One of Australia’s most popular size-inclusive brands will open its first store in Westfield in a matter of weeks, leaving customers gasping.
Brittney Saunders, from Newcastle, NSW, started FAYT The Label five years ago at the height of her YouTube popularity to combine her fashion and business savvy.
The 29-year-old had started vlogging on the social networking site as a teenager.
“I never thought about it at the time, it was just just for fun, but it completely snowballed in my early 20s and got me to where I am today,” he told news.com.au.
“I got a bit of backlash and bullying from peers in high school when I was making the videos, a few tears were shed when I was going home some days, but something in me told me to keep going no matter what people thought.
“Everything I’ve ever done really came out of a random idea, I see myself as a risk taker and I also believe that everything happens for a reason.”
As her final years of school approached, the social media star realized that school and college were not for her.
She joked that she only stayed in year 11 because her friends still worked at the school.
“I was more interested in going out and making money, so I dropped out of school and worked as a waitress five days a week,” she said.
“I definitely didn’t think about my future at the time, all I saw was dollar signs instead of sitting in school, but I don’t regret it!”
Over the years, Brittney has gained a following, amassing a million subscribers on the video platform YouTube before moving on to sites like Instagram.
It was during this time that he had a brilliant idea for a fashion brand while working with other brands to promote their items in trial purchases on his channel.
“I’ve always had that entrepreneurial mindset and I knew I wanted to do something epic with my career, saying that when I started FAYT, I never could have imagined it would be where it is today.”
The brand, now five years old, caters from size 6 to 24, with some items expanding to size 26, something Brittney believes should be standard across clothing labels.
She added that as a curvy woman, she knows how difficult it can be to find a wardrobe staple like a pair of jeans.
“To put it plain and simple at this point, I don’t understand why inclusion of size isn’t important for all brands, it should be easy enough and not an excuse anymore, especially for larger companies,” he said.
“People deserve to feel included and safe when it comes to shopping both online and in-store, it’s not rocket science.
“In saying that, we are not claiming to fully include size, as we currently make our parts in sizes 6-24AU and have started to roll out size 26AU; There is always room for growth and inclusion goes way beyond size too, but I like to believe we are on the right track and as a brand we are always looking for ways to be more inclusive across the board.”
She said all of the styles FAYT has are exclusive to them, designed by Brittney and a member of the team who model everything on the 29-year-old’s curves.
“This was key for me when I started the brand, instead of using a size 4/6 model to design the clothes, I measure all the patterns so that, whether it’s a 14 or a 6 or a 24, there are curves included so that everyone the items are flattering and show off every area of the body,” she said.
And that sentiment is a reality as Brittney uses her own body to help design the label’s most popular item: Billy jeans, which single-handedly generated FAYT six figures.
She said that as a curvy woman, she knows the plight of going from store to store to find a pair of jeans that flatters every part of her lower body.
The label also uses women from the local Newcastle area to model the label’s clothing for social media, using identifiable body types to showcase the clothing.
But now the brand is taking a big step with the opening of a store in Westfield Miranda, based in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire, after Brittney stepped up to the hub.
The label is currently mostly online, with a store in Maryville, a suburb of Newcastle, but this would be a big step forward for FAYT.
“I feel like this is just the beginning for FAYT,” he said.
“I want to open stores all over the country and, who knows, maybe even go international one day.
“The best thing about opening a store is getting to know our customers who might have shopped with us online to offer them an even more personalized experience.
“Our community is very important to us, so it’s nice to finally meet so many new faces!”
Customers were delighted by the news, with dozens asking when a store would arrive at their local mall.
“I have seen you from the point of view of YouTube videos, to multiple clothing brands, to a cafe, on every trip. Man, I’m so proud of you,” one person said.
Another added: “Can’t wait to shop just 1 hour away! I’ll allow a few hours to try everything on, get out of my comfort zone in style, etc., and invest in a few pieces!”
“Dropped by the other day and was so happy to see it opening at my local hub,” said another.