{"id":4855,"date":"2019-03-19T13:54:15","date_gmt":"2019-03-19T13:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/?p=4855"},"modified":"2019-11-13T12:53:09","modified_gmt":"2019-11-13T12:53:09","slug":"brand-building-with-copson-londons-maria-falbo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/brand-building-with-copson-londons-maria-falbo\/","title":{"rendered":"Brand building with Copson London’s Maria Falbo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since then, Copson has grown and evolved into a lifestyle brand which today counts a spate of high-profile designers, as well as labels like New Balance and Converse, as collaborators. All of this rests on its idiosyncratic tees. \u201cWe started as good life skating and sipping beers in Barcelona,\u201d Falbo reflects. \u201cNow, good life has moved on to looking inwards as well as having nice material things.\u201d We caught up with the skater turned designer to find out how to take a T-Shirt and turn it into an entire ecosystem.<\/p>\n

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Courtesy of Copson London | @copsonlondon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Find Your Niche<\/h3>\n

To build the foundations for a successful brand, Falbo advises asking yourself, \u2018What am I trying to say that\u2019s different?\u2019 from the very beginning. Remember \u2013 people who buy your T-shirts are buying into a message. The very first Copson tees, described by Falbo as \u201cplayful, reactive and reflective of culture\u201d, encapsulated what Copson was all about at the time. The brand blossomed because it was totally unique in the landscape. \u201cIt grew a following because it was so niche,\u201d the brand\u2019s co-founder explains. While the Copson offering may have grown and changed over the years, when you buy a tee today you\u2019re buying into a story. \u201cIt\u2019s a different mentality,\u201d Falbo muses. \u201cWe make tees that are merch: they\u2019re part of something bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n

they\u2019re wearing and living it as much as you are<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Do Your Homework<\/h3>\n

Once you\u2019ve got your big idea, don\u2019t dive straight in. Take your time to prepare as much as you can \u2013 especially on the practical side. \u201cEveryone thinks running a brand is about nice visuals, creating desire and all of the fun stuff. But, it all relies on production, which is really tricky and challenging and exhausting,\u201d Falbo warns. She advises asking as many people about production as possible before you start work. Online resources are useful, but reaching out to people whose work you admire and asking if you can work with them to gain real-time practical skills are better. \u201cBeing there in person and getting stuck in is a great way of learning,\u201d Falbo enthuses.<\/p>\n

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The Copson London Emotional House Hoodie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Which Tee\u2019s Best?<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019ve weighed up the challenges and you\u2019re still serious about launching a brand with tees at the core, then you have to get your basics right from day one. For Falbo, fit is most important. The place to start? A classic white T-Shirt. Copson\u2019s vibe is: \u201cNothing fitted or overly done; something that becomes a bit battered in the wash over time.\u201d When you\u2019re sourcing your tees, it\u2019s essential that you ask for samples to try on so you can see how they sit and feel on a body.<\/p>\n

Copson started with Gildan blanks, but these days Falbo likes to work directly with factories to ensure good conditions for workers as well as a quality product. To do that, the team asks as many questions as they can and visit factories in person, too. Falbo acknowledges that might not be possible for everyone, though, and suggests asking for personal recommendations. \u201cGo through word of mouth,\u201d she advises. \u201cYou can also look at where the factories are and that they’re up to a certain standard when it comes to human practice.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Copson London Emotional House T-shirt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Friends First<\/h3>\n

Copson is a collective and the network of friends has been essential to its growth. For Falbo, working with friends and like-minded people has always been central to the growth of the brand but \u2013 at the same time \u2013 working with friends isn\u2019t always smooth. Falbo has some tips for manoeuvring friendships and business. First, she says, always be open and transparent and maintain direct communication. Second, be clear on people\u2019s roles from the word go. \u201cWithout clear rules and boundaries of whose owning what it can get really messy,\u201d she says. For Copson, though, bumps in the road have been worth it. \u201cThe people who are part of your brand are so important,\u201d Falbo declares. \u201cThey\u2019re your billboard; they\u2019re wearing and living it as much as you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

That Means Brands Too<\/h3>\n

As your name grows, other brands will want to work with you. Collabs are a great way to grow your name, but you have to pick who you team up with carefully. Falbo urges you to only work with brands you\u2019re aligned with and only when it feels right. \u201cNever do something that doesn’t sit right with the brand \u2013 it\u2019s too damaging,\u201d she says. Instead, set ground rules and make sure you\u2019re upfront from the beginning.<\/p>\n

\"12_copson_london_photoshoot\"
Courtesy of Copson London | @copsonlondon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As well as designing herself, Falbo has brought a host of artists, including Jiro Bevis, Jamie Humphrey and Michael Willis, on board over the years. \u201cThere\u2019s always touches of what we’re about in there,\u201d she says of collabs. \u201cIt\u2019s all about working with people who understand what the brand is as a whole.\u201d Be prepared, though. Interactions with brands will throw up new challenges that you won\u2019t be able to preempt. Falbo gives the example of deciding where logos will sit and whose will be bigger \u2013 a detail she now gets ironed out at the start. \u201cThings will come up you would never have thought of,\u201d she says, \u201cbut then you know for next time that you need to talk about that at the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keep the brand true to you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Printers<\/h3>\n

When it comes to choosing a printer, you\u2019re spoiled for choice. Falbo narrows down her selection by relying on personal recommendations and always asking for samples to ensure quality prints. What\u2019s most important for Copson, though, is making sure that printers \u2013 and factories \u2013 can deliver on time. \u201cThat’s most valuable,\u201d she emphasises. \u201cIf we can\u2019t deliver on time then that affects our relationships with the stores.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"copson
Courtesy of Copson London | @copsonlondon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Retail Work<\/h3>\n

As well as selling online, selling in physical spaces can be a huge boost for your brand. As well as reaching out to stores they liked, Falbo and her team worked with agents and asked friends to help get the work seen by more buyers. Working with retail spaces will bring a new set of challenges. Especially when it comes to pricing. Retailers need a markup and moving into wholesale means considering new margins. Think about how much you\u2019ll be taking home when you add a retailer who needs to make money to the mix and bear in mind the massive jump in the price of your T-Shirts.<\/p>\n

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The Copson London Emotional House Hoodie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Falbo advises you to ask friends and people who work in the industry for as much advice as you can when it comes to costing. You also have to steel against rejections. Not every store you think is a perfect fit will feel the same, but don\u2019t give up. Falbo reminds you to be patient. \u201cYou’ll definitely get knock-backs but you have to be brave and confident in your brand. Talk them through it. You have to seduce people over a long period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Stay Static<\/h3>\n

Niches are an excellent place for brands to be born, but that doesn\u2019t mean you have to stay there. Copson has transformed over the years, maturing with its team. From a name change and rebrand to expansion, growth and collabs. Falbo urges you to stay fluid and develop the brand in tandem with your own personal evolution \u2013 even when something feels hard to let go of. \u201cKeep the brand true to you. Otherwise what are people buying into?\u201d Copson\u2019s co-founder aks. While you may lose segments of your audience along the way, you\u2019ll appeal to new communities. \u201cYou only want people who understand it to be a part of it anyway,\u201d Falbo laughs. For her, the most important thing is having drive and a reason for doing something. \u201cThere are so many challenges that can make you cave, but if there\u2019s a relentless drive to reach a certain place you\u2019re more likely to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read next: Tips for thriving on physical Formats with Anthony Burrill<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We chat to Maria Falbo, Founder and visionary behind lifestyle brand Copson, to talk us through building a brand from the humble T-Shirt up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4869,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4855"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4855"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4855\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7332,"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4855\/revisions\/7332"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}