Q&A : All about our brand Twin Flame

Welcome to the third episode of the Founder's Diaries.

New Collection & Drops

• How do you decide which style to prioritize in your new collection?

When we’re deciding which pieces to drop, there’s actually a lot that goes into it. First, there’s the technical side, sometimes what we imagine in our heads just doesn’t translate well in real life. Our pattern maker will let us know if something’s too complicated to produce, and that usually means a higher cost, which might not fit within our budget.

Fabric is also a big one. Sometimes we find the perfect material, but it’s either too expensive or the production time doesn’t align with our schedule. And honestly, timing is everything, we need to plan around seasons because certain pieces just make more sense depending on the time of year.

So, it’s really a mix of design, technical feasibility, fabric availability, budget, and seasonality. We always try to prioritize what makes the most sense at that moment.

• Is there going to be something new coming soon?

We seriously can’t wait to share what’s coming. We’ve got a new drop next week, and this piece is a little unexpected from us but still so TwinFlame. We’re also planning another drop before summer (fingers crossed everything goes smoothly).

We feel like we’re stepping into a new era for TwinFlame, and if things go the way we hope, you’ll definitely be seeing drops from us more often.

• Can’t wait to see the new pieces, when will they drop?

We’re so happy you’re excited to see the new pieces! Our next drop is coming next week, and we’ll be teasing some hints on TwinFlame’s Instagram over the next few days so make sure you’re following so you don’t miss anything! @twinflameparis

Finance & Funding

• Are you making a profit yet?

No, TwinFlame isn’t profitable yet. Everything we’ve made from our drops has been reinvested straight back into the brand. Every single penny goes into production, growth, and improving what we do so we don’t actually take any profit for ourselves right now.

• Do you have an investor? How did you fund the first launch?

We don’t have an investor, it’s just been the two of us funding all the TwinFlame drops ourselves. That’s also one of the reasons we haven’t been able to launch as many drops as we would’ve liked. But honestly, we’re super excited for what’s coming next.

Brand Vision & Future Plans

• What is your vision for the brand in 5 or 10 years?

We’re so excited for what’s ahead. In the next 5 to 10 years, our vision is to grow TwinFlame into a brand with strong identity and a close community, a group of TwinFlame muses who feel confident, beautiful, and proud to wear our pieces. That connection means everything to us.

We’d love to build a team of talented people to grow the brand with us. We don’t believe in doing everything ourselves or micromanaging, we truly believe that bringing in the right people is how you take things to the next level.

As the brand grows, we’d love to introduce wholesale once we have a wider range of pieces. We’re not necessarily dreaming of a physical store, but pop-ups around the world? We would love that! Getting to meet the community in person and creating amazing in-store experiences would be a dream.

We also want to drop more collections each year and maybe even explore other categories outside of women’s clothing. So yes, lots of big dreams. We’re just getting started.

• Are you ever hiring, or looking for anyone in social media management or marketing?

We’re not hiring at the moment, even though we’d love to have talented people by our side to help build the brand. We really believe that having a strong, creative team is the only way to grow a business long-term. Hopefully, in the next few years, that’ll be something we can do.

If we could bring someone on right now, it would definitely be an amazing graphic designer who just gets our vibe!

Building the Brand (Origins & Growth)

• Whose idea was it to start the brand, and how do you share responsibilities?

We’ve always known we wanted to work together on a project, especially since our dad encouraged us to do so growing up. He built a company with his brother, and it’s been the best adventure of his life.

When it comes to anything creative, we’re in it together. Karen handles more of the admin and the accounting side, while I focus more on the supplier and production side. We each have our roles, but it’s always a team effort.

• Did you launch your brand before becoming known on social media?

Yes, we launched in 2021 with pretty much no followers, just our friends. Growing such an amazing community of people has truly been a blessing.

• What was the most challenging part of building a clothing brand, and how do you overcome obstacles? lien article

Building a brand definitely comes with its challenges, and we’ve had to face a lot of them while pushing forward. But honestly, those challenges are just lessons that help you grow along the way. We’ve dealt with things like budget mistakes, manufacturing issues, and more. If you want all the details, check out the first episode of the Founder’s Diaries: "Mistakes We Made - So You Don’t Have To." (read here)

• How did you overcome the feeling of fear in the beginning?

Honestly, at the start, we were a bit delusional, and I think that’s what helped us take the big jump and start the business. We didn’t fully understand what we were getting ourselves into. But that sense of delusion helped us be more creative and innovative in our field. Our dream of working together was way bigger than our fear of failing. Sometimes, you just have to take the leap and dive into the unknown.

Brand Identity

• What inspired the name of your brand, and what’s the story behind it?

Finding a name was definitely a tough task. We wanted something strong that reflected our bond and reminded people of who was behind the brand. The challenge started with making sure the name was available. You have to ensure it’s not already trademarked and also available on social media, so people can easily find you.

Now, here’s the story behind how we landed on the name. We were really struggling to find something that felt right, nothing was clicking. Then one day, Karen saw a post from Gabrielle Caunesil, and in the caption, she mentioned her boyfriend was her "twinflame." Karen immediately called me and asked what I thought about the word, and that was our "aha" moment. We both loved it! The meaning behind "twinflame" was exactly what we were looking for. People often asked if we were twins because our minds are so connected, we truly are twin flames!

Of course, we had to check if we could legally register the name, but unfortunately, it was already taken. So, we added "Paris" to the name, and "Twinflame Paris" was born. And it turned out perfect!

• Where do you get your inspiration from?

We draw inspiration from literally everything and anything! We’re always chatting with each other, and that’s when the best ideas pop up. Whether it’s sharing our favorite fashion, beauty, brands, Pinterest pics, archive shots, TikToks, or even people we spot on the street, it all starts with a conversation, then just grows from there. We also take inspiration from the clothes in our own closets, pieces we've loved for years and think could totally make a comeback!

Pop-Ups & Community

• Would you ever consider doing pop-ups in different cities around the world?

We’d totally love that! Like we mentioned in our vision, in the next 5-10 years, we dream of having pop-ups around the world to share the Twinflame vibe with our incredible international community, it would be such an amazing way to connect! But we’ve got some exciting news... Twinflame's very first pop-up is opening next week, and we can’t wait to meet you! Make sure to keep an eye on our Instagram so you don’t miss it!

Operations & Management

• How do you manage your website — from creation to customer service?

It's just the two of us handling everything, from design to customer service, it’s a lot, but it’s a must for a small business. The cool thing is, we get to learn so much from every part of running and growing the business. For our website, we use Shopify, and it’s honestly amazing! It’s super user-friendly, helps us create a visually pleasing site, and the best part is how customizable it is!

• What part of the process do you find the most exciting?

We absolutely love shoot days, they’re so special because it’s when our vision finally comes to life. It’s such a fun, creative process working with the photographer and creating images that we’re proud of. But honestly, our favorite part is reading the comments from customers who take the time to tell us how much they love their pieces, how it made them feel a certain way, and how it boosted their confidence. That’s exactly why we created Twinflame. We can’t even imagine the day we see a stranger wearing Twinflame on the street, that’ll be a total “pinch me” moment!

Production & Sourcing

• How do you find fabric suppliers and manufacturers?

The best way we’ve found to connect with manufacturers is by going to trade shows. We love going to Première Vision, it can definitely feel overwhelming at first, but it’s so worth it. You get to meet people face-to-face, which is super important when you’re trying to find the right business partner.

At Première Vision, there are tons of fabric suppliers, and it’s really cool to be able to see and touch all the swatches in person. But also, don’t forget that you can ask your manufacturer directly for fabric options, they usually have their own network of fabric suppliers they’ve worked with before.

Another tip is to ask around. If you ever get the chance to meet people in the industry, don’t be shy, it’s always worth asking if they have any recommendations. Sometimes it’s that classic “someone knows someone who knows someone,” and that’s honestly how we’ve been able to keep moving forward.

One thing that’s really helped us is always asking manufacturers who they’ve worked with before. If they’ve worked with a brand you know and trust, it makes it way easier to feel confident about working with them.

Click here to read the first episode of the Founder's Diaries.

Bisous, Bisous

Karen & Lisa