Spotlight On: 10 minutes with Rachel Mellers of Apéro Label
Tell us a little bit about who you are and your journey to Apero…
I have worked in the fashion industry for around 10 years now, with a strong focus on design for the last five years. I was designing for a large chain of stores here in Brisbane for a few years and really felt like I wanted to create something for myself. When you are a creative person, it’s hard to not have the final say on things, or back a particular style/design/print/fabric/colour…etc, so I think eventually that really pushed me to design something that excited me.
I had seen branded tees emerging in a big way from high-end designers and bloggers through my design research, but at the time it wasn’t really a huge thing in the commercial market, so I decided branded tees would be a fairly cost-effective way to start and fund my own label. I was inspired by the word Apéro and the meaning behind it, so from the very first collection of boyfriend tees the brand had a very heavily inspired French aesthetic.
What sets Apero apart in the market?
I think people love the Apéro brand and it’s meaning and really buy into that. It has a strong European influence and a simple elegance about it, making it diverse and easy to dress up or down. We also really focus on giving back through donating 5% of all of our online sales to women in need, and I think people are valuing the social justice side of brands more and more, which is amazing!
Brand designer and founder Rachel Mellers.
Can you tell us a little about your latest collection?
Our collection launching in Jan/Feb 2020 is fun and has a lot more colour than others in the past. Along with new variations of our signature tee designs, we have injections of linen pieces, vintage florals and a yellow gingham signature print.
We travelled to Joshua Tree, California to shoot this range in the dessert. It made for the perfect backdrop for the pieces and we cannot wait to share it with everyone.
What would you say is the most challenging part of your day-to-day?
Juggling all of the different responsibilities of running a small business. You have to be across such a broad range of different tasks and mindsets. It can be easy to miss things or fall behind. Trying to stay on top of everything and put the right amount of focus on the areas that count the most can be challenging. You can easily get bogged down on small things that are insignificant in the big picture.
What’s been the biggest win at Apero? Has there been retailers deals, activations or coverage that have stood out?
Being approached to stock on The Iconic in our first year of business was a pretty exciting milestone. It helped confirm the traction we had gained in such a small amount of time and pushed us forward even more.
We also recently had the opportunity to feature in the Iconic Summer Show 2019 at The Calile Hotel alongside some really amazing brands. In 2 years we’ve gone from a small Brisbane startup to suddenly having Australia’s biggest influencers socialising in an Apéro branded cabana, drinking Apéro cocktails, and watching some of our outfits coming to life down the runway. It’s been a really great end to the year, and what feels like a foretelling of all the amazing things we will accomplish in 2020.
Iconic Summer Show 2019 photographed by Laz Smith @Crewmedia.co
Why is PR important for Apero? Have your goals or company message changes much since you first started?
We have found that PR is important for brand awareness and getting our brand name out there. The more people know about Apéro and see it on other people, the more we can continue to grow and expand our offering for our existing customers.
What are your core in-house PR activities that drive coverage?
Influencer partnerships and gifting would be our main source of in-house PR currently. We really want to grow this side of things and start hosting influencer and customer events going into 2020. We also want to do more celebrity photoshoots and product collaborations.
Your photoshoots are beautiful. What are your top 3 tips for creating beautiful media-ready images?
Choosing a great model is key. Someone who suits your brand aesthetic and knows what they are doing makes it 10 times easier to create beautiful imagery. We never cheap out on our models.
Having a photographer and video team that are on the same page and know the direction of the shoot and the brand in a larger scale.
Capturing the product in a true and sellable form. Campaign imagery can’t just be pretty and interesting, it still needs to show the details of the garment in a way that will sell it to customers. At the end of the day if the garment looks bad or the main details are hidden, no one will purchase it, as they won’t know what it really looks like.
Apéro forte beaded femme tee.
What’s on the horizon for Apero Label? Are there any major milestones that you are hoping to achieve in 2020?
We are currently looking to start expanding into the US market. This is something we want to do nice and slowly and spend a few years doing properly. It’s a very big market and can be extremely expensive. We are excited and nervous to see how the US market responds to our clothing.
Favourite Instagram account we should be following?
Favourite item on your website right now?
The Sunshine Embroidered Maxi Dress & Forte Beaded Tee.
Describe Apero Label in 3 words…
Timeless, Fun, Empowering
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FIND AND FOLLOW APÉRO APEROLABEL.COM OR @APEROLABEL.
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We also have a new collection coming late April, which is something we haven't seen any nail brand do! We are sooooo excited to release it!
Every brand has its genisis story. What's the inspiration behind the name 'Gojelle,' and how does it encapsulate your brand's ethos?
Gojelle is a pun on the words 'Go Girl', we worked the word 'gel' into this as our press on nails are made of gel so therefore 'Gojelle' was born. Our tagline is also 'You Gojelle' which is cleverly added on some of our packaging! We do love a good pun!
Now let's dive into the heart of the brand – it's all about flaunting your individuality and feeling empowered while doing so. How do you see these core values of self-expression and empowerment playing a transformative role in the nail wear / beauty scene?
Why limit yourself to the way you wear your nails? We love that with Gojelle, you can wake up every day and match your nails to your outfits, or maybe you love your natural nails and only need them for an occasion or maybe you are on your way to your next holiday destination and do not have any time to get a manicure! Gojelle is so adaptive to different lifestyles and tastes and we love that a beautiful manicure can make you instantly feel like a whole new person- we are hoping we can open minds to the concept that nail beauty is just as unique and interesting as any other beauty product on the market.
What goes on behind the scenes in dreaming up Gojelle's 23 unique styles? What factors influenced the selection of designs and finishes?
Behind the scenes we do a lot of brainstorming internally and externally with our customers, meetings, and trialling and testing lots of different styles.
The main factors that influenced our final selections of the first collection were of course our Esmio customers and what they love to wear on their nails and current nail trends.
We hear a lot about being green and kind these days. How have these principles been integrated into your operations and product lineup?
We always endeavour to eliminate as much plastic as possible in our packaging and our products are all vegan and cruelty free.
Launching on International Women's Day is no small feat! How does Gojelle plan to champion female empowerment and support women's causes through its launch?
Launching on IWD sets the tone for how we endeavour to always empower and support women, every single day in various ways. Some include donating to women focused charities via i=change, supporting all of our female customers by providing superior products and the best and most respectful customer service always.
Looking back to move forward – what key lessons have you taken from launching and running Esmio, and applying to the launch and growth of GojelleTM?
Doing things right from the beginning to avoid having to fix things later on definitely comes to mind. If we put the effort in before a launch, trialling and testing, we can ensure that time and money will be saved later on and we have definitely applied this lesson to Gojelle as we took our time and did everything to the highest standard from packaging to product.
Collaboration plays a significant role in the fashion and beauty industry. Are there any partnerships or collaborations that have been pivotal to GojelleTM's launch?
Collaborating with wonderful creatives such as renowned Sydney photographer Cole Bennetts has been pivotal as professional imagery sets the standard for the brand.
We are in discussion with some other big Aussie brands for some collab GoJelle's coming soon!
For aspiring entrepreneurs in the beauty industry, what advice would you give about launching a brand and navigating the complexities of today's market?
Take your time, try to put a unique twist on your product offerings, don't be afraid to ask questions, people are nicer than you think and love to help. A quote by Oprah that sums up the journey 'Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do' There is a lot of sacrifice in the beginning but as long as you stay focused on your goals it will pay off!
