In this exclusive documentary series, Maxim Sion, fashion entrepreneur and Business Development Manager at Bleckmann, shares his experience of building a brand from the ground up – providing valuable insights into the practicalities of making your vision a reality. In this episode, he recounts the pivotal moment when a routine meeting with a potential retail partner transformed into a life-changing investment opportunity.
June 2016 marked the biggest turning point in Black and Gold’s journey at that point of brand’s existence. What began as a standard pitch meeting with a buyer from a retail chain store quickly evolved into something neither Maxim nor his partner had anticipated. After presenting their collection and vision for the brand, the retailer not only offered to trial their products in two stores but also made an unexpected offer.
“During that conversation, we had a twist in the story, because he was proposing to invest in our company,” Maxim recalls. “He had two facilities in China and Bangladesh to do production, and was already the owner of several fashion brands.” After carefully considering the implications of the move, Maxim and his business partner Nicolas decided to accept. This would give the team the push they needed to turn their side-hustle into a full-time job, bringing a range of new challenges and opportunities.
Press play on part 4 to learn how the investment allowed Black and Gold to scale up.
Taking the plunge: The next phase of growth
With the investment secured, both founders were able to quit their day jobs and focus entirely on building Black and Gold. This came as a surprise to some outside the company, who had watched it grow from a small side project to a serious venture practically overnight. “Some friends and family didn’t understand what was happening, because the company went from quite small to growing very quickly,” Maxim explains. But these doubts didn’t put the brakes on the team’s growth ambitions.
Look out for the next episode to learn about the operational challenges that came with the brand’s rapid growth and how Black and Gold navigated the complexities of scaling their vision. And, if you want to find out more about taking your brand to the next level, get in contact for a free consultation with one of our experts!
