Divine Society
Divine Society is a Melbourne born and bred streetwear brand developed by founder Liam Easton of Diamond Valley College.
Problem: Streetwear brands have become very expensive and many teenagers cannot afford to buy.
Solution: Create a Melbourne based streetwear brand that is both fashionable, affordable and accessible to teenagers.
Website: Divine Society Instagram
Student Start-up Journey:
Liam entered the Student Start-up journey with a good understanding of the market in which he planning to launch a new venture. He has a passion for urban streetwear but also realised there were many barriers for people his age to afford the clothing on a casual student wage.
The focus for the practical component of the Student Start-up journey was for Divine Society to launch an initial run of one product, being a hoodie, to see what market response was received. Liam went through the process of learning about sourcing plain clothing, and the printing process by working with Melbourne Innovation Centre start-up Machines Plus, an expert screen printing company.
Student Start-up is about engaging expertise to assist with launching a venture, Liam engaged a Melbourne fashion designer to undertake initial concept design for Divine Society’s first product. Through this process Liam was able to develop a brief, liaise with the designer, and after a few iterations produce their first product.
Liam utilised his local network to test his assumptions on design, pricing and brand. With this feedback he was able to provide a concept design to gauge interest and presales.
Having the opportunity to learn from some Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs through Student Start-up, Liam gained insights into the life of a serial entrepreneurs, most importantly the constant drive to appeal to customers and solve genuine market problems.
Liam delivered a killer pitch on the final Pitch Night showing his passion for his brand and a deep level of understanding of the lean start-up methodology. Student Start-up mentors are looking forward to watching the brand grow, particularly through platforms such as Instagram, and continuing to work with Liam’s authentic passion for affordable, quality streetwear to gain a strong following.