WHAT TO WEAR /
Fancy Dress / Stylists

This article was inspired by
STAGGERIN'
For more information please
call 8700 11 75500, visit
www.staggerin.com or see
the What to Wear Section
of The Essential Party Guide.

With a thriving website, 3 retail shops and plans to franchise in London - and then possibly nationwide - James Wright and Kylie Arthur have proved that with a solid business plan, a
clear brand and the right staff, fancy dress is an industry which offers a bright future for
those willing to invest time and money into it.

James and Kylie, coming from sales and design backgrounds respectively, didn’t initially pursue fancy dress as their first option. They started out with just a computer, a website and an idea.

“Originally we planned to offer a range of bespoke party theme packages for stag ‘n’ hen parties, capitalising on Kylie’s design skills,” says 31-year-old James, “but we soon found ourselves being pulled in another direction by our customers – supplying and hiring visually-stunning fancy dress costumes and accessories.”

There were so many different, exciting and unique costumes about, that Staggerin’ decided to
steer clear of traditional hand-made costumes and create their business around the sale and
hire of new and replaceable costumes and accessories.

With this in mind, Kylie and James set about creating a business plan, looking at the existing market, its strengths and weaknesses and how they would promote their own philosophy.

The first stage of their business plan was to establish a dynamic website as a pre-requisite to opening retail stores. This proved very demanding both in terms of commitment and money but
with determination and many sleepless nights, they built a website which, of its type, has few parallels. Staggerin’ was born.

During the next few months Staggerin’ spent considerable time and money promoting their site whilst at the same time honing and tweaking its operation, talking to new suppliers and adding hundreds of products to their range.

“For example, we realised very quickly that our customers didn’t like paying postage and
packing charges so we did away with it. Our prices are all inclusive,” says James.

Creating a “corporate” image with a clear identity and structure was all important for Kylie.

“We decided straight away on the sort of business we wanted to build. Essentially that was to provide a light, fresh, vibrant shopping atmosphere where all ages and both genders could
shop. Nothing dusty, musty or seedy,” says Kylie.

That remains the case today; costumes are only offered for hire if they are machine washable
to allow a truly thorough clean by Staggerin’ after every hire.

Whilst acknowledging that everyone needs an element of luck in business, both partners are adamant that their success is based on teamwork, planning thoroughly and being innovative.
And the formula certainly seems to be working.

Having just opened their third shop and the business showing no signs of faltering despite the current economic conditions James and Kylie are confident Staggerin’ is a brand that will remain
on our high streets and online for years to come. Indeed, if you haven’t seen the brand before,
you can be assured it is one you will come across soon!