In this empowering episode, Womenpreneur Asia delves into the remarkable entrepreneurial journey of Helen Tan, the co-founder of Doublewoot Fashion, a thriving Malaysian online fashion label based in Penang, Malaysia.
Established in 2005 by Helen and her sister Helene, Doublewoot initially emerged as a pre-loved clothing shop on Blogspot, gradually blossoming into a sustainable global brand over 18 years.
Helen’s journey unfolds against the backdrop of her initial pursuit of medicine, ultimately leading to a passion for multimedia design and marketing fashion that resonates with her artistic inclinations.
Family, including Helen’s supportive husband, plays an integral role in the Doublewoot story.
Our episode candidly explores the challenges faced by Doublewoot during the tumultuous COVID pandemic, unveiling the brand’s innovative (and crazy) strategies, including the temporary sale of moon cakes and bubble tea, to navigate through uncertain times.
A central focus of our interview is the pivotal role of influencer marketing in Doublewoot’s success. I encouraged her to speak about this to show you how a fashion entrepreneur such as Helen uses this to grow her fashion business.
Helen shares the approach – underscoring the authenticity and organic collaboration, revealing the trial-and-error nature of outreach efforts and the value of PR gifting and seeding. It’s not always successful but more often than not, it is successful as Doublewoot is a well-known brand. The significance of this approach is that she connects with influencers who truly appreciate the brand including those who are also Doublewoot customers.
Offline events and brand collaborations take center stage in Helen’s strategy, leveraging the influencer network for a comprehensive online and offline presence. We also spoke about Helen’s unique naming convention for clothing items, the brand’s emphasis on product quality, storytelling and the brand’s clever and creative marketing approaches.
Helen generously imparts advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs in the fashion industry emphasizing the keys to success— passion, trusting the journey and most importantly, finding purpose.
Her motto, “We are all phenomenal women and unique in our ways, so don’t be afraid to be you as that’s your superpower,” is all about embracing individuality and strength.
Throughout the conversation, Helen expresses her deep admiration for the inspiring women in her life, particularly her hardworking mother, her kind and motivating sister Helene, and all strong women unafraid to speak up against societal norms.
Helen is unconventional in her ideas and thinking and this is further emphasized by her naming her favourite book, “It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be” by Paul Arden.
We conclude the interview with a poignant revelation – despite her success in the online fashion industry and her cult-like status for her biggest fans and followers which you can see on her Instagram — Helen says that her proudest moment is still being a mom to her two children.
Her dedication to raising two kids while steering her online fashion business through the pandemic may not have been easy but she made it through the tough times.
Her resilience and fighting spirit encapsulates the spirit of Womenpreneur Asia, inspiring listeners to embrace their uniqueness and navigate their entrepreneurial journeys with courage and authenticity even in times of turmoil and trouble.