Gleu

Hi! I'm Alyssa, founder of Gleu - an app that makes it easier for fashion buyers and brands to connect, schedule and manage their appointments. Gleu originally started out as my Parsons School of Design thesis project in 2020 and has now grown into a dedicated mission to bridge the gap between technology and the fashion industry's workflow. 

In order to understand how Gleu works, it's important to know a bit about the industry in which it's used. Fashion week is an event that takes place multiple times per year in several cities around the world. The largest fashion weeks are hosted in New York, London, Milan and Paris (AKA the fashion capitals). During fashion week, brands showcase their latest collections to international retail buyers, executives, press, celebrities and more. Gleu focuses on the connection between buyers and brands - which usually takes place in a showroom or trade show (a space where buyers can shop and place wholesale orders for their store). 

After working as an assistant buyer, a fashion consultant and working in showrooms during fashion week, I was able to identify the pain points firsthand. Today, scheduling and managing appointments is outdated, incredibly time consuming and there is no efficient way to keep it all organized. Buyers and brands (wholesalers) schedule their appointments through back and forth emails. Everything is printed as a hard copy and is managed in a spread sheet. There's a lot of detailed information that has to be accounted for and changes are being made by the hour... This is all plays a key part into the logistics of fashion week, but it's definitely everyone's least favorite part of the job.

Gleu eliminates the stress of planning and staying organized by providing buyers and wholesalers with an all new, streamlined experience - saving them countless hours, money, and unnecessary stress. Now, everything is updated in real time. Scheduling is completely automated. All essential information - from contacts to in-person appointment notes are centrally stored and easy to access. Appointments can be planned strategically based on location and are organized within detailed folders. Plus, there's the ability send and receive helpful notifications that keep their team members and appointment party on track!

The Fashion industry is huge - valued at 2.5 trillion dollars, globally. the fashion capitals generate an estimated 2.5 billion dollars of annual economic impact from fashion week alone. Now, there are over 450 cities worldwide that host smaller, regional fashion weeks and this number keeps on growing. Not everyone has the advantage of using a consultant to do their scheduling work, but the bigger stores that do, pay an average of $35,000 or more per year. I've estimated that Gleu can eventually reach a user base of over 15,000 brands and over 450,000 retailers.

Now, I'm looking to raise my first round of funding at $150,000. This funding will help with Gleu's product market fit and development. My next goals are to develop an MVP of the app, acquire as many potential users as I can and grow my team. 

As the founder and CEO, I'm working along side some pretty incredible advisors. Sarah, founder of S Design has helped me since day one with my business strategy, branding and marketing. Ayla has over 7 years of experience in buying for companies like Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and JC Penny. My goal is to bring on a dedicated team once I have the funding to do so. 

I hope you are just as excited about Gleu's potential as I am. Any small donation will help me to bring this project to life! Even if you aren't able to donate, I would love to connect! You can find us on IG at @gleu.app or me, personally at @alyssadelvalle.