Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tommy Vowles. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tommy , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Oh it was a long time coming. I grew up in the goth scene in London, I spent my nights dancing in foggy nightclubs and my days making less than minimum wage selling bondage trousers in Camden Town.

A move to Berlin would eventually see me lose my way a little, but I like to think my time spent in nightlife wasn’t wasted. I’d built a connection to the scene that would later prove invaluable. I picked up on all these references and a cultural language that have made what I do possible all these years later.

As a teenager my friends and I would screen print our own fabrics and make dresses out of them. It was really DIY, one person would lay on the floor while the other traced around their body to make the dress pattern. We would expose screens over the bath, holding the light ourselves while the other would time it on their phone.

My move to Berlin inspired me to start working with more classic fetish materials. Back then there just weren’t that many designers working with vegan leather. I could see a space for the kind of things I wanted to wear and I knew who my customer was. The niche has certainly grown a lot since then, but I feel I got in at just the right time.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Tommy Vowles, I’m a fashion designer from London living in Berlin.

I make high glam accessories from vegan materials.
My work is heavily inspired by my time in the goth scene in London. I often find myself asking if teen Tommy would love a piece, if the answer is no it’s back to the drawing board.

A major component of the brand is inclusivity, all items are available in made-to-measure sizing meaning they are for literally anybody who has a body. If there’s one core brand value it’s that all bodies deserve to be worshipped exactly as they are.
The fashion industry has people believing that there’s only one way to be beautiful, not only is this untrue, it’s also boring!

I have an ever growing collection of items on my website, but I also offer custom work. Some of the most fun I have as a designer is when I can work with my customer to make something that makes them feel their absolute best.
I’ve had customers tell me that a piece I’ve made has helped them feel more affirmed in their gender identity, or that I helped them get their confidence back after a difficult time. I think that’s the magic of power dressing and I’m doing my job right when I’m able to facilitate that.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I just started making things and posting them to Instagram. I built the page from nothing, but every time I shared a new product I would get an order and more followers. At the time I was working in an office and spending all my spare time trying to make this happen. I had no idea what I was doing, but I believed in my vision and was determined to reach the right audience.

As I started to see more revenue and potential, I began to really research how the app works. I found myself watching a lot of YouTube videos of teenagers talking about how to build an Instagram presence, I guess they’re the ones who really know what they’re talking about.

Over time, I found myself getting more and more into influencer marketing and working with some big names within my niche. I’ve had a lot of luck with this in establishing a clear vibe for the brand as well as helping to grow my audience to where it is now.

I used to be really bad at photography and talking about my work, but these are skills that grow with time.
I was also baffled at the introduction of reels, but now I love playing with video. I’m lucky enough to have a lot of very glamorous friends. I love dressing them up and making fashion videos in cemeteries around Berlin.

My advice for anyone getting started is just to start. I think a lot of people are so overwhelmed by the big launch that they forget to put one foot in front of the other, consistency is key.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Absolutely, in the beginning I really wanted to make clothing items. I started with these jackets that I just loved.

They were vegan leather biker jackets with big vegan snakeskin collars and blood red velvet lining. They were a LOT of work. I was just getting started and had no money, so there was no way of having them put into production.
These pieces would take me up to five days to make and I just couldn’t work out a way to make them profitable.

Over time I paired down to doing vests/waistcoats and from there I moved into accessories only. I could still be in charge of production as I’d wanted and the mark up was much better.

I think it’s important to be flexible and to notice early on when something isn’t working. I feel like I’ve hit a real sweet spot over the past couple of years where I really know what my customer wants.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tommyvowles.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/tommyvowles

Image Credits
image_6487327-2.JPG Model Credit – Jannike Viveka image_6487327-8.JPG Model Credit – Eve Pain image_6487327.JPG Model Credit. – Jewel Janel