The online fashion marketplace that brings you the best of micro-enterprises

Established in 2019 by founder Nina Briance, Cult Mia has made a name for itself as one of the UK’s fastest growing online fashion marketplaces, bringing shoppers the best creative designs from micro-enterprises from around the world.

Fashionistas and regulars will often search the website for new and important international designers and their creative pieces – be it handmade earrings from Mexico, beaded clutches from Lebanon, party dresses from Macedonia of the North or mohair coats from Georgia – has Cult Mia gradually but firmly become the go-to destination for value-driven, unique and fun fashion that also champions sustainability.

People talk about annoyance when referring to something written in the stars. For Briance, it was a series of these events and posts she held while studying at Stanford University and London Business School that paved the way.

Working on the Women and Trade team at the United Nations gave Briance an understanding of female entrepreneurship in less developed countries, which inspired and empowered her to start her own business. With financial skills acquired in the private banking departments at Goldman Sachs and UBS, business knowledge advanced during her MBA program, as well as first-hand knowledge of the digital fashion industry gained through her various roles at Moda Operandi, love Briance’s own for one. fashion of sorts helped connect all the dots that eventually led to the formation and release of Cult Mia.

“It became very clear to me that the model for online luxury fashion that had been so successful in the 2000s and 2010s was starting to slip. Growth was stagnant and customers just didn’t seem that satisfied with traditional curation. More than that, buyers’ value systems weren’t being supported – and with that the big platforms lost the real reason why customers wanted to shop with them in the first place.” Extending her journey, Briance says.

The founder also has emerging designers in mind, as she seeks a platform they can access without being hampered by complicated inventory requirements, working capital challenges or volatile marketing spend. “The more I talked to designers, the more I realized that many brands that were on the cusp of rapid growth were looking for space that could really tell their story, with the right global visibility.” Briance adds: “Whenever someone asked me what I was wearing, it was never about my high street boots. It was always about my handmade enamel earrings from Mexico. I had to be disappointed. and told you that you had to travel to Oaxaca to get them. Now, I can direct you to Cult Mia.”

While acknowledging that many business lessons are best learned in real life, Briance credits her MBA program at LBS for providing the time and safe space to test out different business ideas. “If I were to choose the biggest added value from the MBA to Cult Mia, I would understand if the business was really viable. Through my MBA I had an introduction to every single skill I needed to know about starting a business and I was surrounded by people I could ask questions and who could critique and challenge my business.”

“I also looked at over 200 businesses in case studies and took a bit from each and have since applied them to Cult Mia.”

Priding itself on being different from other competitors, Cult Mia evaluates new brands from both a quality and value perspective. “Our sustainable sourcing strategy developed with Positive Luxury sets us apart from the competition and gives customers the confidence that the products they buy at Cult Mia match the values ​​they care about, meeting luxury-level standards.” Briance explains, “We are currently the only platform in our space to have developed a rewards system to incentivize our brand partners to make improvements in their sustainable and ethical results across our four core value pillars that have been established over time. of entry.” Cult Mia’s dedicated Brand Review Committee – with an original “point of view” as established by Briance – is key to ensuring that all shortlisted brands meet the criteria. “Most platforms focus on ranking ad designers, while we create the ads.”

Highlighting the exclusive nature of Cult Mia’s listings, Briance points out that 62% of products are listed exclusively on the site (be it a capsule collection created with the brand, the platform’s first brands to work with or entering new markets for the brands), there are many likely thanks to the site is the best in shipping items located in different parts of the world accurately and cost effectively.

With a brand retention rate of 95% and an increasing onboarding success rate (currently at 80%), Cult Mia ensures that continuous efforts are being made to keep not only consumers but brands happy as well.

“A key factor is due to our seamless onboarding process, with a focus on automation to ensure we can operate efficiently at scale. E-commerce onboarding and listing is reduced to less than 1 business day, with brands not required to do any of the work.”

Working through a model that meets the needs of emerging designers and also aligns with its sustainability objectives, Cult Mia’s platform supports emerging designers offering made-to-order, made-to-measure options without sacrificing customer benefits, with 90 % of those orders are filled within 2 weeks.

As the Cult Mia team expands, Briance’s day-to-day duties have evolved and she now fulfills a more typical CEO role that focuses on managing key stakeholders, along with establishing and ensuring the team is following the brand’s long-term vision . Speaking about her biggest challenge learned during this process, Briance doesn’t hesitate. “I am a sole founder and my biggest lesson is based on this challenge of being a sole founder: I have seen that the success of a business does not rely on the founder or multiple co-founders, but instead on the team you build. How you inspire your team, how you build your team together, how you motivate your team to go through the highs and lows with you – that’s the real game changer for driving sustainable growth and change. Whenever someone asks me what I’m most proud of when it comes to Cult Mia, the answer is always my team!”

Having recently closed seed investment rounds (Briance promises more detailed updates in the first quarter of 2023), what’s next for Cult Mia? “We believe we have only just begun! We have only scratched the surface on both the brand and shopper front.” Briance says. “We are excited to increase our growth. We remain focused on scaling both sides of the platform (brands and customers), but making sure we do so by investing in technology-powered automations that will support high growth and growing demand. We know that the key to scaling Cult Mia is making sure our independent brand partners are equipped to grow with us. We’re launching an Incubator that will offer a range of B2B services, from digital marketing to data analytics to enable the brands we work with to have the knowledge and resources to scale effectively and sustainably alongside My Cult.”

You can now shop all of Cult Mia’s curated fashion items at www.cultmia.com. Some of Briance’s personal favorites include: hand-beaded clutches from Lebanese social enterprise, Sarah’s bag; Handcrafted electric mohair and embroidered knitwear from Lalo Cardigans; London-based rebel dresses with simple silhouettes and high sleeves culprit; unique tailoring and cuts raised with exceptional craftsmanship by Others; handmade, expressive, bold animal-led ornaments Hidden x Loop; and finally retro and futuristic disco made to order by Janashia.