Sidia body care range, photo credit: courtesy of Sidia
The “agency founder to brand founder” pipeline is not new, but when rooted in intention, it opens up new opportunities for creatives to channel their vision into brands they can call the their.
For the founders of Sidia, Flamingo Estate and &Or Collective, launching lifestyle brands wasn’t predictable, but it was intentional. Their brands boast not only exceptional aesthetics, but also a shared philosophy of sustainability, storytelling and impact.
Flamingo Estate, “The Guide to Getting Alive”, Photo credit: Hugh Davison
Each founder makes a compelling case for a shift away from exclusively revealing approaches. others’ stories to create their own worlds and build culturally relevant and deeply personal brands.
They’re also all making waves right now: Sidia added body care products in its cult “Soaked” fragrance, Flamingo Estate recently expanded its apothecary offerings with the launch of Manuka Rich Cream, and added a new book to his wallet with The guide to becoming alive (part manifesto, part memoir, written by Richard Christiansen), while clothing brand &Or Collective has expanded its collections with an accessories collaboration with female-founded brand Deux Lions.
I spoke with the founders of Sidia, Domaine FlamantAnd &Or Collective (in separate sessions) to learn how their respective agency experience honed their skills and laid the foundation for creating impactful brands.
Erin Kleinberg, founder of Sidia, photo credit: courtesy of Sidia
Sidia: a couture homage to personal care
For Sidia founder Erin Kleinberg, her brand is a tribute to her late grandmother and the self-care rituals she instilled.
“It was 2020 and the pandemic hit me like a ton of bricks,” Kleinberg shares. “The same week we were confined, my grandmother Sidia died. I channeled my grief into something positive: a mark in his honor.
Kleinberg, co-founder of Coveter and founder of the creative agency Creative Profession– known for clients like Ouai, Dior, Dedcool and Megababe – was no stranger to world-building.
Sidia got its start with clothing, but quickly expanded into fine fragrances, candles and body care, including luxury shower scrubs and hand and body serums made with ingredients intentional plant-based, packaged in covetable packaging. “Sidia is about creating a personal oasis and sensory moment,” says Kleinberg. “From candles to body treatments, everything is designed to help you regain your well-being. »
Sidia’s thoughtful design and storytelling have landed it retail partnerships with Goop, Revolve, Moda Operandi, and Credo Beauty (further cementing its status as a clean beauty and body care line). THE the spirit of the times The brand is also available at Tracy Anderson’s fitness studio in Los Angeles and as part of treatments at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
“We are not aiming for hyper-growth,” says Kleinberg. “We are focused on the journey and building something meaningful. Recently recognized by Fashion business As the “brand driving the body care boom,” Sidia taps into a rapidly growing market. The global body care market, valued at more than $18 billion in 2018, is expected to exceed $22 billion by next year. according to Euromonitor.
Kleinberg continues to lead Métier Creative, where Sidia is considered one of his award-winning clients, a testament to his talent for creating “universes” with cultural impact. (Nothing is “cooler” than delicious collaborations: Two of Sidia’s hottest launches of 2024 have been candle collaborations with NYC’s iconic Italian restaurants Don Angie and San Sabino. Yes, boss.)
Kristen King and Katie Green, &Or Collective, Photo credit: Élizabeth Gartside
&Or Collective: Redefining sustainable fashion
For Katie Green and Kristen King, co-founders and co-CEOs of &Or Collective, their agency experience with August Strategy laid the groundwork for launching an ethical clothing brand.
“After working together in the corporate world and then building August, we established a foundation of trust and respect,” shares Green. “This experience paved the way for us to launch &Or Collective, a company born from a shared vision to redefine the apparel industry’s approach to sustainability.”
&Or Collective focuses on technical knitting for men and women, an innovative production process that reduces textile waste at every stage of the product life cycle. The brand’s mission: to create versatile and refined clothing, designed for both function and fashion, while making a strong case for a conscious capsule wardrobe and uniform dressing.
“Our creative director and co-founder, Rosa Halpern, introduced us to the concept of technical knitting and it was truly a crucial innovation that allowed our philosophy to become a reality,” shares Green.
“We noticed that 65% of our sales were in multiples,” reveals King. “People were buying three pieces of the same color, like the tank top, crop top and skirt, creating easy-to-match wardrobes.”
&Or Collective campaign in “Tobacco” and “Tide”, Photo Credit: Louisa Nicolaou
“It’s not fundamentally viable to create a fashion brand, but people will still wear clothes,” Green says. “The goal is to offer thoughtful, uncompromising options. »
Less than a year after its launch, &Or received a nomination for the CAFA Sustainability Award (Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards) and was included in Canadian company» list of “25 most innovative companies of 2024”.
It is currently featured in Holt Renfrew’s Project H, a retail platform for targeted luxury brands.
(King and Green still run the August Agency, which also aptly means “respect inspiring and worthy of respect.”)
Flamingo Estate: Building a universe of nature and impact
For Richard Christiansen, founder of Flamingo Estate, building his lifestyle brand was as much about storytelling as it was sustainability. After founding the creative agency Creative Chandelier in 2005, Christiansen moved towards a world of plants, foods and luxury products.
Richard Christiansen, founder of Flamingo Estate, photo credit: Pia Riverola
“I was living in New York and on a work trip to Los Angeles, I was introduced to the owner of the property that became Flamingo Estate,” Christiansen shares. “I have a background in beekeeping and helped him take care of the bees on his property. After several years, he offered to sell it to me, but I wasn’t allowed to see the inside.
Christiansen saw immense untapped potential in the property. After finalizing the purchase, he called on Studio KO and landscape architect Arnaud Casuas to help restore it and transform it into something magical.
The brand started with a simple principle during the COVID-19 lockdown: helping local farmers sell their produce.
Today, Flamingo Estate embodies Christiansen’s upbringing on an Australian farm and his vision of connecting people to the natural world through products like honey, heirloom tomatoes, olive oil, candles and soap , all imbued with elegance and meaning.
What started with boxes of vegetables quickly evolved into a vision to transform Flamingo Estate into “the Hermes of vegetables”, a collection of high-quality products rooted in a mission to reconnect people with the land .
Christiansen drew on lessons from his agency years to create the world of Flamingo Estate. “You learn how essential storytelling is to developing the brand universe,” he says. “But it has to be honest and personal, otherwise it won’t mean anything. I care deeply about the environment and food systems, and I believe that if we want people to think differently about nature, we need to show it to them differently.
(Chandelier is now led by CEO Eileen Eastburn and CCO Michael Scanlon, a director whose cinematic approach creates an almost mythical narrative for his client list.)
Lessons from agency life
The transition from agency founder to brand founder isn’t always smooth, but these creatives credit their agency experience with teaching them invaluable skills:
Agility: “We learn to be agile in an agency, out of necessity,” explains Christiansen. “This kind of work exhausted me. » A conversation with her dear friend and mentor, Dr. Jane Goodall, brought a spark of clarity: “Why don’t you take all those things you learned from selling products for other people and make something out of them?” » Christiansen found purpose in creating something personal: products he uses every day.
Tell stories: “I learned how to build a world for a brand,” says Kleinberg. “Sidia is a universe, not just a range of products. »
Resource: “We applied everything we learned from our clients in August to build &Or thoughtfully and strategically,” shares Green.
Make an impact
Despite their different sectors (beauty, fashion and lifestyle), these founders share a common goal: to create brands that are not only iconic, but also have an impact.
As Kleinberg says: “The possibilities are endless when you trust your instincts and build something that makes sense.” »