Hardware Podcasts

006: Customizable swimwear with Kelsey Duffy of Versakini

Product Startup · 19 Apr 2016 · 49m

What this episode covers

Kelsey Duffy, CEO of Versakini, explains how she pivoted from the failed Mix Bikini to launch her own interchangeable swimwear brand after appearing on Shark Tank. She details the challenges of manufacturing, including early errors with overseas factories and the importance of building personal relationships with reliable partners in Colombia. Duffy also discusses her strategy of collaborating with Project Runway alumna Amanda Perna to design collections while maintaining a lean team and focusing on direct-to-consumer sales to control brand identity.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Mako Design + Invent, Mini Materials, Parsons School of Design, FIT, Victoria's Secret, Costco, Sam's Club, Nordstrom, H&M, Marcus, Lily Pulitzer, NPR
Products
Versakini, Mix Bikini
Also
Shark Tank, Beyond the Tank, Amanda Perna, Project Runway, Kendall Jenner, Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, Mara Hoffman, Kat Von D, Ashley Graham, Sports Illustrated, The Power of Broke, The Lean Startup, Curious Minds, American Life, Sanscrit, Farsi, Greek, Latin, Grimm

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