What Keeps Us Different

As our 10th anniversary is approaching, I thought long about what makes us stand out and kept us going till today.

In this new era for entrepreneurs and start ups, it is incredibly easy to start a business but hard to sustain it especially after the first few years.

Over this decade, I've often been asked why don't we expand our offerings to include kids and menswear, or even bedding and homeware. No doubt it's a huge, saturated market that will give us a boost, but I didn't think it would keep true to our ethos.

When I founded Bells & Birds in 2014, it was to introduce pretty robes to fellow Brides-to-be. It wasn't even a 'thing' for Brides to wear robes while getting ready, and some people dismissed the business, I've met critics who called it frivolous and redundant.

Hence, we expanded our collections to include sultry nightwear and everyday pjyamas for comfort, but kept true to our demographic – women.

Fellow women who seek comfort through romantic and dreamy designs. Surely you would have observed by now, there is a distinct look to us, a certain je ne sais quois. We are also slow fashion, where possible we want to be sustainable and work directly with small family-run workshops to create beautiful garments. 

I am constantly inspired by women all around, empowered women who are unique and know what they want. Well-traveled women who keep up with trends and dress differently to match their moods and personality.

Along the way, I have been discouraged many times –  from dealing with entitled people to new competitors ripping off our designs, landlords who demanded a lot from a small business, and now, a harsh economy.

Keeping the business lean has always been my priority, as it is impossible to keep going if we kept spending on marketing and expansion. While it was a tough decision to close our retail store last year, I have never been more at peace. Having tried and done, achieving a milestone that others might not dare to, I have learned that it is incredibly tough to maintain a physical store, something that I'm hesitant on embarking again.

You might be surprised to know that I'm still running Bells & Birds on my own, from front to back end, and everything in between. So I thank you for staying with me on this meaningful journey, and supporting our work be it purchasing from us, introducing us to a friend, or as simple as giving us a like on social media :)

I hope to keep the brand going for as long as I can, and always give it freshness and life. Here's to a wonderful big 10, and more to come.

Love,
Amanda