As an American University student, alumna Alexis Varecka took a class called “The Business of Fashion and Luxury Goods” where she developed a business plan for a mobile app that would create a platform for artists and brands to sell their unique merchandise.
Varecka graduated from AU in fall 2018. She majored in business administration with a specialization in representing talent and a minor in French language. Now, about two years later, Varecka is attending law school at California Western School of Law remotely and her website, The Fletcher Collective, is carrying through the vision of the business plan she wrote up as an undergrad.
“The Fletcher Collective is basically a platform for emerging artists to be featured from all around the world that have unique designs, similar to Etsy,” Varecka said. “We have different designers that are going to be featured on the site, with different social causes pertaining to their collections.”
The idea has undergone a few changes, but its focus remains the same: giving artists and creatives a platform to showcase their work.
“[The Fletcher Collective] is just bringing together different artwork through music, fashion, to give a space to feature creatives,” Varecka said.
The Fletcher Collective, named for Varecka’s grandmother’s maiden name, sold its first item from the website in 2020. Varecka said that the coronavirus pandemic was a big influence on her starting up the brand.
“I was more so just alone at home with not as much to do, and I went back to the business plan and thought about what other ways can I apply this,” Varecka said. “I thought I could apply the fashion to more social issues, a lot of things that happened last year that we could highlight different artists on. It kind of prompted me to restart the brand.”
Varecka said that she designs most of the products on the website. When she works with other artists, she is usually on the administrative side of production.
Right now, The Fletcher Collective team is Varecka and her hometown friend, Alexandra Schubach, in administrative positions, and two interns.
They are currently working on a sustainable fashion line with MotorMouth Co., a sustainable fashion brand run by AU students. This upcoming collection will soon be sold on The Fletcher Collective website.
The Fletcher Collective has worked with other artists and creatives from AU in the past as well through its “Purpose for the Passion” series on YouTube. One of its recent interviews features Svetlana Karapetyan, an audio engineer and artist manager who goes by Mixed By Lana.
The Fletcher Collective often donates a share of its profits to a charity or organization associated with its merchandise, depending on the focus of the collection. For example, a portion of the money earned from the debut collection, King Leo x Princess P, went to Clarence High School in New York, Varecka said.
The Fletcher Collective is looking to produce a collection in October to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. Varecka said that they also hope to potentially do a collection with the organization Mental Health Matters.
Once the pandemic allows, Varecka hopes that The Fletcher Collective will be able to participate in events, such as art festivals, in order to expand their brand and raise more money.
Varecka said that while there are similar platforms, such as Etsy, The Fletcher Collective’s aim and purpose is unique.
“People on Etsy are just selling for profit,” Varecka said. “We're trying to raise awareness about different things, different cultures, and then give back to those causes.”
