LIKE most of us, Imogen Evans found herself with plenty of free time on her hands when the Coronavirus pandemic began.
The now 23-year-old had just moved back in with her parents in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was on the hunt for a full-time job after leaving her job as a live-in nanny.
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But a year on, the scot’s life has changed massively, as she now runs her own fashion label, with pieces worn by Doja Cat, Madonna, and Selling Sunset’s Christine Quinn.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Imogen reveals how her side hustle paid off – and is now earning her up to five figures a month.
HELPING HAND
“When the pandemic hit, I wanted to help in some way and I knew there were a few scrubs groups across Scotland, so I tried to contact them and join.
“But they said that they were full, and they didn’t want or need any more seamstresses.
“I just wanted to check, so I rang local hospitals, and they said they were still in desperate need, so I was like, ‘okay, I’m just going to start my own group.’
“I put ads on Nextdoor and Facebook, and what started as a handful of people in Edinburgh turned into five different scrub groups in various locations across Scotland. We had about 80 seamstresses.
“I was cutting all the fabric in the hallway.
“Then I was stitching it – my dad made one of the rooms in our house a temporary office, so I’d have to fit in there with him.
“Any time someone was speaking on a Zoom call, I wouldn’t be allowed, so I’d have to do it intermittently.
The group made more than 250 pairs of scrubs, distributed to hospitals and medical centres across Scotland.
And while Imogen was still pretty new to sewing, this wasn’t a random decision.
She’d had some experience in the fashion industry, having studied for a Fashion Design diploma in Milan, and had always dreamed of running her own brand.
“I knew I wanted to start a brand, I just didn’t know how to do it.
“That’s when I decided to practise sewing so that I could start a brand by hand making every single piece and just grow really, really slowly.
“So I just practised every single day for five months.
“Finally I felt I was ready and confident enough to start my own brand, so I did.
“I designed my website, I did my own branding and then went from there.
“I worked part-time for a year, just as a side hustle.
“I used to spend 30 hours a week on it – now I spend 15 hours, six days a week.
“Now monthly, we do anywhere between four or five figures.
“I’m just really proud of the fact that I’ve grown this with basically no capital. It’s just putting in time and effort.
“I’ve gone down a different path to what 15-year-old me [thought], but I’m really proud of how I’ve done it.”
Imi Studios now releases up to four small, online capsule collections a year, each more bold and bright than the next.
The sustainable brand now has a following of more than 57,000 followers on TikTok and various big-name celebrities have worn her pieces.
“Christine Quinn from Selling Sunset, Snoochie Shy.
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“I’ve made some custom pieces for Doja Cat.
“My pieces were also worn by Madonna’s backup dancers at Madonna X Pride.
“[But] I think the coolest moment was when I collaborated with Depop. I literally cold-emailed them.
“It was a content collaboration – they gave me the task of creating an outfit out of waste, [and] it got more than 21,000 views.”
In terms of what’s next for the brand, Imogen’s focused on growing her team.
“I love collaborating with people, so I would love to have a bigger team of young creatives.
“I’d also love to champion people like myself who haven’t been to uni, who haven’t gone down the traditional path.
“My advice – utilise social media, because it’s basically free marketing.
“Apps like TikTok can seriously transform your business.”
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