Episode 91: Mahrzad Lari
Celebrating Where You Are Today, Loving Your Failure and Rebounding to Success with Mahrzad Lari the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Wide The Brand
This week Samantha chats with Mahrzad Lari (@mahrzadlari), co-founder and creative director of Wide The Brand. Ever since he could remember, Marz has had a flair for fashion and illustration. He has always been the heaviest kid in school, add to that the fact that the only clothes that fit him were pieces from big box stores. Unconsciously, this is what fired his obsession with fashion. He wanted to learn how to design and construct garments, and so he started playing with patterns, different fabrics and began creating things for himself that he could feel proud wearing. For 10 years, he learned to construct and assemble luxury garments, which brought him to work for one of Canada’s leading luxury fashion houses. He mastered cut and proportion, and the intricate art of draping fabric to a body. He wants to share this feeling through confidence, pride, acceptance and self-respect with the wider men of the world.
The two discuss the importance of failure on the road to success, their lifelong friendship and how staying true to who you are, dedicated to your passion and getting back up to keep going leads to success.
To learn more about The Fit Fatale click HERE
To learn more about Wide The Brand click HERE
To check out Wide The Brand Kickstarter click HERE
To connect with Samantha click HERE
To connect with Mahrzad click HERE
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Podcast Script
Sam: [00:00:00] Monetize your passion for wellbeing like a job you love every single day. Find a happy life from a healthy lifestyle. What's up guys. This is spin, skin and other addictions a podcast by me, Samantha E Cutler of The Fit Fatale. Each week I'm going to take you deeper into the world of wellness with entrepreneurs who are building brands designed to better your life.
[00:00:27] So you'll be hearing from fitness gurus, medical specialists, and influencers in the world of fitness, health, beauty, and nutrition. I hope you guys love it. Let's get down.
Marz: [00:00:36] Like in some of the videos, like it's not the most flattering of shots and he was right. And I was like, but that's what we want on it because I, I want my guys and the wide men to relate to a real plus size man. It's not about looking great. It's about being great, feeling great, and looking great is just a by-product of it.
[00:00:58] No matter your size and [00:01:00] no matter the shot that you take on Instagram and no matter the video edit.
Sam: [00:01:04] You're listening to spin,skin and other addictions episode 91. I am excited to bring this episode to you for two reasons. One, it is a business, a project that I believe in so strongly, it is created by a dear lifelong friend of mine.
[00:01:25] And also I think you'll enjoy it because it is such a close friend. We dive into talking about some things from our past, how aspirational we have been our whole lives. And now we finally reached a point where we're doing it. We're in what we've dreamed of doing. And I think it's really hard for us as entrepreneurs to recognize when that moment comes or when we're in it, because we're always thinking about getting somewhere.
[00:01:51] And so we really take this time in this chat to recognize where we are and how we've just launched things that we feel aligned with. So [00:02:00] it's a really exciting. So without further ado, let me introduce our guests. Our guest today is Mahrzad Lari. He is a figure in the fashion space in Montreal. Marz and I have been friends for over 10 years now. He has been such a light in my life. More than 10 years since we were late teens, we became friends and we met through the fashion space, fashion world in Montreal. Just a young, like I said, aspirational, teens and Marz last week just launched a new brand called Wide The Brand.
[00:02:33] It is a plus size men's wear collection that is designed for comfort, confidence, and style. He was previously his entire life, a women's wear designer, designing a luxury products. We've worked together at so many different stages in our career. Although we met in a funny way, which we talk about here on the show.
[00:02:54] We worked together and our paths cross so many times beyond the fact that we just became friends. And so we [00:03:00] both understood the fashion space, but Marz was always so passionate about creating things that made people feel like they could shine in who and how they are and meet them where they are.
[00:03:13] And we talk about that a lot in this podcast, is meeting your client where they are. So I think you're going to love this episode. I'm really excited, Marz is such a bright light in the fashion space, but also as an entrepreneur. And I do love bringing these episodes where entrepreneurs are in it, in that moment.
[00:03:32] So sometimes it's great to hear from people that are there that did it, that reached that point. But Marz literally just launched his baby after failed businesses. After working like a dog, as a fashion designer, creative director, he really has done so many different things. And now he's seeing so much success one week into launching fundraising, the media, all these different things that are coming to him.
[00:03:55] So it's exciting to hear someone at that moment in their career and the excitement that they [00:04:00] have, and, two years of building this. Where they are now and that they were able to launch it a pandemic two years after they'd been working on it. So I hope this inspires you if you're dreaming of building something, if you have something in mind and it feels so fricking hard to get there, because failure is part of honing in on how you can get more aligned and more clear on the success that you want and it will come to you. Marz really brings that conversation to the podcast here today. So without further ado here is my dear friend, Mahrzad Lari, the creative director designer, and co-founder of Wide The Brand.
[00:04:44] Hello, and welcome to another episode of spin, skin and other addictions. I feel like I say this about every episode, how I'm so excited, but today is literally like you guys are coming into the personal experience because one of my very dear friends, Mahrzad [00:05:00] Lari, is going to be here on the show with us.
[00:05:02] And Mahrzad is the co-founder of the newly launched Wide The Brand, which is a plus size men's wear fashion brand, which is so groundbreaking and just really new in its space. I feel like there isn't anything out there. Marz, we've talked about this so much. You've always said to me, like, why does this not exist?
[00:05:21] Where this is a huge gap in the marketplace and you're solving it and you got it literally launched last week. So this is like in the trenches with you. We're sitting here on zoom, just laughing about our lives. I'm so excited for this episode. First of all, Marz, thank you for being here and also how the hell are you right now?
Marz: [00:05:41] Thank you so much for having me, Sam. Honestly, I'm amazing. I'm humbled. I'm exhausted. I think any entrepreneur can relate to to launch week, launch week is insane. And we, like you said, we've been talking about moments like this, most of our young adults life. And it's finally here, so that's very [00:06:00] exciting.
[00:06:00]Of course we launched on Kickstarter. Launch week is even more exciting cause you also wonder how it's going to do and we're so blessed and happy with the results. So far, we're almost at 70%, we're actually at 70% of our goal in a week, which is exciting. And we're just excited to shake up the plus sized men's wear space, like honestly doing ha being a plus sized man myself, my whole life and living the experience, but also researching it for this brand for the last year and a half extensively.
[00:06:31] There really is, we think nothing on the market that, that is equal to what we're bringing to our wide men, which is aesthetics, design function, form fit all in one in the wide experience.
[00:06:45] Sam: [00:06:45] You've been a designer 10 plus years, maybe more. I think we met 15, 10 or 15 years ago when I thought, okay, I love these stories.
[00:06:54] When I thought I could design fashion. Marz is no, I actually can design fashion. And I was [00:07:00] like, okay, I'm just going to wear it. That's what I'll do.
Marz: [00:07:03] We met in the funniest of ways, like literally in a design competition at Sam's mom's gallery in the trenches, we're like, we just looked at each other and we were like, Yeah we're going to be people, first we're our type of people.
[00:07:19] And and to your defense, you designed great pieces, but yeah, it was a bit more than the 10 years. I studied fashion design. I worked for Marie St. Pierre for over 10 years started as an intern, became her collections director really worked on the Canadian luxury fashion scene for most of my career.
[00:07:37] And that's where a lot of my experience comes from. A lot of my experience comes from a place of understanding the situation myself as a plus sized man, but also understanding the limits and possibilities of what fashion can be because of my experience at racing here. So bringing those two together is what why the brand is all about it's about, breaking boundaries and creating new possibilities for men that [00:08:00] think they don't have those possibilities available to them.
Sam: [00:08:03] And tell our listeners a little bit more about where you're at today. You guys have been creating the ideation of this for almost two years. You said, right? I remember I was talking about it a while back and you being like, this is something I want to do. Like I have this, I have this vision, why does this exist?
[00:08:20] And that's usually where a great product and possibility comes from is really seeing a gap in the market that you personally experience. And that's when you have the heart and the passion to fulfill it. And so you've, it's been two years, you've been thinking of this, you've been working on it.
[00:08:34]When did you realize okay, this is it. I can't keep thinking about it. I have to do it. And how has that led you to week one that we're at now?
Marz: [00:08:43] It's like a whirlwind when you think like, when you think like retroactively, it's wow, it's a lot because I remember talking to you about it.
[00:08:52] Sound like at least four or five years ago, being like I'm thinking of it, but I'm not sure. And at that [00:09:00] point I was mainly talking about my frustration, my personal frustration, with the lack of options and the fact that I had to alter everything or create everything for myself, or make everything for myself.
[00:09:09] And that is where this idea stems from. But, actually putting it into motion was a year and a half ago. I remember just being like this, can't be how it is. Like I can't be the only man who wishes he could walk into a retail store or go on an online store and buy something that he knows will fit and not be disappointed every single time.
[00:09:34]And this, again, knowing that I have the opportunity to alter my garments, create garments. I have a full, I had a full team of the pattern makers, designers alongside me. I'm a designer myself. So I, then I started thinking What about guys who have no idea about fit, about pattern, work about, stitching, what do they do there?
[00:09:56] They're bound to just wear whatever comes their way. And [00:10:00] a year and a half ago, I met my partners. We were sitting around a table and we were talking and we were like, there has to be a better way like that, that Iconic phrase of there has to be. And so then we were like, okay how if we were to do this for real, how would we want this to be presented?
[00:10:19]Because we're talking to a demographic that has been somewhat ignored by the fashion industry, because luckily for women, and I think that this is an amazing movement. That's been happening, the body inclusivity, body positivity and acceptance movement in fashion has been going on for like about five.
[00:10:36] I wouldn't say up to 10, between 5 to 10 years, we've been seeing a shift in the way designers design for plus size women in the way influencers, are broadcasting their message, but the male counterpart hasn't followed. And that was always a question I asked myself, but it's just who cares?
[00:10:53]Or it's not important.
Sam: [00:10:54] Or it's my problem. Like how many people is this affecting?
Marz: [00:10:58] Exactly. And [00:11:00] then I really zoned in with my team into, is there a problem with the messaging or is it the core foundation where we think guys plus size men don't care about fashion and that's where we started. We started with the question do plus size men care and we immediately were bombarded with yes, they do.
[00:11:21]Going into research, going into, in, into, talking one-on-one with people. We literally went and started talking with people on Instagram, on Facebook, on, we were just like" Hey guys, we're like market researching. We want this to happen. What do you guys think?" And that's when we automatically realized that there's a need for this.
[00:11:38]There's a definite need. How do we want to bring it to the world? And then we were like, okay this segment of the population has been underserved and ignored. So they don't really know that possibilities are out there for them. So we pretty much have a clean slate to work on.
[00:11:55] And it's we can pretty much create the universe we want to create. And that's where, again, my [00:12:00] personal experience came out. I live through fashion magazines all my life. I was like inspired by ads by Tom Ford, Armani, whatever it might ,be United colors of Benetton, anything that was glossy and that was an advertisement for fashion I lived by. But there was never a representation of plus size men nor plus size women, which now there is a little bit more. But I was like, that's what I want to bring to these guys. I want to bring that fashion sensitivity. I want to bring that aesthetic. I want to bring the inspiration, the dream to this segment.
[00:12:34] I don't want it to just be jeans and t-shirts or big and tall, or I want them to have the same experience, every other guy has. But just zoned in for them. So it's at the same time, a celebration of their confidence of who they are. And I like, we hope that our garments will help them take them to the next level of their lives and have the confidence or build the confidence they need to go there.
Sam: [00:13:00] And what you keep saying, time and time again is bringing back like the confidence and the lifestyle component. And I couldn't agree more. I think that's why fashion is so much power to it because it does completely change how you feel in any given time. And you are changing people's lives.
[00:13:17] You're literally changing people's lives with this movement. It's not just a brand, it's a movement. It's a message that you're sharing. One thing I loved also is it's not just jeans and t-shirts like, there, there needs to be more. Can you tell us a little bit about some of the styles and what you're hoping is going to be coming with Wide The Brand?
Marz: [00:13:37] For sure, like obviously, at the beginning of any movement, you have to go with what people are ready to understand and what they're willing to understand. What we automatically really captured from our research is that these guys don't even have the foundation of a wardrobe.
[00:13:56]They have a few pieces here and there, but they don't have [00:14:00] staples. So we were like, we need to give them staples so that they never, like my biggest worry in life is what am I going to wear? That phrase is something that is in my mind at all times. We don't as bigger guys with very little options.
[00:14:14] We don't have the luxury of having outfits to like to wear in the same day. Let's say for us, it's one outfit a day and you hope that you don't have to double up that outfit in the week because you don't have that many options. So you play with what you got. And what I wanted to give to guys is to wider men is you're not going to have to worry, you have the option. So what we built is a 15 piece collection in which you can mix and match pieces to create 20 to 25 styles. And so you're never going to have to worry about wearing the same thing twice in a week, and you will always have staples to come back to. And everything is developed. With specific pattern work for the plus size male body.
[00:14:55] So where regular brands will size up their garments from small size [00:15:00] to larger sizes. What we did, we started from our two XL, which is my body type. And then we simply sized up to the six Excel and size down to Excel. But every size up is different. It's not just a cookie cutter measurement that's brought out.
[00:15:14]So every size was also, studied and educated and every piece that person will wear has stretch in it. So they're never going to have to worry about feeling restricted in their garments, because again, it's all things that I felt my entire life, and when I talk about confidence, it's all about not feeling restricted and being yourself.
[00:15:36] And finally being able to be yourself in the best possible way. And that's what I always strive for when we're designing the pieces. So whether it'd be the sweater or the, the stretch Jersey pants or our denim pants, or, our turtleneck, whatever you choose and The Wide Collection, everything will fit perfectly.
[00:15:55] You're never gonna have to worry about fit.
Sam: [00:15:57] And feel comfortable too, because I think, [00:16:00] if the second, I don't know where that came from and fashion. And I'm so happy that we're moving away from it as a whole and fashion, just feeling uncomfortable in what you're wearing, because it's very difficult to feel confident.
[00:16:11] No matter the way you look your size your shape, like your sex, anything, if you don't feel comfortable, you automatically feel less confident. And I think that's what you guys are representing as well with the fabrics and the intricacy that's going into, how do we study and how do we, I love that you looked into every single size, not just okay, let's make this a little bit larger size up.
[00:16:36] It's interesting. Cause I don't know. I don't know anything around like changing sizes at all. And so it's really interesting to hear Oh, that is probably what brands do to just make it a little bit bigger. Now it's a large, now it's an extra large.
Marz: [00:16:49] And you feel that way like in like even regular size clothing, right?
[00:16:52] Yeah. Every brand has its own sizing and you could never really fit into a one brand fit into the same size and [00:17:00] another. And you wonder how do people, evaluate sizing already on a regular scale, but then on the plus size, like our arms are not proportionally like big to our midsection. So if you're sizing a small piece in an extra small and going up to six XL in the six XL, if you're just doing conversions, it's going to be a tent.
Sam: [00:17:22] Your arms are going to be like out the door.
Marz: [00:17:25] Yeah, exactly. And that was my problem for me is, okay, so I have a XL ,let's say I'm a two XL. So I was like, okay. So the mid section fits perfectly. The arm hole is up to my belly button and the sleeve is literally a tent. I look like I'm wearing like a caftan and I just wanted a t-shirt.
[00:17:43]So that's where we studied, proportion fit and also the styling and brought everything together to create garments that, that really enhance the wide physique instead of hiding it.
Sam: [00:17:54] What's your favorite piece? That's probably tough, your the father [00:18:00] of every item.
Marz: [00:18:02] So weird story. So one of my partners is the she's the artistic director.
[00:18:08] I'm the creative director of the brand. And we work together to pre of the collections and she really wanted a jumpsuit. K. And I was like, what a jumpsuit, how we're not like, okay, let's try. The jumpsuit was never my favorite piece in development when we were seeming it when we were creating it and never really a piece that I liked that much because I couldn't, it couldn't relate to myself.
[00:18:29] It wasn't part of how I dress and then all of a sudden at the shoot at the video shoot where I'm feeling these guys in this jumpsuit. And I'm like, Oh my God, I need this jumpsuit like it. And then what I think is funny about being an entrepreneur and having partners, I think you can relate to this obviously .
[00:18:49] Like realizing that you don't love everything. And then all of a sudden you do and then working into so for me, the jumpsuit has become one of my favorite pieces weirdly enough, [00:19:00] but the sweater for me is the wide sweater is like the essential, I think every guy needs to have it.
[00:19:06]It just, I always say that the wide sweater for me is like the number one confidence booster. When I wear it, I'm like, I'm set to go. It's amazing. It's, you can wear it down, wear it up. That's really cool. And then if I had the third piece, it would be the pants because for what, for the first time in my life, I wore a pair of pants that truly fit and that I didn't feel like I was squeezing into.
[00:19:30] That was pretty that was a pretty emotional moment for me when we developed the pants and we got it right. And the prototype was done and I wore it and I was like, Wow. I can't wait for wider guys to actually feel this way as well
Sam: [00:19:43] and tailored properly. Like just, yeah. Yeah. That must be such like a rewarding feeling, knowing like how you felt experiencing trying on the new styles and how you're going to be bringing that to so many people. It just must feel so rewarding.
Marz: [00:20:01] Insane, Sam. Honestly, it was, this whole journey has been very rewarding. I always tell everyone to whom I speak about, that I talked to you about it. Is I discovered myself through this journey as well, because it's so personal and every milestone was a milestone for the business, but a personal milestone too, because you're like, Oh my God I look at the collection right now and I cannot wait to wear everything.
[00:20:28] You know what I mean? Like I look at the samples and I'm like, It's incredible for me to have this and be like finally, finally pieces that I can wear.
Sam: [00:20:40] What I also can imagine, just having known you, you've spent your career in women's wear and creating beautiful garments that make women feel beautiful that make women feel confident.
[00:20:54] And I can only imagine you're you've spent your life and your [00:21:00] passion building something for someone else. And this is the first time that you're like, hang on, I'm using my gifts and my dream, my motivation, my establishment to do this for me and my community and people who have, who resonate with what I'm looking for.
Marz: [00:21:16] Yeah, for sure. And honestly Sam like you're saying those words and I'm like, Oh my God it's so true because at the end of the day, my, my entire design life has been at Marie. I couldn't be more thankful for the experience I had, but yes, designing for women amazing women was UN it was amazing and I'm a women's wear designer first and foremost.
[00:21:37] Like I, I'm not a men's wear designer. The thing about Wide is, it's almost as if I'm designing for myself, my community, like you said, so it's a very personal, very personal design experience. One that I never thought I would do. When I started fashion school, I remember my mom being like Marz.
[00:21:55] I think you should do plus size women's wear. And I was like, Really pfft, we love it. [00:22:00] I was like that's, it's crazy because we both have very strong mothers who have pushed us beyond our limits all the time. But I think that's also why we're there as a side note to them. Yeah. A little shout out.
[00:22:15]But for sure it was such a weird experience because I never thought I was designed menswear. I never, ever thought I would design men's wear. Not because I didn't like it just because I didn't know that was something I could do, but I think, my team has pulled it together. We've created, we have this synergy where it's we zone in on our strengths and we use zone in on the experience.
[00:22:33] But before anything, the question is always. About the person wearing the garment. So it's not about trends. It's not about, it's not about anything fashion related, it's experiential. It has to be about the consumer. And I think that's a little bit what, our differentiating factor is we don't design for the fashion industry.
[00:22:54] We're designing for our guys, like we're designing for our men, we're designing for [00:23:00] their everyday lifestyle. It just so happens that we're obsessed with fashion. So everything revolves around aesthetics.
Sam: [00:23:08] I have chills. I just want you to know like chills as you're saying this, because it's it's just, it's eye opening.
[00:23:15] It's eye opening in a sense that, but of course you're designing for the consumer. And there's so much discrepancy in that. I do think and I'm curious to get your take on how the pandemic has amplified that shift in the fashion space, because I go into like investor means or meetings or whatever, and like wearing a sweatshirt.
[00:23:36] Like we would never do that in the past. And I think it's true. One we're at home, so everyone understands that's like the universal unspoken truth, wear whatever you want. But I do think there's going to be this huge shift and you guys are right at the cusp of where you are. It's the timing's right.
[00:23:52] Everything is aligned. The stars are aligned for this movement to take place because people are wanting to wear what they feel confident in, what they feel [00:24:00] comfortable in. And I think that's going to rock the fashion space in the next five years, maybe more. And we will say like this change, they'll look back when they're teaching fashion, when it's like we did, like COVID-19, 2020 fashion industry cut down the middle, everything shifted.
Marz: [00:24:23] I think you can clearly say in a few years we'll be talking about the COVID effects. And I think the COVID effect, is on so many industries, but particularly in fashion. Like me and, like we, we used to do how many events a week. You had so many and so many wardrobe, like things to think of and outfit options and what are you gonna wear and where are you going to, who are you going to see?
[00:24:44] And all of that has evaporated, right? So the superficial reasoning fashion has evaporated all of a sudden in one day and now it's function. Function is at the heart of [00:25:00] everything. So a lot of our lifestyle now is like you said, at home. So there really is no point in wearing a ball gown, if you're going to be at home, or a full piece suit, if you're going to be at home. A lot of people have different lifestyles and a lot of people have different things that they have to do in their day, even though we're in a pandemic.
[00:25:17] However, I do think that COVID-19 there's been like a settling of in the fashion movement where it's now okay to be who you are, no matter what, but the most important thing is comfort. I think comfort has become the number one element in fashion, and that is in the aesthetic appeal of it or the actual function of it. So I think now people are truly embracing who they are. You know their personalities with who they want to be, who they want the world to see them as.
[00:25:51] And that's great, but I think people now are investing in pieces that make them feel great, but also follow their lifestyle. And don't put them in a mold because [00:26:00] if you're putting people in molds now, molds don't exist anymore because there are no rules anymore. And that's what we thought about when we were launching it.
[00:26:07] And it was a very big question that we had do we launch now? Cause when we were developing everything, we were like, okay, but do we launch? And then we were postponed a little bit and postponed a little bit. And then it was like, you have to launch some time. And then we realized it doesn't really matter because our model is direct to consumer.
[00:26:27]It doesn't matter if whatever happens it's in the world. People will need to wear clothes that they feel comfortable and confident a hundred percent. If you're targeting that as a response to your product then there really is no, no factor that can come and play with your launch or success.
[00:26:45]And that's kinda where, and here's the thing we just launched a week ago. So we are literally fresh babies in the market, and so much to do. And we're so excited. Our clients haven't even lived the wide experience that they've invested in it so far, but they haven't lived it, which was [00:27:00] so excited about.
[00:27:01]But so far it's been honestly a crazy COVID wave to, to think about okay, you're building a business, you're launching a brand. There it's a worldwide pandemic where people in their experience towards COVID are they ready? All these questions and we one day we're like ready or not here we come. So that's the pivot, if you will, is we decided to have confidence in our product and in our brand. And we know that what we're putting forward is something that our guys need. And no matter what happens, they still need to be dressed and have confidence and go to the supermarket or to their board meeting on zoom feeling great.
] Sam: [00:27:47] And you said it, like you hit the nail right on the head when you said we're coming, we're going where our customer is, like, where is our customer? And I think that's okay only again, something that this pandemic has amplified. [00:28:00] It's meeting your customer where they are and not expecting them to come to you.
[00:28:06] Figuratively and literally. They cannot physically come to you right now. They're at home, but it's also meeting them where they are emotionally. And it's no longer, I keep having this discussion with people, but it's no longer aspiration it's inspiration. And I think that's where brands are getting it right when they're being inspiring. They're helping people only live their truest self, feel confident, live in their bodies, live in their homes, live where they're at versus try to be like me, try to look like me, come here, eat this, do this, wear this, look like this.
Marz: [00:28:45] It's crazy that you actually talk about this because and this is going to strike a chord with you for sure. When we were younger, how many times did we tell each other? We have to fake it till we make it. Like I remember, I clearly remember being like Marz, [00:29:00] so we make it ,do it. It's all about the look it's like it doesn't matter. And today in today's world, Faking it no longer works because people are over it.
[00:29:13] People can see through it. People want real connections. They want real promises. They want real products. And that is something that we decided to really zone in on from the beginning. And, I talked about, I I spoke to Anthony Monnieri from Arrested Movement a few weeks ago.
[00:29:29] He's also in Toronto and he was like, no Marz like in some of the videos, like you're not, it's not the most flattering of shots. And I was like, and he was right. And I was like, but that's what we want on it because I, I want my guys and the wide men to relate to a real plus size man. It's not about looking [00:30:00] great, but like it's about being great feeling great, and looking great is just a by-product of it.
[00:30:06] No matter your size and no matter the shot that you take on Instagram and no matter the video edit. And I remember being in the video editing room with my team and being like, we can't use that, there's no way. And my team helping me realize that yes, we can. It's okay. This is an because I've been programmed myself to things that it's not right. That it's not..
[00:30:29] Sam: [00:30:29] Photoshop it. How many photos shoots have we been on? It's I can't even, but whether it was ours, whether it was someone else's and it's so true, like it's the same thing. I think that, as you mentioned earlier, like that movement is more recognized in women's wear and female apparel.
[00:30:47] In female influencers who are body positive, who are like, this is what I look like, yes. I also look like this when I like lean in this way and my abs are perfect, but I also look like this when I'm this. And that's, like it's [00:31:00] opening the idea that we're not always perfect. And I think we did, you and I are like magazine babies, as you said, you're like, we grew up on that magazine era of just, that's all we saw.
[00:31:12] And I don't know what's better Instagram or that, I think Instagram is better now. There's so much realness, but a lot of people say, the generations now that grow up with like always connected, always seeing everyone's perfect life. At least you also have access to choose to see the not perfect.
[00:31:26] Like you choose what you consume. Whereas we only really had commercials. Yeah, magazines I was obsessed, with like Self and Women's Fitness magazine and all of these that are great, a lot better now, but at the time I was like, Oh okay. So that's what I have to look like. And that's that spins a spiral in every industry.
[00:31:48] And I think you guys by recognizing that you're impacting so many people, and I know you because you're like, perfect, and let's get this editorial and let's make this shot. Let's get it down. [00:32:00] But I know how that was probably such a growing pain for you. It was impacting it's going to be exponential.
Marz: [00:32:07] It was a growing pain because like you just said we come from the same fashion background in Montreal and we both worked in the luxury industry. Perfection is the only option. And not to say that's wrong, it's just not real . And when we're talking to our wide guys today, we're like, are we go, at the beginning, when we were thinking about the creative, the artistic direction that we want to take for everything, it was a conversation that we had to have like repeatedly, like, how do we want these guys to live wide?
[00:32:40] Like how are they supposed to feel it? And what always came up was confidence. But confidence comes from real experiences. You can't build confidence on fake or made up or, orchestrated experiences, because confidence comes from living things, in a real way and building [00:33:00] character.
[00:33:00] And so we were like, okay, then we have to be true to that. And that's why in the videos, in our, on our main editorial campaign shoot Shamar, which is one of our male models, he has the trenchcoat on his head a little bit in this it's a beautiful shot. And his midsection was a little more prominent and I was like, my fashion brain went into, we have to edit that out.
[00:33:22] But then my plus sized co-founder new experience, wide brain went, no, we have to celebrate it because that's the real experience. So it is still a duality that I live in my head. Regardless because that's, obviously it needs it's breaking molds that we were put into, but that's the exciting part.
[00:33:41] That's what's so exciting is every step we take in this business is about breaking barriers. So it's like always super exciting. Cause we're almost like it's like living it for the first time every time.
Sam: [00:33:55] So you guys just launched your Kickstarter a week ago, you launched the brand a week ago [00:34:00] publicly.
[00:34:02] Why a Kickstarter? Tell us a little bit about the development side, like funding, all that stuff. Cause I know our listeners are often aspiring entrepreneurs, creatives. They want to build brands. What does that what has that been like? Why Kickstarter and you're just basically okay, sign up here, donate some money.
[00:34:21] We're going to give you a product. Like it's so foreign to a lot of people. So share a little bit.
Marz: [00:34:25] For sure. I'm not going to, lie it's not something that a lot of people are that familiar with. What we wanted to do with Kickstarter before even talking about funding, we were like, how are we going to build our community?
[00:34:39]What platform are we going to use for our launch to go get the most amount of reach possible so that we can set the tone for the communication and the conversation that we want to have. So that is what we zoned in on and our minds directly went to crowdfunding because of the massive pull it has to [00:35:00] build a movement.
[00:35:02] And then of course, we were like why wouldn't we look at options of funding it through the same medium. So then we were like, okay crowdfunding again. So we use our Kickstarter campaign as a vehicle to broadcast the message and at the same time to help us produce because we chose to produce locally in Montreal.
[00:35:22] So that was a very sensitive subject at the beginning because we were like, do we, do, do we produce abroad or do we produce here? And we chose to produce in Montreal because we're very proud of our industry, but also we want full control on our product. We want a quality product, but we also want to reduce our carbon footprint at the end of the day, because, if COVID taught anyone, anything it's that we have major work to do.
[00:35:49] On a global scale for our planet, but also as consumers. So we decided to opt for a local production and we want to celebrate that. But we also want to see is the [00:36:00] demands there, so then we also use our Kickstarter as our market test to see, do people want this? And we were flabbergasted when we launched, when you launch a Kickstarter, obviously the few, the first few people who start to donate are family, friends, people who are around you, but very quickly, it converted into people we didn't know. And that was amazing and every time we get a new backer and we're like, do we know this person? No, we don't. Oh my God. And it's because your movement, your brand touched someone that is foreign to you. And I'm assuming that's how you felt when you started the blog and I remember when we were at a thousand people and then 2000 people on your Instagram and then it escalated. And I'm assuming that's probably how you felt too, when you know, newcomers coming into your circle. And you're like, Oh my God, it's a celebration. That's how we feel now. And I think we're so thankful to have chosen Kickstarter [00:37:00] because it did its job.
[00:37:02] It really broadcasted the movement the way we wanted it to. And it's exciting to see how a community can come together because of one simple, very simple need, which is have great clothes right now.
Sam: [00:37:20] And with the Kickstarter. I know this is what you guys do. I'm actually not the most familiar with it, but essentially you purchase items from the collection and you become a backer of the project and there's monetary amount. At a certain monetary amount you receive X in general. I actually remember Miranda did it like 10 years ago or whatever. And she was launching her first EPL book. And so it was like, you do this, you get assigned copier, like example. I bought something from you guys. I donate a certain amount. And I'm getting a product. Is that always the norm?
Marz:[00:37:49] That's always the norm. So with all the plans and Kickstarter, every Kickstarter is different in their reward. So it's, so you pledge an amount for rewards. So let's, we have different rewards . [00:38:00] We worked with Lebicar, who is a Montreal artist.
[00:38:03] You can get a print that he did explicitly for us, our cap, our merch, some of our collection items, and you pledge for those rewards and that money that you pledged to us is what helps us back our next production run. But, and then once we, so now we're at 70%, we still have a 30% to go in the next three weeks.
[00:38:22] But once we get the $50,000 then the Kickstarter is done and it's completed. And we then work on sending you all of our Kickstarter pledgers and backers their rewards, and also producing the collection. So it's a way to, and the way we see it for us is it's a wave. To back to the company, but also the movement yeah, absolutely.
[00:38:48] And also it's a notion of let's help each other in this journey. And I think that something really cool that Kickstarter has at other ways of launching doesn't have it, is it created a very [00:39:00] close and personal relationship with our customers because we actually spoke to hundreds of people one-on-one and these conversations might have not happened if we didn't have the Kickstarter platform to communicate by.
[00:39:14]Because when people are buying off your website, it's not as personal as a Kickstarter campaign where it's literally helped me, help you. It's a collaborative spirit and that's what we really wanted. And surprisingly, that's really what we got as well. Knock on wood, not every Kickstarter is a success and we're so thankful that it is and that people actually believe in it.
Sam: [00:39:40] I'm 0% surprised because you have so many people that support you. I'm sure you've only surrounded yourself with a team members that are like you, that have the same energy that attract the same people. And I know how much people support you. So it's like a no brainer in so many people in your community, but I get what you mean once it ripples [00:40:00] beyond that, it's the wow moment.
[00:40:01] It's hang on. Who is this person? They purchased this, they supported it. And just to watch that, like ripple beyond where you thought it was coming from, like the friends and family type of circle. And you also recently shared that you guys talked with Dragon's Den! Can you tell us anything about that?
Marz: [00:40:20] Yeah. We're so excited. So that is another thing that is like oh, my God, like crazy moment. So I had at the beginning of our journey last year, so we're talking about a year ago, and Dragon's Den was looking for , it was their audition call. So I sent it an audition thinking nothing of it, because at that point it was literally drawings from it was drawings and I was like, wow nothing happened.
[00:40:45] And then we got the call this season which is so exciting. And of course your first thought goes into, Oh my God, it's, Dragon's Den. Like it's CBC, like it's nationally broadcasted. It's [00:41:00] a lot. But it's also super exciting because it, it automatically put us into another mindset where, you know, from the very beginning, we've been very business oriented and all three partners are very focused on the mission.
[00:41:14] And then all of a sudden it became very real because you're pitching to Canada's elite entrepreneurs and you don't want to, at the same time, let's say for me, my personal mission is I want to represent my community at its best. So there's a personal aspect and the business aspect, and it all comes together.
[00:41:37] We're very excited. We're actually going to film the pitch end of may. And it will be broadcasted in November. So we obviously Dragon's Den, like most people, we don't know if we're going to make the final cut of the show, we're going to pitch to the dragons. And that's what we want to communicate on is.
[00:41:53] Whatever happens. We're just so honored to be chosen as a pre-revenue company. That just showed [00:42:00] us a lot of belief in our, in what we have to offer. So that's the adventure that awaits us with Dragon's Den and super exciting. Also like you're you I'm sure have been part of, the funding world for a while now, the business world for a while.
[00:42:17] Now this is all very new to me, my team, and it's happening so fast. That's, what's super exciting is, it's like launch one week, get ready for Dragon's Den then like just the interviews that we're having. And yeah the amount of openness to the subject and to the launch is so humbling.
Sam: [00:42:38] Yeah, and you're right.
[00:42:39] It happens so fast. And you're, you also have to, okay, this is my little tidbit or words of advice. You have to in every situation, just trust your gut because your a witch like me, and that have really strong gut intuition, our gut instinct. [00:43:00] And I say to Trevor, probably at least once a week, if not once a month, I'm like, we need to do that.
[00:43:06] Not that or not that person. Yes, this person. And he'll ask me why, and I go, let me get back to you with a rationale reason, because I am just going with this feeling and I know this feeling and I follow it and it works. And so I think when you're, that's the one piece of advice that I can give, if I can give it any, is when you go through this process is trusting that because it happened so fast and you.
[00:43:29] You will make mistakes or partner with someone who wasn't the right or perfect fit or hire the wrong employee, or all these different aspects along the way. But all you can do is just trust your gut and sometimes you doubt it. Sometimes it messes up, but you have to just continue to go that way, because so much happens so fast.
[00:43:48] And when you get hung up on it, you can't move forward. And that's one thing that. Yeah.
Marz: [00:43:54] I think what helps us is the fashion backgrounds that we do have. [00:44:00] I think we don't realize how. How much they help us because we had to make 300 decisions in two minutes every day. Like that scene in the Devil Wears Prada where she's I don't know which blue.
[00:44:12] And it's but that's for me is just it's a metaphor for everything we had to do because everything was due yesterday. Everything was already late. And it's huge amounts of money that had to weigh on those decisions. And you're like, Oh my God. So trusting your, you have no choice, but to trust your gut instinct, because that's all you have.
[00:44:32] And I think that I look at you and where we've come from and where, you are now with your career. And it's I think a lot of it is you just knew where to go for yourself. You knew, you were like, this is the way, and I'm going to go. And even though some of it, sometimes we were like, I remember being like, wow, okay.
[00:44:51] Yeah, this is what she's doing. This is crazy. Okay, moving to Toronto. Sure. Okay. But like it works because when it, [00:45:00] and when you believe in something, it's magic. That's what Wide is to me is, it's become way more than just this passion project. It's become everything to me.
Sam: [00:45:11] And also we've spoken a lot about how you worked at Marie St. Pierre for your entire fashion career, but this is not your first venture into entrepreneurship. Marz is a serial entrepreneur from the moment he came out of the womb. That's for everyone listening. I think that's also part of our biggest bonding.
[00:45:28] We were like, are you crazy? They're just do anything to start your company, self-driven alright. We're going to be, lifelong besties.
Marz: [00:45:38] I know it's funny. It's every time. So every, just so everyone listening, every time me and Sam would get together and we were younger a new business would come out of it.
[00:45:48] So we, every weekend or whatever, I remember like being at your house and your mom just being like, what are you guys up to? And I swear, we were doodling on a project. [00:46:00] We don't know. We don't know yet, but, and yeah, like I think that's another thing is, we got to know each other in our late teens.
[00:46:08] And, over the last 10 years there's been a lot of failure, and from my perspective, like I can just speak on my own account. I failed a lot like I started a luxury brand under my own name, had an amazing event, spent tens of thousands of dollars for there to be nothing to happen. Like literally the next day.
[00:46:30]You try things. I went into the tea and cookie business for awhile.
[00:46:35] Sam: [00:46:35] Damn good tea & cookies. I'm just going to say that.
[00:46:38]Marz: [00:46:38] But all to say that today, as I sit here with you, thinking about our past and where we've come from, like all those failures, I think built what we're able to communicate on today.
[00:46:52] And I don't think that I would be able to be here talking about Wide without them. I don't think I would be able to make [00:47:00] decisions, build a brand the way we are with my partners, without those failures and without that heartache. And without, because every time as an entrepreneur, I think when you fall down and get up.
[00:47:10] You build a piece of armor and it's just every time. And if you have any, if you don't do it well, then it'll crush you because it's pretty ruthless experience.
[00:47:22] Sam: [00:47:22] And you get more aligned. Yeah, you just get more clear and you feel where you need to go more and more, the more you do it. And as we said, when we jumped on this call and I don't even know if we were recording it when we were saying this, but it, I think most people dream of the idea, but not everyone, the idea of starting a business or being vulnerable, putting themselves out there, whether that's physically or, emotionally or creatively.
[00:47:52] And I think there are very few people who are vulnerable enough to do [00:48:00] it. I don't know if, Maria Hatzistefanis from Rodial Cosmetics. She's the founder of Rodial Cosmetics. And over, she wrote the book Overnight Success. She always talks, her book is about how she built her business for 15 years in her basement.
[00:48:13] And all of a sudden it became famous and she's across like globally across every Sephora, every business. She's all over the place, but it was all about like how any, everyone always sees the success and they go, Oh, maybe I should try. Oh, no, I'm never going to get there. But they don't see the eight times they fell down, failed, lost money, friends, lost sleep, ate themselves to sorrows, like whatever through, and they don't and that part isn't shared.
[00:48:41] And that just goes back to what you mentioned about social media and like companies being a little bit more real now and sharing that experience. That's why I love this podcast is getting to talk to people about this.
Marz: [00:48:53] And like listening to you talk to different entrepreneurs, like it's inspiring because I think it's important [00:49:00] to speak on the fact that it's not easy, but it's worth it.
[00:49:04]And for the longest time, I I didn't understand what being an entrepreneur was. And I think I still don't know what it is because I think it's a learning experience and you continuously grow into it, but this company Wide, the amount of the passion that I have for it. I think it's also like when they say you have to love your project and you have to really understand it and live it and breathe it.
[00:49:29] I never understood it until now. So now I can truly say that, I'm a co-founder of something that I truly live, breathe, I'm obsessed about. And that's cool because I feel like for the first time I've found my why, which is Wide The Brand, but it took me failing all the other tests.
[00:49:53] If you will, to truly understand what this feeling is, because the feeling of excitement is [00:50:00] not the feeling you get when you're completely aligned with the project, that feeling of excitement will come every time you launch something new, but it's way deeper. It's once you launch it before you launch it, after you launch it, are you still obsessed with it.
[00:50:18] I think that's when the magic happens. And for us, that's where we are now. It's, can't believe we're at this stage where this is our baby. We're so proud of it.
Sam: [00:50:25] Yeah and there's so many opportunities to throw the baby out on the way.
Marz: [00:50:31] It's so much to so much, like it's painful process to be that vulnerable and to show yourself in that light and to not, there's, you put money, you put time, you put emotion, you're so invested in it and launching it is just the beginning. So yeah, you have to be sure, I think that you love the project. And then again, every person has their own way of doing things. But for me, what I felt differently with Wide [00:51:00] than all the other projects that I've done in my life is it's an it's something I can't even describe. It's like a feeling of this is it.
[00:51:08] This is where I'm supposed to be. And I know, you know what it is. I feel at peace, I feel exhausted. I feel stressed. But I feel at peace. I have never once doubted Wide not once have I doubted the business model, the structure, the everything surrounding it. Sure. Have I ever doubted Wide? Never. So for me, that for me is my affirmation that this is my why, but I think it's different for everyone, but yeah.
Sam: [00:51:43] That's so beautiful. And I know I say this time and time again, I've said this to you. I really believe that when people are super aligned, they have a desire to serve to better people's lives, to create a difference, to see that ripple effect. There is [00:52:00] no failure regardless of the outcome, because it will only create more magic and more energy transferred through literally what you're doing, which is crazy.
[00:52:10] I want to, because we can talk for hours. I want to give a chance for you to share where everyone can find Wide and also how they can support you, support the Kickstarter and get to know the movement a little bit more.
Marz: [00:52:27] Absolutely, so for the next two weeks and a half, obviously everything's on the Kickstarter.
[00:52:32] So if you go Wide The Brand Kickstarter, it'll bring you to the link and you can easily find us. Were actually the top accounts for Canada, so that's pretty exciting. Yeah, it's very exciting. Actually Kickstarter loved our project, so it's a project they love. So that's very exciting for for us.
[00:52:49]And of course we have our websites, widethebrand.com is where you can go. If you want some more details about who we are, what we do on all social platforms [00:53:00] @widethebrand and you'll get information about who we are, like I said, and what we stand for. But the main mission of course, in the next two weeks and a half is to obviously -Go join us on Kickstarter and see if it's something that talks to you.
[00:53:11] Or maybe you have a wide man in your, your circle of friends, your family. And the thing is what I'd like to just touch base on is a lot of the times wider guys are a little shy to even talk about it. But send them the link, like I promise you, it will only make them excited, happy to think that you thought of them.
[00:53:31] And it's something a lot of white guys put on a facade to to be confident, but deep down, they really do want to look and feel their best. And I think that this is a great gift you can give to them is the gift of possibilities and opportunity.
Sam: [00:53:46] I love it again. Shivers this whole time on this, like goosebumps.
[00:53:49]Marz, thank you so much for being here and for chatting with me, just to see where you're at. Like again, week one and the amount of [00:54:00] support that's behind you, I'm going to link everything in the show notes. So there'll be the link for the Kickstarter to check it out. Also, I'm going to link your personal Instagram so people can follow you and your story.
[00:54:10] Cause you're so inspirational and just for sharing this opportunity, like you really are representing a brand, that's making a difference. And that's how I decide the entrepreneurs and the people that I want to speak with. Obviously friends is a no brainer when I know how passionate you are, but people that are making a difference in what they're doing is my primary focus when it comes to talking about entrepreneurs or businesses on the podcast and you just embody all of that.
[00:54:35] So thank you for being here. Love you. I'm so proud of you.
Marz: [00:54:40] Proud of you. You are so amazing at what you do. It, I'm telling you right now, I am flabbergasted. Not again, not because you're one of my closest friends. What you do is so amazing and the way you do everything you do and this interview, and, it's very rare [00:55:00] that I get to see you on a professional level.
Sam: [00:55:02] I have my podcast voice.
Marz: [00:55:04] But very honestly you have a lot to be proud of and we're very proud of you. So thank you for the support, but honestly, you should be very proud of where you are today. It's very inspiring. I love you. I love you too.