Founder & CEO

Designing & launching a direct-to-consumer clothing brand.

Overview

Role: Founder, UX Designer

Timeline: 2020-2024

Focus: Applying UX research and design thinking to launch a women’s ready-to-wear brand.

The women’s ready-to-wear market is dominated by exclusivity — limited size ranges, narrow representation, and high price points. I set out to test whether a brand built on timeless, high-quality basics with inclusive design could address these gaps.

The brand that was launched was a women’s ready-to-wear clothing brand that I conceptualized, designed, and launched with the mission of offering elevated, timeless essentials while embracing and celebrating the natural shape. The brand was born out of a recognition that the fashion industry often excludes diverse body types and backgrounds, particularly in the space of sophisticated, transitional basics.

From the outset, I approached the project as both a design challenge and a social mission: how might a clothing brand reframe the narrative around women’s bodies, while delivering quality, size-inclusive products that remained accessible in price and style?

My role involved leading every stage of the process—from conducting research and user interviews, to creating personas, designing collections, sourcing materials, developing brand identity, and executing go-to-market strategies. The outcome was a brand that experienced rapid growth in both community and revenue during its three years of operation, while also leaving me with invaluable learnings about applying design thinking to physical products and large-scale business challenges.

Problem

Through early observation and market research, I identified three core issues:

  • Affordability gap: Few sophisticated basics existed at accessible price points.

  • Design exclusion: Most clothing lacked consideration for diverse shapes and curves.

  • Representation gap: Fashion marketing perpetuated harmful body image norms through lack of diversity.

When I began exploring the women’s ready-to-wear market, I identified three key issues:

  1. Lack of accessible, high-quality basics
    Elevated, timeless clothing was often priced out of reach, while more affordable brands typically compromised on fabric quality and construction. This created a gap for consumers who wanted sophisticated essentials that were both durable and attainable.

  2. Exclusion of diverse body types
    Many mainstream brands relied on narrow size ranges and standardized cuts that didn’t reflect the variety of women’s shapes and proportions. Clothing often failed to consider the natural curves and comfort needs of real women.

  3. Negative impact of representation
    Marketing in this category frequently reinforced narrow beauty ideals, leaving many women feeling alienated. The absence of inclusive representation contributed to harmful cultural narratives about body image and self-worth.

These challenges illuminated a clear opportunity: create a brand that delivered sophisticated, versatile basics that women could feel confident in, while also reshaping how inclusivity was represented in fashion.

Research

  • User Interviews: Conducted 20 open-ended interviews to explore values, motivations, and purchase behaviors.

  • Personas: Created 4 personas grounded in interview/survey data to represent user segments and guide design.

  • Competitive Analysis: Reviewed market leaders and emerging brands to identify gaps in inclusivity and price accessibility.

To validate these assumptions and ground the brand in real user needs, I conducted a series of user interviews, surveys, and competitor analyses.

  • User Interviews
    I interviewed women across a range of ages, body types, and lifestyles, asking open-ended questions about their values, motivations, frustrations, and shopping habits. Many shared that they felt overlooked by existing brands—especially when looking for clothing that balanced quality, fit, and price.

  • Surveys
    Broader survey data reinforced these findings: respondents consistently cited a lack of flattering basics that were made to last, with accessibility (both in sizing and pricing) being a major decision factor.

  • Competitor Analysis
    By mapping out direct competitors, I identified patterns: higher-end brands prioritized aesthetics and fabric but were cost-prohibitive; mass-market retailers achieved affordability but with poor durability and fit. Few brands sat at the intersection of quality, inclusivity, and accessibility.

Key Insights:

  1. Women wanted clothing that adapts to them, not the other way around.

  2. Trust and loyalty were strongly tied to representation in marketing—shoppers were more inclined to support brands that reflected their bodies and values.

  3. A successful solution would need to marry sophistication with inclusivity, without sacrificing wearability or affordability.

“I would love to see hip dips, stretch marks, hyperpigmentation, back rolls...just normal, natural looking women with real bodies..”

— Ashley T.

Solution

I designed Thoughtless, a women’s ready-to-wear brand offering elevated, timeless essentials. The design process emphasized:

  • Product Design: Iterative prototyping and testing with manufacturers to ensure fit and quality.

  • Brand Identity: Visual system and messaging that prioritized inclusivity and authenticity.

  • Digital Experience: E-commerce site designed for ease of navigation, with cohesive brand presence across social channels.

  • Marketing Strategy: Content and campaigns aligned to user values uncovered in research.

To address the three key issues I identified, I designed solutions that directly tied back to user research and insights:

  • Affordable, Elevated Basics
    Many users expressed frustration with the lack of timeless wardrobe staples that were both high quality and budget-conscious. In response, I developed a capsule collection of versatile pieces in neutral palettes. The goal was to maximize outfit combinations, reduce overconsumption, and deliver value through durability and longevity.

  • Inclusive Fit and Design
    Traditional patterns and fabrics often excluded women with curvier or non-standard body shapes. I worked closely with multiple fit models across different sizes, iterating through several rounds of prototypes to refine cuts and ensure comfort, movement, and flattery. The final designs embraced natural shapes rather than trying to conceal or reshape them.

  • Representation and Body Positivity
    User interviews revealed the negative impact of homogenous marketing on body image. To counter this, I intentionally featured diverse models in age, body type, and ethnicity across brand imagery. Photography remained unretouched to reflect authenticity and reinforce the mission of inclusivity.

Through these combined solutions, the brand offered more than a product — it provided a statement: that elevated, versatile fashion can also be accessible, inclusive, and affirming.

Path to Launch

After research and persona development clarified the opportunity, I moved into preparing for the initial product launch. This required balancing multiple workstreams at once, managing both the creative and operational sides of the business. My role spanned strategy, design, and execution:

  • Product Design & Development
    I sketched and designed an initial capsule collection of elevated basics, translating user needs into garments that were versatile, size-inclusive, and durable. Each piece was prototyped and refined through 5–6 sample iterations, with fit adjustments informed by real body testing across multiple sizes to ensure inclusivity.

  • Sourcing & Manufacturing
    I researched and vetted over a dozen manufacturers before selecting two who could deliver consistent quality at an accessible price point. This process involved negotiating terms, reviewing 15+ fabric swatches, and stress-testing garments for shrinkage, pilling, and durability. One major challenge was balancing cost with ethical standards — I had to pivot from an initial supplier when transparency around labor practices was insufficient.

  • Brand Identity Creation
    I developed the brand name, visual identity, and tone of voice to reflect the mission of effortless, inclusive style. The identity was applied across the website, packaging, and social channels for consistency and trust-building. For example, all brand imagery intentionally featured diverse body types and unretouched photography, reinforcing the core values of representation and authenticity.

  • Marketing & Launch Strategy
    I conducted a competitor analysis of 5+ brands to position the label within the crowded women’s basics market. From there, I built a launch strategy combining organic content, influencer outreach, and targeted ad campaigns. Despite limited resources, I leveraged collaborations and user-generated content to amplify reach without high spend.

  • Content Creation
    To reinforce brand identity, I directed three photoshoots — styled to highlight versatility, timelessness, and inclusivity — and produced a digital lookbook. I also wrote copy and social content designed to resonate with user values like confidence, effortlessness, and longevity.

Managing these parallel tracks required constant prioritization, stakeholder communication (manufacturers, consultants, collaborators), and problem-solving. For example, when a delayed shipment risked missing the launch window, I fast-tracked a limited online drop to maintain customer momentum while the full collection was finalized.

The end result was a cohesive brand and product line that not only launched successfully but also achieved significant early traction, validating the concept and positioning in the market.

What People Are Saying

“"Thougtless takes the guesswork out of shopping by providing simple, sophisticated that embrace the body's natural shape and are soft to the touch...they're just fantastic." — ELLE Magazine

"Everyone needs good basics in their closets; and Thoughtless has them."— THE CUT

Design Insights & Project Reflections

Although the brand achieved notable traction, the experience became one of the most valuable learning opportunities of my career.

  • The Power of Human-Centered Design
    Conducting interviews and developing personas directly informed product decisions, from garment construction to brand messaging. This reinforced for me how essential user research is in any design discipline.

  • The Value of Iteration
    I learned firsthand that prototyping and testing early saves both time and cost. By iterating through multiple sample rounds, I refined fit and fabric quality before scaling production — a principle that mirrors prototyping in digital product design.

  • Language and Perception Matter
    Naming the brand Thoughtless was originally intended to signal ease and effortlessness in decision making in getting dressed. In retrospect, I recognize how language can be misinterpreted, and how important it is to ensure that naming, copy, and tone align seamlessly with user values (more positively and universally).

  • Balancing Scale and Ethics
    The challenge of maintaining ethical sourcing while trying to grow taught me how to weigh competing priorities — a lesson I carry into UX design when balancing user advocacy against business constraints.

  • Transferable Design Skills
    Most importantly, I realized how the design thinking principles I applied here — research, iteration, testing, and user-centered storytelling — are the same foundations I now use in UX design. Whether creating physical garments or digital products, the process remains about solving real problems for real people.

This project ultimately strengthened my ability to manage complexity, navigate ambiguity, and design solutions rooted in empathy — skills I now apply to every UX project I undertake.

Impact

Rooted in research and a human-centered design process, Thoughtless launched to meet the demand for timeless, high-quality wardrobe essentials. The results demonstrate strong validation of the brand’s positioning and design strategy:

  • 500% increase in subscriber growth YOY — reflecting growing brand trust and interest in future collections.

  • 165% increase in store sessions YOY — indicating high engagement with the site’s minimal, conversion-focused experience.

  • 151% increase in revenue YOY — showing that thoughtful storytelling and clear product value resonated with customers.

  • 973% increase in social followers across platforms — driven by consistent visual identity and intentional content strategy.

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