Lia Bellas is the Co-Founder of W.two the label working alongside her sister, fellow Co-Founder Georgia Zullo to create capsule collections for the modern chic woman. W.two’s designs are considered and released in well curated limited-edition collections.
W.two is a brand born of a love affair with the Aegean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Heavily inspired by the white clays of Mykonos, their sunbaked hills and stone patios and the crumbled corals, reefs and sands that stretch for miles at home, in Australia. W.two is for the landlocked women who left their heart in Mykonos too, hiding their heart under a trench coat, for now.
Lia has a background in Strategy and Finance having worked across consumer and fashion industries more recently with Unilever Prestige in their luxury beauty segment.
Can you take us through your journey to where you are now?
W.two was founded off the back of a brunch in Notting Hill, the famous 202 on Westbourne Grove. Feeling frustrated about the lack of easy to wear, comfortable and affordable everyday clothing available, They came up with the blueprint for a basic easy to wear clothing label.
It started with an idea, then a considerable effort to lock down our branding story and guidelines followed by a steep learning curve of sketching, tech pack development, pattern making, fabric and factory sourcing to setting up logistics and operations.
Taking a break to become mothers in 2020 the original idea then evolved during the pandemic into what is now a capsule based collection. The collection is designed to makes women feel styled and special. It tells a story and allows customers to come on a journey with the sisters through our travels, tastes and great love of the ocean.
Lia had always had this burning passion to release a clothing label but knew she had to get the on the ground experience and acumen to do so. Working in corporate, finance and strategy and amongst some incredible founders allowed her to do so.
Since starting, have you made any changes to your business model?
The business model is built on ecommerce as a sales channel but effectively using social media platforms to take people on a sensory journey of travel, experience, smell, tastes and experiences and we hope to articulate this as we grow to elevate the brand from not just a website but a place to go and feel and live our values. This was something the brand was very clear about from inception so from this perspective the model has not changed.
What has changed is ability to be work flexible and work across continents with operations in Australia and Marketing PR in London and co working equally as creative directors.
Have you ever had a mentor? If so, how has this benefitted you either personally or professionally?
The greatest mentors have been Lia’s parents always encouraging the girls to learn and grow and to follow our passions. They have taught us the importance of being sisters and working together as a team and without this W.two would not exist.
Growing up around two very successful Australian designers has been inspiration. All with a similar starting point to W.two. These include, Zimmermann, founded by sisters Nicky and Simone and Sass and Bide a tale of two friends creating something special and different. More recently Lia has followed the ideals and journey of Tom Ford to stay motivated. Using his love of design and business acumen as the biggest inspiration.
What outlets do use for marketing?
W.two’s Ecommerce website is the main sales channel, backed by social media platform Instagram where influencers are engaged to help articulate the brand and its values in the most responsible manner. Networking and getting to know other brands like W.two is a key marketing tool. There is so much power in people supporting each other.
What or Who has inspired you most recently?
The reality of motherhood has been the most inspirational. To see the mind of a small human grow and develop is truly a marvel and keeps you grounded. It teaches humility in situations and lets you know you can conquer anything.
What is the best piece of business advice you have received to date?
To learn your business from the ground up. That way you can solve any problem and teach anyone joining your business how to do things in line with core values and expectations. Educate and learn and taking the time to understand all parts of W.two has been critical to date.
How do you create an evenly balanced work and personal life?
Being mums is challenging even without a small business or side project on the go. This has made us more efficient with our time. The business set up allows the flexibility and support needed for the right balance between family and work time. Our work environment is all about enjoying what we do.
Name a seminal point in your career so far?
The best learning curve has been working with founders of Luxury Beauty Brands for Unilever Prestige Beauty Business. Understanding what it takes to start a brand, create in it and then execute to customers has been the most proud and challenging chapter career wise. It requires someone to wear all hats at all times regardless of the task at hand. It teaches that hierarchy is irrelevant when you are building something from scratch, but teamwork is pivotal.
What gives you ultimate career satisfaction?
Feeling accomplished and being appreciated. The former is a lot to do with feeling on top of our operational milestones as well as our creative ones. The latter is all about celebrating someone’s strengths and being satisfied when shown appreciation and recognition.
Are there any leading entrepreneurs or SME leaders that you admire and if so, why?
Lia is inspired by sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann who founded the iconic Australian RTW label from the ground up 20 years ago. An idea, a passion and a good team. What better person to work with than your sister.
How do you define your own success?
Success is defined by hard work, putting in the hours but mostly it’s about having the confidence to do what you love. Persevere and be confident will always lead to success.
Finally, what can we expect from you next?
W.two is preparing to launch in the coming months after 3 years building and creating the story and designs. The doon to be released signature capsule collection is timeless, versatile, simple. Stay tuned for the release of the first signature capsule collection.
W.two Capsule Collections (w-two-capsule-collections.myshopify.com)
https://instagram.com/w.two_thelabel?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
