2021 was a big year for Shennel Fuller, the founder and CEO of Miles and Milan – a luxury children’s clothing brand. Miles and Milan’s public profile exploded in 2021, with shoutouts in Oprah’s Favorite Things 2021, The Today Show, and Who What Wear. But, as Fuller will tell you, the real work started long before the media attention rolled in. Fuller – a former retail buyer for Converse, 7 For All Mankind, and Levi Strauss and Co., – launched Miles and Milan five years ago out of personal frustration with the baby clothes options available to her at the time.
“Children’s clothes, for as long as they’ve been created, have always been gendered identified. Either it’s ballerinas for little girls and pink tutus or firetrucks and baseballs for boys. My goal was really to kind of disrupt that and say that, you know, children and parenting is a complete blank canvas, and you kind of learn as you go. So, why not start with a great foundation that can allow you to build up your children’s wardrobe?” Fuller explained to Tech It Anywhere about the company’s beginnings.
With that goal in mind, she got to work building a brand that could connect with parents who shared her personal aesthetics. But, unlike many startup founders spend a lot of time developing complex product offerings and pitching investors, Fuller took a more pragmatic approach.
“My true background is, I’ve been a buyer for corporate retail for over 10, 15 years. I’ve worked with some very large name brands with Converse and 7 For All Mankind and Levi’s and did a little bit of consulting on the side. So, you know, it’s, there is a straight way to do it, where it’s like you either hire showroom and you go to shows and things like that, but I didn’t do that right away.” she explained.
Instead, she bootstrapped the company in the early days, focusing heavily on making a small line of high-quality items. In fact, Fuller spent a year designing only two products: a onesie for a girl and a onesie for a boy. These products resonated deeply with parents and quickly established her reputation in the boutique baby clothes market.
“It became a cult following. I didn’t really spend very heavily in marketing at all, and it just got picked up by real-life moms,” Fuller said.
Over the years, Miles and Milan built a quiet and loyal following through word of mouth. So, even Fuller was surprised by the boom in mainstream press coverage the brand received in 2021.
“I would present myself, I would give my elevator pitch, and before I know it, people would start to write articles about me. And then it just continued to snowball. I was putting myself out of my comfort zone but at the same time the product was speaking for itself, ” she added.
2022 Plans
In 2022, Fuller has her sights set on a new challenge: amplifying her brand’s recognition beyond the coastal cities. With all the media attention, the company has seen increased sales and inquiries from the Mid West and Fuller is hoping to strengthen her brand’s relationship with moms from all parts of the country. Right now, Miles and Milan is sold in Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. The company has also partnered with popular subscription services Stitch Fix and The Dopple, as well as the online retailer Maisonette.
As to how the brand will be tackling 2022, Fuller explains:
“Definitely developing and trying to figure out the next brand partnerships that are coming our way. Because a lot of people are knocking on our doors. So, finding out how do we continue to build new partnerships with wholesale brands, and continue to work with the ones that we have, but make sure that they’re complementary,” she elaborates.
