Rachel JAMES is a luxury casual menswear label that featured in London’s men’s fashion week in January this year.
The Creative Director, Rachel James is a British menswear designer and BA (Hons) graduate of Fashion Design from the University of Westminster. During her education she gained invaluable experience working within all areas of the fashion industry, from design to production, pattern cutting to print, PR to Sales at companies including Acne Studios, Todd Lynn and Christian Dior.
However it could be argued her rise in the fashion ranks is owed to a rather fortuitous event during a graduate internship at an Australian fashion house.
People who eventually go on to become huge successes often get a lucky break somewhere along the line. Rachel had hers in 2013 when she was interning at Australian fashion designer Josh Goot in Sydney. While working in the fashion label’s studio, the brand’s design co-ordinater unexpectedly went on leave, leaving Rachel to take charge of many of his duties as well as her own – leading a team of around 10 employees and overseeing both design and production of the collection at that time. She performed her impromptu role so impeccably well that she was instructed to lead a project to re-define and re-design the whole design process within the company – ultimately setting her on the path to understanding what it takes to become a fully-fledged menswear designer.
Fast forward a few months to 2015 and Rachel’s passion for her work and hunger for recognition were two characteristics that helped her secure an invitation to show her new collection at men’s fashion week in London (LC:M) earlier this year. For a graduate designer this is unheard of; applicants typically have 4/5 seasons behind them before they are considered for any space at such a prestigious event. The exhibition proved a great success for showcasing, networking and publicising the brand: Rachel JAMES has since been invited to showcase again this season, has been featured in Italian Vogue and has had pieces requested to style British artists Calvin Harris, Tom Odell, Mark Ronson and Skepta.
From the debut, the label’s PR team have been inundated with press requests and website traffic was given a huge boost. The company is now ready to start making sales with the online shop having just opened for business.
The designer is offering a 25% equity for £50,000 investment.
This is a brand that designs and produces creative, exciting, casual menswear, using luxurious fabrics and impeccable 100% British manufacturing. It is offering investors the chance to come onboard at an early stage.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£8,050
Lost At Sea (LAS) is an independent lifestyle beer brand that targets adventurers. The company has sold 26,000+ beers since 2019, with its products stocked in 50+ outlets. LAS claims that its new online shop has a 21.82% conversion rate and an engaged community of over 30,000 people. It also points out that since its first brew in 2019, it has seen substantial growth in demand, and as a result, provides kegs to its flagship stockist to ensure they have a constant flow of stock. The company has made over £1,000 Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) donations to date. They intend to use the investment to build a community of like-minded beer lovers, launch a flagship bar in Abersoch, North Wales to advocate local produce and sustainability, create a scalable bar concept for future expansion in other coastal towns, and hire personnel to drive product innovation and sales.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£82,351
Symmetrical Power has developed an innovative solution that addresses the issue of energy wastage. After identifying the inefficiency of the 3 Phase Electrical Distribution Boards, Symmetrical Power is creating the ‘Intelligent Distribution Board’ (ID Board). It aims to prevent the challenge of peak demand whilst saving on energy bills. The working model of the product also received positive feedback from electrical specialists. Additionally, Symmetrical Power was also a Shell Springboard regional finalist (2018) for its new low-carbon ideas. With the proceeds, the company will complete design & begin distribution in Europe and to position itself as the go-to Distribution Board provider.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£233,600
Bazar is the UK’s first dedicated ethical marketplace and lifestyle application. The company intends to disrupt the ~£32.8 billion UK consumer marketplace by creating a platform where eco-friendly businesses can thrive, and consumers can trust brand values. It brings curated ethical and eco-friendly brands, artisans, and items under one portal. BAZAR soft-launched its application with 35 sellers and 650 products in the COVID-19 lockdown which doubled showing positive seller demand. The app saw over 1800 downloads with early sales. The company has a social media presence with over 1500+ Instagram followers. It intends to enter the US market in 2022, followed by Europe. Bazar will use the investment to continue to develop its technology to help sellers grow their business and give buyers an intuitive shopping experience on the app.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£208,368
Altr is an e-commerce startup that specialises in male grooming and cosmetics. It is a brand that is committed to helping men look and feel more confident. The company adopts a B2C business model with the aim to reconstruct male cosmetics from a niche into a mass-market essential. The company retails through its own website and supplies across the UK, the US, Italy, and Spain through Amazon. In December last year, the company recorded a monthly turnover of £45k, doubling sales month on month (Oct-Dec). The funds raised will be used to increase product range and expand internationally.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£103,530
Wellbeing Sisters (WS) is a company that offers wellbeing advice, hosts an online shop, and sells a subscription box full of toxin-free health, beauty, and nutritional products by and for women. The company first launched its subscription box in 2019 for women trying to conceive. WS witnessed a sell-out of its series of one-off boxes tailored towards conceiving, pregnancy, early motherhood, midlife and menopause in 2020. WS aims to be a contender in the UK subscription box market that is set to be worth £1 billion by 2022. The company asserts that it has organically grown its social media following consisting of over 5,000 supporters. It will use the investment to invest in technology, product development, and marketing/PR.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£153,394
Alert Technology Limited is set to transform health and safety best practice for asbestos management by introducing ALERT - a new generation of real-time asbestos monitoring. With the large potential market, Alert will give market priority to the sectors who have demonstrated the greatest need. ALERT is the only solution to the global problem that impacts 30+ industry sectors. Till now, they have successfully launched the ALERT PRO 1000-the first model in the range and won an industry award in the asbestos category. With the investment, they will strengthen their team by recruiting a new Sales Director, Technical Sales Support, Technicians and Service Engineers to boost the in-house team, expand distribution, drive sales, scale-up assembly and service customers.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£10,000
Wild & Stone (W&S) is on a mission to make sustainable and stylish items the natural alternatives to commonly used plastics with products like bamboo toothbrushes and reusable steel razors. W&S stresses that its products carry a 30-day no-quibble returns policy, and for every order, it donates to the Marine Conservation Society. W&S argues that it has completed over 100,000 orders, grown its range to include over 85 products, and earned over £850,000 in revenue since its launch. It also points out that it is listed on major marketplaces including, Amazon, NOTHS, Wayfair, eBay, and Etsy. W&S products have been nominated for multiple Amazon choice awards. Its founder, Kathryn Jonas, was shortlisted for the 'Sustainability Entrepreneur of the Year, Southeast region' at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2021. The company has featured in publications such as Vogue, The Times, Tatler, Elle, and The Independent. They state they will use the investment to increase its product range and level of inventory.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£250,460
Chop2Bowl is the first in a line of kitchenware products created by Lewis Pennicott Design. The core Chop2Bowl product is made up of a split-board and six bowls, which are inserted into a base unit. The split-apart function means that cross-contamination can be easily avoided.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£33,100
A fishing gear developer helping fishers increase their catch rate whilst protecting marine life caused by current fishing practices. Fishtek has produced 4 products to function alongside existing fishing gear and is already in use by companies across 35 countries worldwide, with 4 more products currently in the development stage. Investment is sought to further develop, distribute and commercialise these new products.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£900,000
