How the working mom of our used crowdfunding to launch her local clothing brand

While many businesses focus on getting online sales from around the world, Michelle McGarry thought local. She wanted her friends to find community within Hippie Brand Co. Rather than think about a large national consumer model, McGarry looked to her neighbors, friends, and colleagues as her target market when she began her brand with a hands-free fanny pack concept. “Hippie Brand Co. not only came out of the idea of needing to be hands-free in an ever evolving electronic culture, but it also grew from an ache for community. We make clothes and sell bags, but the people and the connection is the essence of our brand.”

What she created became a recognizable brand within her Philadelphia and surrounding suburb neighborhood. While it’s not “Phillycentric,” like many local clothing brands full of soft pretzels, The Liberty Bell, and other icons of the city, Hippie Brand Co. focuses on more universal appeal and is a minimalistic brand that you could just as easily see on someone in SoCal.

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