With so many incredible local businesses on the Gold Coast, one begins to wonder: how did they all come to be? In our series, ‘The story behind…’, we chat with local founders and owners about how their business came to be, their biggest learnings and their tips for other self-starters.
This time, we caught up with Lucy van der Riet, co-owner of the brand changing the robe game: VANDY.
When did the idea for your business first come about? And how?
Matt (Lucy’s husband and VANDY co-founder) and I were with the kids at Currumbin Beach one of the days between Christmas and New Year’s at the end of 2022 and I saw a lady in a dressing gown at the beach. It looked like she was recovering from a big night out! And the vision for VANDY just landed in one fell swoop. What if we created a functional, funky robe that could be used at the beach, in place of a towel? And not limited to just the beach, of course, but to lay poolside, for winter dips and saunas. A life robe, really. It ticks so many boxes. Our robe can be worn in transit to water and cover up for protection against the sun and for modesty and for warmth. How perfect.
Where did you start?
We started by seeing what already existed in the world of beach robes. It was limited and most available were part of a designer resort range. There also were no robes that had all the design features we envisioned. Next, we found a fashion designer and got creating. We then connected with an ethical manufacturer in China and Matt went over there to see first-hand where our robes were being made. Transparency is a huge value and so we need to be 100 percent happy with all parts of our production process and share this with our customers.
What were some of the challenges you faced in the beginning? How did you overcome them?
We were anticipating some curve balls entering an industry neither of us had any experience in, but nothing quite prepared us for the main challenge we came up against. Sampling material can be a wild experience. While we originally wanted to have organic terry, we went with 100% cotton terry because the minimum order for organic was significant.
However after we had started production of the non-organic, the value of us offering a GOTS organic-made robe kept growing with intensity. So mid-production we sourced and started again to launch with our organic GOTS terry robes. This saw us move from dipping our toe in the water to being all in on VANDY. The pivot left us with the original robes (non-organic) being boxed up and sent to warehouse. Our creative solution for these robes is to make them available as the ‘non-organics’ at a lower price point. Now, everyone can access our clever and practical design. This solution also aligns with our value of sustainability.
What has been your biggest learning since starting the business?
Where to start! LOL. The biggest learning has been that launching a brand and new product is a process that takes time. Things cannot and should not be rushed. The creative process takes time. Shipping takes time. Growth takes time. Embracing patience has been the biggest lesson, hands down.
And what about your biggest ‘I’ve made it’ moment?
HAHA! I think there have been a few “pinch me” moments so far, but two stand out.
The first being when we sat in our new Burleigh warehouse after our first delivery of many, many robes. They were all in branded VANDY boxes (which is actually a fond name I call Matt – a nickname for our surname, van der Riet). We were sitting literally surround by boxes with our name on them, containing a creation we made from an idea on a beach 14 months earlier.
The other moment(s) is when I get messages from customers saying how much they love their robes and the quality. Absolute heart flutters every time.
What does a working day in your life look like?
Always different. It starts once the kids are at school and coffee and exercise has taken place. I pack the orders as soon as I get into the warehouse so they go out the same day. Then it’s working on the business. Content creation, marketing, product development, wholesale enquiries, customer service. I’ve got key people who support with specialised functions of the business so I’m also connecting with them too.
What do you love about the Gold Coast community, especially as a business owner?
The Gold Coast community is just the best. We moved up from Melbourne three years ago and just love the vibe here. It’s so supportive, the feeling of everyone truly wanting to see each other succeed and the friendliness factor will never get old. The daily encounters, from chatting to the barista to the courier, are all genuine and nourishing – I believe the sunshine and ocean makes people happier. As a business owner, this environment is conducive to creativity and being more inclined to give things a go.
So, where to next? What’s in the pipeline for VANDY?
Gosh there is so much! Our next BIG move is still secret squirrel, but I can tell you it’s something very exciting and innovative that I’ve never seen done before.
What I can share is that we are working on new products for our VANDY range that we will roll out over the course of 2024. One product soon to be released is a terry product. The other is not, but you’ll want to live in it.
What is your biggest tip for local business owners?
I think my best tip is to take the support from the people around you. The business community around us knows SO much about everything – we just need to ask. I think being green in a new industry can be advantageous in many ways because having beginners’ mind means we’ve really been open to learnings from other’s experience. We have been blessed with so many incredible connections and gems of wisdom because we’ve been so open to learning. Our connections are the best resource.