Today we’d like to introduce you to Kay Sides.
Hi Kay, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hi, I have the great privilege of owning one of the largest multi-line fashion agencies in the US and locations in NY, LA and Dallas. We have the great honor of helping build and manage some of the most successful contemporary and young designer brands for the US and international markets.
My journey of ROAM is a really truthful and personal one. 5 years ago, I couldn’t find what I was searching for in the market – a fashionable, casual, cool footwear option that was super comfortable, conscious, and diverse for all styles and multiple end uses throughout my busy day. As a former, ballerina, athlete, yogi, adventure sports aficionado, comfort and support are super important to me. Most options provided little to no support, or if they did they were not the most stylish…
So, I decided to create ROAM.
Blessed to grow up in Hawaii and still live their part of the year, and being an avid climber, surfer, hiker I spend as much time as I can outdoors and have always had a huge love and passion for Mother Earth. ROAM couldn’t just be a cool product, but it had to be a conscious one.
I had the great fortune to find an amazing RTW factory that understood the details, luxury vegan fabrications I wanted to use and are meticulous about production and standards. We started with wholesale since that was our wheelhouse first, then slowly grew our online DTC business and recently opened our first retail store in the Glen centre in Bel Air.
When we started wholesaling, we didn’t ask any favors of our retailers. I know more than anyone that if a product can’t stand alone in being amazing in quality and integrity, it will not go far at all. To ensure this, we didn’t tell anyone it was my brand – it was and continues to be very important that everything is genuine, organic, and authentic. That same philosophy is true for influencers we work with – we have never paid for influencer alignment but choose to work with individuals that genuinely connect and resonate with the brand and the products and wear them consistently!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I took my time and let each stage grow organically… the biggest struggle for any manufacturer is balancing inventory. In the beginning all small brands are faced with the same potential issue – higher minimums and no crystal ball. Footwear is a category that a lot can go left since you have so much depth due to size scale. Gratefully it’s been pretty smooth, and I continue to just get more and more strategic each season.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about ROAM?
We specialize in fashionable, conscious, and ultra-comfortable footwear.
What sets us apart is our unique and conscious styles. We were the first to create the puffy slide – I got that idea from a vintage shoe I saw that had a portion of it puffed.
Every season, we stay true to ourselves so there is a clear lane that we are always connected to visually and the actual experience of comfort in wearing our footwear. I am so proud of the work we have put in to create a conscious shoe brand creating as little impact as possible. From our:
-Certifiable BIO EVA outsole made from sugarcane
-Certifiable recycled packaging
-All vegan in-market luxury fabrications so no animals are harmed, and we are not contributing to the massive waste problem fashion creates
There honestly is so much more I want to do, but creating certifiable sustainable choices in production takes a lot of time and strategy, and sometimes I spend a lot of time just to arrive at a cool corn material, I found out how to sample but requires 10000 units.
So, then it’s back to the drawing board.
We also really pride ourselves in our efficiency and service. For a small business, all of our online orders go out that day unless it’s 5 pm or later, then it goes the next day. We respond and answer every DM, email and personally email our customers immediately who has any question or issue. I also put in so much time and energy in our shoots and visual communication, which I think really shows the diversity and wearability of our products.
And mostly I am so proud of the positive and healthy work environments that both my agency and ROAM have. I am an owner that is an operator, so I just see myself as another teammate on the team – we all work together and support one another, and I feel so grateful to work side by side with so many bright, amazing people that really genuinely are so passionate about ROAM!
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Have unwavering trust in myself. In the beginning, not everyone understood my idea, and it was totally fine – if you need to have everyone’s approval, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it. Anytime something went left was when I tried to fit a circle into a square a little too much. That can be with people or outside services. If it doesn’t feel right – it’s okay – just speak up and be kind and respectful and move forward. You have to stay true to you and that doesn’t mean everything is going to work out, but it still feels good to own it and be fully accountable.
Also, I don’t take myself so seriously and have people on my team I really trust and value. I am not a sensitive person, so I am the first person to shout out if I feel something is tired or not fresh – I am always pushing the team to switch up their thinking, how we are approaching something, so we all continue to get better and better every season – or at least that’s the goal.
Contact Info:
- Website: Roamwears.com
- Instagram: @roamwears
