OtherWorld Fashion is an Alternative Clothing online store located in Australia founded by Utku Senyuva and Victoria Sublette.
Otherworld Fashion is not your average daywear clothing store, selling generic boring designs that can be found at any chain retailer; this is a place for all lovers of alternative fashion to find clothing and accessories that matches their unique fashion needs. Operating out of Brisbane, this Australian online retailer offers unique clothing from a range of subcultures including Punk, Gothic, Steampunk, Victorian, Pirate and more! With an ever-growing need for high quality clothing and accessories that fit into these niche markets, Otherworld Fashion is proud to offer a range of clothing, makeup and accessories that is not only vegan-friendly, but size inclusive for all to enjoy!
For both the owners and their customers who live and breathe alternative lifestyles and exist outside of what others consider normal, the store is aptly named and ideal for exploring a life beyond the ordinary.
A Passion-Project Turned Successful Store
For founders Utku and Victoria, opening an online fashion boutique was a natural step in the progression of their love of alternative fashion. When looking around Sydney for the perfect outfit to wear to a Gothic themed party, it was obvious that there was a huge gap in the market begging to be filled. While Victoria was able to find some women’s Gothic items that suited her purpose with relative ease, Utku struggled to find men’s Gothic clothing that was more than just simple black items that could only be worn by the average-sized consumer. Although Utku himself was eventually able to source his own exciting Gothic items, the obvious lack of interesting designs and inclusive sizing options led to Victoria and Utku researching clothing brands that offered alternative style clothing for plus size men. Finding suppliers that shared their vision for dynamic Gothic fashion, Victoria and Utku set to work creating the Otherworld Fashion brand. Debuting with a range of impressive styles, the store quickly gained a following and started a sensation.
Growth Leads to Expansion
With a loyal male customer base and an increased demand for similar women’s styles, Victoria and Utku decided to indulge their passion for fashion further and take the plunge to expand Otherworld Fashion to include a women’s collection of Punk, Gothic, and Steampunk clothing. Offering skirts and sexy dresses, tops, jackets, and more, the new range of women’s alternative fashion was an immediate hit and led to an influx of female customers searching for their latest cosplay, every day, and special occasion outfits. Now offering both men and women’s styles, plus size options, as well as accessories such as hats and gloves, Otherworld Fashion had developed a reputation as being a bold and inclusive brand with a penchant for the unusual. For Victoria and Utku, this success marked a new and important phase in their business; the opportunity to branch out once again and launch Otherworld Fashion’s sister company, Otherworld Shoes.
Otherworld Shoes brings alternative footwear to Australian shores
Among the first in the country to sell the world-famous Pleaser footwear, Otherworld Shoes offers the perfect shoe styles to compliment any outfit offered by Otherworld Fashion. A proud vegan and supporter of animal rights, Victoria’s passion for cruelty-free footwear is evident in this assortment of Pleaser, Demonia, Funtasma, Bordello, and Devious footwear that allows every customer to cater to their love of alternative shoes without compromising their values. With a range including women’s styles in men’s sizes, unisex styles, wide width options, and more, Otherworld Shoes is a solid addition to the Otherworld brand that further allows consumers to indulge their love of alternative style without compromising on quality. From costume shoes and special occasion footwear to pole dancer platforms and sexy office styles, Otherworld Shoes continues Victoria and Utku’s desire to make the alternative accessible to everyone
With popularity comes challenge
By creating a multifaceted brand, Utku and Victoria have built a company that thrives on the unusual, the alternative, and the otherworldly. A niche in the fashion market that has been steadily gaining popularity for the last decade with no sign of slowing down in sight, this business is a powerhouse in alternative fashion that continues to grow and reach new heights. However, this doesn’t make Otherworld Fashion immune to challenges within the market. The biggest challenge faced by Otherworld Fashion, much like other small fashion brands in Australia, is the current prevalence of copycat companies from overseas offering low-quality reproductions of popular items. With stores based in China and India mass-producing cheap products and stealing product images for mass listings on eBay and Amazon, customers are tricked into buying items that are badly made and not at all to the standard Otherworld Fashion offers.
While these challenges can be difficult to navigate, they are also an opportunity for growth and creative thinking. Within the fashion market, fast fashion is a strong competitor to almost all retailers. For small business, it can be even more daunting to overcome the pressures of consumer demands. However, for Otherworld Fashion owner Utku, a challenge is merely an opportunity to learn something new. Thanks to consistency as a trusted retailer within a niche market, Otherworld Fashion has continued to rise in popularity and maintain a steady stream of online revenue. With the items available almost exclusively from their online platforms hard to find in physical stores, and by offering fast shipping worldwide, Otherworld Fashion and Otherworld Shoes have cornered the market and become one of the premium online fashion retailers for alternative fashion in Australia.
Maintaining consistency is the key to success
The ultimate advice Utku offers to fellow entrepreneurs wanting to run their own business is that consistency is important; “if you believe in your business, no matter what the focus, work on it every day.”
This dedication to your growing business, as well as a healthy dose of realism, is the greatest way to find happiness and success with your growing business. When starting a new venture, it is important to remember how much work you will really need to put in to get rewarded further in your journey. Know that there will not be an immediate income from your new venture; this isn’t the most important aspect to concentrate on. Instead, focus on working towards your goal, growing your network, adding more steps to your plan every day, and from there you will be on a pathway to success.
The path is long, but worth it
Since its creation, Otherworld Fashion has been run by dedicated owners who are open to evolving, changing course with the tide, and learning new things. For Utku, the core values of the business have remained the same while he has strived to elevate the store to new heights. For him, this means never stop learning; research your product and customers every day, maintain an eye on your competitors, study other successful companies and try to understand what they are doing to achieve their goals, and find ways to implement new tools for success.
Most importantly, says Utku, you must always remember that the customers are the driving force behind the success of any retail venture. Drawing customers to your store is the first goal you need to achieve, but more importantly keeping your customers happy is the key to long term success. By providing the best customer service possible, you can not only attract customers, but also keep them returning to you in the long term for repeat business. A happy customer is the key to success; even in cases where you lose money, a content customer is one who will come back again because of their confidence in you as a retailer. For Utku, the stellar reputation held by both Otherworld Fashion and Otherworld Shoes has been vital to maintaining momentum as an alternative fashion store. Through this reputation, countless opportunities have opened and led to new and exciting adventures as a business owner.
Owning a business is a long and exciting road, filled with both speedbumps and periods of easy cruising. There will be times of great stress, but there will also be times when you celebrate the success you achieve. At Otherworld Fashion, hard work and dedication to the store has led to a steady and consistent rise in success that continues to be a source of pride for the owners.
Otherworld Fashion was built on a love for all things alternative shared by Victoria and Utku; a founding passion that created a solid base for which the business could be built upon. With time and experience, Otherworld Fashion has continued to grow and develop into the fabulous business it is today without losing that initial spark of joy and creativity. This central theme of love for the unusual has drawn other like-minded individuals to the store in the form of customers who turned into friends and has helped build a community. From sponsoring the annual Gothic picnic in Brisbane to cultivating friendships on social media, Otherworld Fashion is more than a business; it is a hub for like-minded lovers of alternative style to find their place within a community.
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