MANUFACTURING
Montiel: Direct-to-Consumer Marketing and Sales
Maggie Montiel established her namesake activewear collection, Montiel, in 2013 with a mission to deliver high-quality, thoughtfully designed pieces at competitive price points. Montiel’s business model is simple: Create classic designs, source and manufacture everything in Southern California to ensure quality, and sell direct to consumers through the company’s website. As of now the company does not have a wholesale vertical. By doing this, the company remains “strategically small but ever expanding.”
Montiel is based in Los Angeles and sources all its fabric out of Long Beach, Calif.
“We use the highest-quality high-tech fabric,” Montiel said. “Everything is eco-friendly, anti-wicking and designed to be active in.” All collections are then manufactured in San Diego because “ethically made clothing is important to me.”
The founder/designer keeps all designs simple with details typically on the back of pieces that are “effortlessly pretty.” She also uses mainly solids as opposed to “trendy prints.”
Montiel uses social media in an organic fashion (no paid advertising or PR via its mediums) to reach its consumers. Facebook and Instagram are its two main platforms while Pinterest and Twitter play minor roles. Montiel credits a handful of celebrities and online influencers in bringing great awareness to the brand in the USA and Australia.
The company currently ships worldwide, and “international orders make up 30 percent of our business,” according to Montiel. For more information, visit www.montiel.com.
