Menswear is an industry that is growing fast!

“With sales expected to grow 22 percent in the next 5 years, as men are becoming increasingly more interested in fashion.” *fashionunited

It’s no wonder Vladimir and his wife Victoria see a huge opportunity in a fast-growing new segment of menswear. Rental fashion services are not new. I used to work for a tuxedo shop when I was a young lad, earning my stripes in the menswear industry. We serviced a ton of guys who wanted to come in and wear a tux, but not commit to permanently buying the whole thing. There is a similar opportunity with your every day clothes. 

Some men simply don’t want to think about shopping or about spending $100-1000 a month on new clothes.

For you men these two innovative entrepreneurs have created

The Mr. Collection

We recently spoke with Vladimir about how he and his wife got started on this venture and why they are passionate about this business.

Please describe your position at your company.

I am the CEO and Co-Founder alongside my wife Victoria ,who is the Co-Founder and Marketing Director. We began the company in 2012.

 

How long have you known you wanted to do what you are currently working on?

From a young age I knew I wanted to become an entrepreneur. I have had multiple businesses in my short 28 years, but The Mr. Collection specifically was a company I knew I wanted to begin about 2 years ago. I felt there was a gap in the fashion rental marketplace for men. There are various women’s rental companies but from the research I did I only saw tuxedo rental sites for men. If women could rent everyday clothing then why shouldn’t men? That’s when my wife and I decided it was time to begin our journey towards creating a men’s clothing and accessories rental subscription service.

Why are you passionate about what you do?

I love it when our customers write to us and say that they loved the look we sent or that they got many compliments. It makes every blood, sweat and tear we put daily into creating our brand worthwhile.

 

How did you overcome your own doubts and the doubts of other people?

Advice can be a very valuable tool when beginning a business. I always make sure and listen to what people have to say, especially advice from my close friends or family or people I respect in the industry. Most people were very supportive with the idea and some weren’t. You always have to make sure and listen for the person’s intention when they are sharing their opinions. My inner critic would sometimes come out in the early stages of planning and sometimes it still does. It’s that little voice that tries to intimidate you and hold you back from reaching your potential. I have worked very hard at learning how to quiet that voice so I can concentrate on the work I am trying to produce.

 

What were some bumps you hit to get where you’re at now?

To gain the initial inventory needed to satisfy the customers that we had at the beginning. Time and putting up our own capital got the wheels on our train moving.

 

What is one thing you did wrong in the past that you can share with people?

I think we tried to diversify too much too soon, which gave our potential customers too many choices. We then refocused and reorganized and put out a simplified version, which led to an increase of sales. So I would say try and focus on what you do well and start with a few products, then expand once those begin to work.

 

 

 

What is a way you got your name out there?

Social media was one of our greatest assets. Follow likeminded people, have interesting things to say, and make sure that when your followers are talking about you, you’re paying attention.

 

 

Is there anything that almost stopped you from doing this?

The technical know how of implementing an e-commerce site almost put the breaks on the operation. Money is usually tight when you first begin a business. At the time, we didn’t have a programmer on board, which meant that I had to do my homework and research and implement a system that worked for us.

Is there anyone in your profession that you admire and/or model yourself after?

I admire many people in the fashion industry but the people I really look up to are Tony Robbins and Elon Musk. Tony Robbins provides me a great deal of inspiration with his thought provoking messages on how to become a better version of yourself. Elon Musk is someone I admire because of the risks that he takes in business.

 

How do you continue to perfect your craft?

By always testing the product and service we are providing and by making sure to listen to our customers. If we had a cancellation of our service we would make sure and ask why. We also like to survey our customers from time to time to find out what their thoughts are and to see if they have any ideas on new collections we can offer.

 

 

How do you envision the future of your product/services?

We want to continue to provide a useful service for men, allowing them to become more stylish with little to no effort. Plus, we want to create new collections so that men can have even more choices of what to borrow.

 

 

What’s some advice you can share for anyone who wants to pursue what you are doing?

I would say that the number one thing is to not rush into things. Make sure and do quite a bit of research before you spend your time and money on a project. You may think you have the greatest idea but you should always test it before you sink all your capital into it at once.

 

 

You have a nice online website. How much of your business is driven by online buyers/clients?

100% of our business is driven by our online website. We do not have a brick and mortar location.

 

 

 

Where can people go to find out more about your awesome products/services?

They can visit www.themrcollection.com. And if they have any specific questions we are always available at:

You can follow us on Twitter 

 

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