Today we’d like to introduce you to Merel Petri.
Hi Merel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Universeel Mooi started from a personal need. After years of working in fashion and a life of shopping too much, I could never find interesting tops that were flattering for my body. Any woman with a full chest knows the struggle – most tops just don’t work: they’re too tight, too revealing, too boxy, and the list goes on. I knew exactly what I needed – a top that was form-fitting, comfortable but sculpting, a design that emphasized my curves without making me feel overexposed, highlighted my waist and had a slight crop so I never had to “tuck-in” (or cut up) anything again. It took almost two years between designing the perfect shirt in my head and realizing I couldn’t find it anywhere that I decided it was time to make it myself.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Definitely not. My biggest mistake so far was during the first production process. There’s so much to learn and my professional experience before starting the company was all on the creative and marketing side, not the operational side, so building that skill set is a whole new world. For the first drop, I produced in NYC and was learning everything as I was doing it. I knew how I wanted to do things, but I had no idea how to make it happen. My vision has always been to produce on-demand to eliminate waste and build a new way of doing things where brands can create intentionally and in a more customized way. I see it as a modern form of couture, but way more accessible in terms of cost. A few incredible and experienced friends helped me figure out the first round of production, but I definitely didn’t feel like I was in a position to push back on how things were done. So, I ended up producing in a pretty standard way, allocating sizes based on instinct rather than true demand, which led me to miss sales in certain sizes and sit on inventory in other sizes. It made me really frustrated with myself because I knew I rushed things and was too removed, but it also led me to completely overhaul production and end up in LA. Now, I’m working hands-on to build the infrastructure I want with the help of some industry pros.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Universeel Mooi is a destination for things that add beauty to your life. The brand launched at the end of 2021 with a universally flattering wrap top. Since then, we created a dreamy halter, a vintage vertical of one-of-a-kind pieces and a custom design atelier for special occasions.
All of our clothes are made-to-order using deadstock and/or recycled fabric in limited quantities to reduce waste and limit over-saturation. Everything is produced in-house in LA with full transparency to make sure workers are paid livable wages and have safe conditions and 10% of everything we make is donated.
I think what sets us apart is that from the beginning, I’ve designed alongside our community. I think customers should also be stakeholders and that’s the direction fashion is going. This mindset has really built the business, listening to and learning from the people that support the brand. It brings the business back to the people, which has always been my motivation, to serve people so they can feel so confident that they’re unstoppable. This also makes me the most proud because it constantly puts me in positions where I have to choose between what’s right and what’s easier.
How do you think about luck?
So, I used to call it luck but now I realize everything that’s happened to push my business forward (or hold it back) is all attributed to divine timing. There are so many things that have happened since I started that I can’t explain and I think calling it luck minimizes how meaningful these moments have been. For example, I found my current production partners, who have experience building the exact on-demand production model I want to build because of my best friend since I was five years old, who is a comedy writer with absolutely no experience in fashion. It makes no sense but also perfect sense if you know what I mean.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.universeelmooi.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/universeel.mooi/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@universeel.mooi?lang=en
Image Credits
Photos labeled. Tan halter top = Felton Kizer Purple wrap top = Dylan Lapierre Black halter top = Momodou N’jie Black wrap top = Mollana Burke Teal wrap top = Felton Kizer Baby blue wrap top = Merel Petri
