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Episode #41

Selene Dior from Vitae Apparel

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In this episode of Beyond the Inbox, host Sam chats with Selene Dior, the founder of Vitae Apparel. Selene shares her journey of entrepreneurship, starting from the inception of her brand to its current success. She sheds light on the importance of influencer marketing, which contributes a significant 20% to her brand's revenue. Despite the challenges of filtering through a growing pool of influencers, Selene emphasizes the importance of partnering with those who have a strong, engaged community.

Selene also highlights the pivotal role Notion played in her company's growth. She fell in love with this tool four years ago and has since used it as the hub of information for her company, including everything from Employee Handbooks to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Despite the rapid scaling of her team and the challenges it brought, she acknowledges the need for a structured onboarding process and readily available SOPs for new hires.

The conversation then shifts to Vitae's mobile app, which contributes a notable 25-30% of the company's revenue. Selene explains that the app is more than a shopping platform - it's a resource center that supports customers' lifestyle and wellness habits. The app hosts exclusive campaigns, workout videos, cookbooks, and meditation tracks. Selene also shares the importance of push notifications, which are free for her team to use.

Selene also talks about her decision to become the face of her brand and the power of transparency and storytelling. She shares her struggles with burnout and financial challenges and emphasizes the importance of forming a personal connection with her community. Despite the initial reluctance and vulnerability, she acknowledges the benefits and the increased engagement it has brought to her brand.

The podcast concludes with a look into Vitae's future. Selene plans to pivot the brand towards wellness and launch a podcast featuring customer stories about overcoming mental health challenges and building self-confidence. She also shares her plans for rebranding Vitae to cater to an older demographic. Despite the many challenges and moving parts, Selene displays a clear vision for her brand and a deep understanding of her community.

Read the transcript:

Sam: Selene, welcome to Beyond the Inbox. Thank you so much for taking the time to join us.

Selene: Thank you for having me. I'm excited.

Sam: Can you tell us a little bit about Vitae Apparel and how it got started?

Selene: Yeah, I started when I was 18. I had just graduated high school, and I used to be a competitive swimmer. So when we first started, I was just kind of shopping online, looking for swimwear that was both functional but fashionable, and I couldn't really find anything that I liked on the market.

I also realized that, on the market, a lot of big players like Victoria's Secret at the time were just using models that looked like Victoria's Secret models. I didn't feel like I connected or was represented in that area. So I kind of vowed to myself that, okay, if I start a company, I want it to be inclusive and showcase different body types. That's kind of always been our main pillar.

We actually use our customers as our models on our website, so that's something that we're really proud of. And yeah, I kind of pivoted to athleisure as well. The end of 2018 was when we first launched our first collection of fitness apparel, and then it sold out immediately. It was really well received by our community, and ever since then, we kind of slowly pivoted to activewear. And here we are now.

Sam: I wanted to ask you about the pivot because you and I discussed it in the pre-interview. Can you talk about the decision and how it impacted the brand?

Selene: Yeah. I asked our community what else they wanted to see because we're from Vancouver, Canada, and summer is only three months out of the whole year here. I think there were going to be way better products and designs that I could provide to our community so that it's less seasonal for the business.

I just put up a poll and asked our community what they wanted to see, and they said they wanted to see more activewear. So I was like, okay, that makes sense. I used to train in activewear as well. So I started designing and then came up with our first collection at the end of 2018.

We launched it, and it sold out within a few minutes. The items weren't even here yet; it was kind of on preorder. Then I had to kind of recoup our cash and restock a month and a half out. Fitness wear was more expensive to make than swimwear. It also has a higher MOQ. We've been bootstrapped the whole way along, so we just kind of had to recoup our cash and then bring it back in stock a month and a half later.

I think our customers right now have kind of been trained in a way to purchase when we drop a new collection. They're really excited for it, or they purchase when we have a restock or a sale.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vitae Apparel and how did it start?
Vitae Apparel is an activewear brand founded by Selene Dior at age 18, just out of high school. A former competitive swimmer, she couldn't find swimwear that was both functional and fashionable, and didn't feel represented by brands like Victoria's Secret that only used a single model type. So she vowed to build an inclusive brand showcasing different body types, a pillar that still defines Vitae today.
What makes Vitae Apparel's approach to representation different?
It uses real customers as the models on its website, rather than a single idealized body type. This grew directly from Selene's own experience of not feeling connected to or represented by big swimwear brands, and inclusivity showcasing different body types remains the brand's main pillar. It's a concrete way to make the brand feel authentic and relatable to the community it serves.
Why did Vitae Apparel pivot from swimwear to activewear?
Because the community asked for it, and it made the business less seasonal. Based in Vancouver, where summer is only three months long, Selene wanted products that would sell year-round. She simply ran a poll asking her community what they wanted to see, and they said activewear, which also fit her own training background. She designed a first collection that launched at the end of 2018.
What happened when Vitae Apparel launched its first activewear collection?
It sold out within minutes, on preorder, before the stock had even arrived. Because fitness wear costs more to make than swimwear and carries a higher minimum order quantity, and Vitae has been bootstrapped throughout, Selene had to recoup cash and restock about a month and a half later. Listening to the community and pre-selling helped validate the pivot without overcommitting cash upfront.
How has Vitae Apparel trained its customers' buying behavior?
Around drops, restocks, and sales. Customers have learned to purchase when Vitae releases a new collection (which they get excited for) or when there's a restock or sale. That rhythm creates built-in demand moments and anticipation, a pattern that pairs well with email and SMS to notify the community the moment a new collection or restock goes live.