Labo archived

Labo was a venture I started with my sister Vanina to let creatives just create. The idea: a designer uploads a sketch; Labo turns it into a real product — 3D prototype, tech pack, all the production files — estimates a price, and lists it for sale. Only once enough orders come in (a quantity or time threshold) does the item actually go to production. The designer carries no upfront cost and earns a margin on every sale.

There were two paths through the platform: sell-through (Labo handles prototyping, sale, manufacturing, delivery, and pays the designer) and production-only (the designer pays production costs and gets the items to sell through their own channels). It was on-demand manufacturing as a way to de-risk independent fashion design.

Vanina brought fashion-management experience; I came from fashion and transportation design. We validated it by interviewing designers and potential customers and built out the brand, deck, and site. It didn’t go to market, but the thinking still holds up.