British Khaki was a very tailored buttoned- up line of menswear and she was a partner. But when Elizabeth Lighton decided to start her own line of clothing, she wanted to have fun. Knowing she needed her own venture once her son was in boarding school and with her background in retail fashion, she knew she could reach out to her previous contacts.
Making a call to an old associate in India who had manufactured for British Khaki, she found the service she needed. Liz says, “Chinese manufacturers are dealing with larger corporations, but in India, you can find family run companies who will work with smaller orders. My previous supplier was perfect because I had an existing relationship with her.”
With the stock market crashing and the country entering a recession in 2008, Liz knew she needed to offer something that wasn’t too expensive and could be paired with jeans to feel fresh and new. “Women can always buy a shirt under $100 dollars and I wanted to provide the excitement of a new purchase at a reasonable price point.” Her first piece was a smart, sexy shirt in a colorful print. Elizabeth had been an artist in the past – patterns and colors were her passion.
Now she needed a name. As a child, her father called her Dizzy Lizzie, so she thought that would be a fun name for her new company. It spoke to her rebellious side. The label on her shirts and now dresses too, is Tizzy. Liz places her fun shirts and dresses with clothing sales reps who travel around the country getting orders for her line. That way she is able to stay in New York and oversee manufacturing and distribution from her home. “I love working for myself; I’m the master of my own destiny. I outsource everything and have no employees and no partner. This is great, but if there is a mistake, it’s my responsibility to fix it.”
She began in 2006 and now has four collections each year. Using social media to spread the word, her smart shirts and dresses can be seen up and down the East coast at specialty stores. What does her son think? “He’s really proud of me for starting my own thing, but he thinks I need an office outside of the house.” Her line and name is growing and she hope to cross the million dollar mark in sales this year. Not bad for a brand called Dizzy Lizzie.
Contact www.dizzy-lizzie.com [email protected]
VentureMom Tip
Make sure your price point addresses the current economy.