you are going to launch and got coming it is a bit hard.

What advice do you give to others thinking about starting their own business?

Plan, plan, plan. Think through everything, turn it upside down and inside out and if you think you have it figured out plan again. You can't plan enough. A lot of people think being in business is easy and it is simple to build a website and chuck it online to sell things but there is so much more that goes into it behind the scenes.