Two students who started their business whilst at university in Liverpool have since turned it into a multi-million-pound enterprise.
Sarah Guenther, 24, spoke about how the company she started with Kate Taylor, Lazuli Label, originated in their student accommodation with a sewing machine and around £300 worth of fabric material they had bought to design swimwear.
After their success on their first product, they began extending stock and incorporated leggings and other articles of gym wear. Kate, 24, said: “We were both really into the gym at the time, and we realised that we should sell gym leggings.
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“We had to take advantage of our student kitchen and had everything laid out on the floor. We set up our own website and shot them on the docks by the museum and did everything by ourselves. It went quite well, we sold out in the first two minutes.”
Every penny the company made for the first two years were invested into restocking the website, and it wasn’t until a year ago that Sarah and Kate began to pay themselves for their constant days of hard work. Sarah said: “It was frustrating at times, because when you’re putting so much in and not getting much out of it personally you can start to think ‘what am I doing’, but we both had a vision from the start that it was something we needed to invest in. We just focused on the brand as our aim.
"We’ve now got five people on our team and so far we’ve turned over nearly three million."
Whilst many might be apprehensive to work with their best friend, they have proved that team work is always best, Kate added: “I wouldn’t want to do it alone, it can definitely be tough on any relationship, but we’ve always pulled through and communication is always key.”
When asked what their favourite aspect of running their own company is, Kate said: “It’s weird because I’d say freedom, but I’m definitely not anywhere near free, I spend most of my time working. It’s so satisfying and self-fulfilling, you always feel like there’s so much to achieve and the more work you put in the more you can achieve.”
To take their business further, the pair utilised their social media followings and worked alongside other influencers to promote their brand.
Three years on and the company is thriving from their base in Liverpool’s Albert Docks. Their products have reached millions of people all over the globe yet the pair are still excited when they spot people wearing Lazuli, Sarah said: “I always see people in the gyms wearing them which is really nice, I love it when we spot someone in Lazuli.”
Their plans for the future are to further extend their products and their audience, with a possibility of a pop up shop here in Liverpool.
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