Uni friends quit 9 to 5 jobs to build £3m fashion business

An entrepreneurial duo have opened up about their impressive journey from the routine 9 to 5 grind to establishing a booming £3m fashion empire, gaining the attention of celebrities such as ‘Top Boy’ star Ashley Walters and comedian Romesh Ranganathan.

Julian Osborne, formerly a brand management employee, alongside operations manager Sam Mantle, made the bold move to leave their conventional careers behind and found Batch LDN just a few years ago.

Friends from university, the 29-year-olds met at university and bonded over their love for clubbing. They shared a determination to work hard in their early years to secure their future and, now, they’ve turned their dreams into reality.

BATCH LDN is a fashion brand specialising in casual, lifetime investment suits with a focus on sustainability and affordability. Unlike the usual quality suits that retail for £800, Julian and Sam’s start from just £395.

“From a young age, I had a passion and interest in fashion,” said co-founder Julian, who hails from Newcastle but now lives and works in London.

“I went through all the typical teenage stages: from dressing in an emo-style with skinny red jeans and Vans; to wearing Topman buttoned-up polo shirts.

“I always wanted to spend more on clothes but with a children’s budget which isn’t very much I had to dress as interesting as I could within my own means.

“Being able to manifest this passion into a career is a dream come true. People doubted us in the early stages, questioning if there was a market for our brand.”

“But you’ll always meet people like that and what truly matters is how you manage those opinions.”

While Julian had an innate flair for fashion from his youth, Sam harboured dreams of racing as an F1 driver before pivoting towards entrepreneurship.

Post-university, they each honed their skills at two different startups, one in the underwear sector and the other in beverages, gaining crucial insights into marketing, finance, and the startup world. Yet, they yearned for a more harmonious work-life balance.

Julian confessed: “I was a bit worried about setting up a business with one of my best friends, but we balance each other out so well. Sam is more of a thinker and I’m more of a doer. Our close relationship has also made us more accountable for our actions.

“It’s harder to be a s**t friend than a s**t colleague having this respect for one another feeds into the business.”

The entrepreneurial pair embarked on their venture with self-funding, pooling savings and securing modest loans from relatives, including contributions from Sam’s father and Julian’s grandmother.

However, the journey wasn’t without its hurdles, they had to secure a production partner capable of crafting the suits and a designer who was able to actualise their vision.

But the burning question remains why suits?

Julian stated: “The traditional suit has become outdated. Our goal was to create a product that solves the problem of what to wear when you want to look good.”

“We’ve all been there; wardrobe paralysis is a real thing. This is a suit you know you’re going to get compliments on and it’s more affordable.”

“Sam and I wouldn’t have considered ourselves conscious shoppers before but we wanted to also facilitate a way for people like us to shop more sustainably.”

“It’s not always a strong enough motivating factor to buy clothes so we’ve combined this factor alongside price and quality.”

Batch LDN’s suits are made-to-order with a delivery time of up to eight weeks. But the entrepreneur duo claim this reduces waste, overproduction and dead stock, with lower costs involved, which they return to the customer by selling at a lower price.

Currently, they cater to both men and women, from ages 17 until 70, selling online and in their flagship store, which is soon moving to London’s Covent Garden.

This financial year, they’ll have made £400,000 in revenue their highest takings to date and will soon have a collection of overcoats to widen Batch’s offering.

Their long-term vision is to expand into the US, continuing to develop their core range and to grow their current team of five.

Sharing some advice for others who may want to follow in their footsteps, Julian said: “Make sure your business is solving a problem and has a good story behind it.”

“If you have the resources, just go for it but having experience of working under people first is important. Be patient and don’t expect success to happen overnight.”

“If Batch LDN was to fail tomorrow, I’m delighted with how far we’ve taken it already, that I wouldn’t be upset. Work doesn’t have to be the be all and end all just learn to enjoy life and not take it too seriously success can fit in around you.”

“We’re just getting started.”