Today we’d like to introduce you to April Spring.
April, please share your story with us.
We were sitting at a cafe one day talking with friends and we all noticed a girl at the next table whose thong was sticking out above her jeans. I, mentioned that guys don’t care if their underwear shows because all that shows is the waistband… when I said it, the idea was born. Within 24 hours I had sketched an idea and made a prototype using a thong and the waistband from a men’s boxer short. At this point, we had several potential products, the ability to manufacturer, and some savings to get us started, but we needed to decide which product to pursue (because we could not do them all). I voted for a set of sheer blouses but April chose the underwear which by that time had been expanded to 3 basic styles, a thong, a boyshort and a lace boxer short.
FOXERS clothing is primarily lingerie and loungewear. It has grown from the first styles of women’s underwear with the men’s boxer waistband, to many styles that bridge sleepwear and loungewear.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
If someone had told me what I would go through building a clothing brand, we may not be where we are today. Seriously, I love apparel and fashion and have since I can remember as a child. I love creating new designs but also the time with customers and building the business. The toughest days have to be over in the first 10 years. I do recall 2009 and 2010 the RECESSION, OMG! BUT, I said when it hit us, I don’t care if I sell one pair of under per day I am not going anywhere and I just knew that Perseverance was the key to success. So the recession was the toughest time.
Then there are those times when things are out of your control. No matter how careful sometimes it is what is done to you. For example, a factory not telling you that your entire collection was being made by another factory that didn’t have a clue how to make them after 6 years of making the same products. This happened in 2010 right at the end of the recession which caused a FOXERS personal mini-recession. I shiver to think of these days.
Then when people are the cause in your office or a contractor that makes have sleepless nights. This I figured out how to control somewhat but still once in a while no matter how many times I say not to do something because it will cost us dearly someone does it like ordering thousands of dollars’ worth of unusable fabric or spending thousands on a consultant that doesn’t do their job. These types of struggles are learning curves but in the startup phase they hurt.
Now, we getting to a point where setbacks are less and the joy of having the BRAND success is more.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about FOXERS – what should we know?
FOXERS is a boutique apparel brand that was created in 2007 by Founder and Designer, April Spring. Her philosophy is that clothing can be stylish, comfortable, and multi-functional. In 2006 she had a brainstorm to use a men’s boxer short waistband band on women’s underwear.
April came up with this idea after seeing many women’s thongs peeking above their jeans and she thought “If we only had the boxer band like men’s boxers…” She took that light bulb moment and within 24 hours purchased men’s boxers, cut the top bands off and stitched them onto women’s underwear. She has two US patents for the idea.
We are in the pursuit of delivering garments that customers will love and no detail is overlooked. Every bow placed and every button added demonstrates our attention to detail. April designs all products to have comfort & functionality and uses the best fabrics.
Since launching FOXERS in January 2007 we have been adding new styles and an array of stylish colors. Our brand grows from the FOXERS team but is also influenced by customer demand. For example, we made panties, buyers asked for matching tops. We made the boyshort, customers asked for a boyshort with more coverage so we introduced the boxer brief. Customer input and collaboration is what drives our success and makes building FOXERS so much fun. THANK YOU!
We are most proud of our customers that have been loyal to the brand from the beginning. We are also proud of our staff and their kind, thoughtfulness making our customer service excellent. The brand Foxers should bring a good feeling to mind.
Mission:
“Fun, Sexy, Comfortable”
FOXERS are designed to make you look good and feel good.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Quality and stylish products and great customer service; plus a lot of Perseverance.
Pricing:
- $32.00 Lace boxers
- $32.00 Lace camisole/bralette
- $20.00 Boybrief NEW
- $34.00 Men’s boxer brief with pockets
- $86.00 Black Velvet lounge Palazzo pants
Contact Info:
- Address: 650 Hamilton Avenue SE, Suite M, Atlanta, GA 30312 (Corporate OFFICE)
- Website: www.foxers.com
- Phone: 757-214-9225
- Email: april@foxers.com
Image Credit:
Nate Dorn
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