These influencers publish an average of almost 40 million posts daily (Quoted from: digitalinasia.com, numbers from Sept 2022 to Oct 2022)! Sichuan-born Royce choose an approach outside of China to make her products seen. We talked to her via Zoom after she just had moved into her new apartment in Manchester, UK.
Ladies Drive: Royce, what is your business all about?
Royce: Luxury nightwear. I founded Luxelumy as a flashy luxury fashion brand that is supposed to make the customers feel chic, adventurous and a bit sexy, too.
What was your professional journey until you founded your own company?
I worked as a social media intern at a fashion magazine, then at a global communications agency and later at Huawei. In 2020 I got my Brand Strategy and Management bachelor’s degree at the Institute of Swiss International Branding ISIB in Shanghai, which is led by Swiss professor Florin Baeriswyl.
He actually is the one who connected us and in one of your posts you talk about how much Prof. Baeriswyl shaped your idea and how many wonderful learnings you had. Can you point out one major learning?
The thing that I remember the most is when he said, when you are talking, keep things short, sharp, simple. And that’s it. I still talk a lot because I’m still young, but I try to live up to that advice.
Did you found Luxelumy in China?
I started it in the UK. It’s pretty easy in the UK because it only takes 12 British Pounds to register a company. If you have a residency here and you have an apartment, you can just register this company at your apartment.
Why UK of all countries in the world?
After graduating from ISIB, I went to the University of Manchester and got my master’s in International Fashion Marketing in 2022. Have to admit, that I wasn’t present much, but graduated anyway …
What made you start Luxelumy?
I had already started a project named Wemay, a platform to sell only artificial intelligence products from home, designed the layout for the app, dreamed big with my co-partner every day, got drunk with potential investors. The project failed, but we had 20–100,000 followers each. I left for Manchester then to start university, worked at a vape company and just wanted to make as much money as the man I was dating at that time. So, I thought about how and founded Luxelumy. I registered trademarks in America, the EU, and also the UK and China. I wanted it to grow big, make it big outside, then bring it back to China.
Why that procedure?
Because when I bring it back to China, I want people to see this as an international brand built by a Chinese woman. But for now, I still need a lot of money to start all these plans.
How did you find money to start in the first place?
My first stage, it was money from my mother. Normally she doesn’t do this. When I registered the company, I was so super happy, that I posted 100 contents on my WeChat moment, that’s like posting 100 stories on your Instagram. So everybody could see that I’m crazy, super excited. And then my mum saw that and maybe she got touched or impressed, whatever. She gave me like 25,000 British pounds. With that I started to organise some shoots and then order some products.
Is your mother a businesswoman back in China?
She invests. My mom doesn’t do business. She just works in a hospital.
Is she a role model to you?
She’s not, she’s not my role model.
Who is?
The woman in the mirror.
Who is your target group?
I don’t know exactly who they are. But to me, I think there are girls like me, they’re a little bit crazy. They are really, really proud about themselves. I want them to buy to be my target audience. I want them to sleep in really comfortable nightwear and in a nice mood because they know they are beautiful when they’re sleeping. That is the message I want to pass on with my brand.
You sent me a CV to prepare for this interview and you were very frankly saying that you want to create a crazy rich bitch image. Is that your idea of a modern image for a young woman like you?
Oh my god, you got me thinking. It’s just because this brand, it’s a little bit, in some ways, like me. And I’m crazy. I’m not rich yet, but I’m a bitch. I put everything I like into that brand as you see on my Instagram account. Reels where I like fast cars, expensive stuff like Rolex watches and or a gold car. I use that because I think it’s good. Maybe it’s a little too much?
It’s your brand, you’re the boss. What is your definition of a bitch then? Usually – at least from a European point of view – a bitch is somebody who is cheating, who is intervening behind your back, who is always trying to put you down to her advantage, somebody who’s going literally over dead bodies to get to where she wants to be. Not a woman that you want to have in your circle.
It’s not like that in my standard. Maybe it’s a good bitch. She wants to inspire people. She wants to help people, but she loves herself the most.
When you would give advice to readers who want – like you – build a start-up from scratch, what would be your most valuable advice? Not everybody can attend ISIB and listen to Professor Baeriswyl …
Well, first of all, don’t spend your money too quickly. You know, when I got the money from my mum, I behaved like I had already made it. I spent it in no time, just for my brand like booking models, photographers, makeup, makeup artists for my brand. It’s all for my brand, the shoot, the venue, the hotels, the cars, everything, it requires money – good content needs money. I didn’t do anything by myself. Maybe I enjoyed my life for a little bit, but then money goes quick. I used it up in one month.
What’s next?
I am working also on a jewellery brand, that one I will sell online to mostly Chinese followers. And I will visit my production partners for Luxelumy to make sure they work sustainably, because I found out that that’s important for European customers.
