Back in high school, Maria Lucia Hohan’s dream was global distribution, a well-known brand and unique products. In recent years, his dream seems to have come true as he has designed dresses for several Hollywood celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Eva Gloria and Nicole Kidman. Apart from his dresses being worn by singers and actresses, his creations are available in more than 90 partner stores around the globe, with 90% of the sales being international.
How Did It Start?
Maria Lucia Hohan established MLH the brand in 2003, as an investment of 800 euros. He borrowed this money from his father and used it to purchase two sewing machines. As he came up with the business plan, he thought it would materialize in six months. He started the business with a few resources, but he knew he wanted to have global distribution, a well-known brand.
Maria started his business after completing school at CREAPOLE – Ecole superieure de design industriel in Paris and at LISAA. He had also worked for Krizia, a fashion house under the founder’s guidance. When he started the business, Maria says that the most difficult part was finding clients, but over time, this stopped being a problem. By 2013, the brand’s number of clients had tripled, and he decided to expand a lot in Europe, the USA, Russia, Brazil, Australia and North Africa.
Taking Advantage of the Online Platform
Customers can buy Maria Lucia Hohan’s products from his showroom via the mlh-shop.com website. There are also 90 partner shops around the globe with an online presence. The website was launched in 2004, and back then, Maria confesses he didn’t have the experience needed, but he had the product. Back then, he focused on how to package the product and present it. Everything took off well, and up to date, the website has brought in so much income to MLH.
When asked about expansions on other things other than the women’s segment, he responded that everything ought to follow step by step. The brand has so many plans in place, but first, the main focus remains on organizing the production so that all things are possible in future.
