Renee Forbes

Miami, FL (USA)
Role(s):
Founder/Owner/Principal

JELLYBEAN OF MIAMI, INC

Find More Startups Startup
Location: Miami
Industry: Manufacturing
Year Founded: 2007
Number Employees: 1-10 people
Description: JELLYBEAN of Miami, Inc. (JELLYBEAN Miami) is an exquisitely stylish line of plus-size (real-size) apparel created just for young girls, that Forbes introduced at the MAGIC Marketplace trade show in Las Vegas, but even before that, wowed a sales rep for specialty stores and major children’s clothing retailers in Florida and the Caribbean, who contracted to carry the JELLYBEAN line almost immediately. She has since added a few stores in California, New York, New Jersey, South Carolina, North Carolina, the US Virgin Islands and the Bahamas to her list of retailers. The JELLYBEAN Miami line features multiple fabric choices, ranging from casual sportswear to formal dresses, with accessories. JELLYBEAN Miami apparel is manufactured in a number of locations, and is being marketed to clothing store buyers with plans of becoming a nationwide household name for plus-size (real-size) girls. Forbes, designer and president of JELLYBEAN of Miami, Inc. holds degrees in accounting and fashion design, including post-graduate work at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. The decision to design a plus-size girls collection was inspired by frustrating shopping trips trying to find stylish, attractive clothing that properly fit her daughter, who is a well proportioned, plus-size girl. Forbes said finding a good selection of appropriate clothing for her young daughter proved to be a challenge, in any price range. She found that little girls’ plus-size clothing options were limited, and often not as attractive as the clothing in smaller sizes. Soon she discovered that she was not alone in her frustration. Renee did a little research, and, unsatisfied with her findings, especially considering the need for plus-size children’s clothing market, decided to design and manufacture her own line. Today, it is estimated that 6 million children in the US fall into this category, and the ranks are growing according to Newsweek magazine, experts believe the trend has accelerated to the point that one child in three is now overweight, or there is a good chance will become overweight. As a matter of fact, Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at The NPD Groups, * said there has been double-digit sales growth (18%) in the plus-size youth apparel market for the past three years. Although the young girls market has been overlooked, there are currently a few stores that carry some plus-size items, including JC Penney, Sears, Lands’ End, Gap, Old Navy and Dickies. Torrid, an exclusively plus-size shop for teens and young women, which opened with six stores in 2001, currently have over 100 stores. JELLYBEAN Miami require $1,000,000 for working capital to continue manufacturing a top quality plus-size (real-size) apparel line created for young girls. JELLYBEAN is looking for long-term investors who are willing to help us get to the next level of manufacturing. We see ourselves as a 5-10 year investment. This is a great opportunity to invest in a growing market. For more information, call [<a href="(URL removed)">send me a message</a>], email (URL removed), or visit (URL removed). Thanks for your consideration. *The NPD Group, In. is a leading global market research company founded in 1967 that provides consumer and retail information to manufacturers and retailers. Using actual sales data from retailers and distributors as well as consumer-reported purchasing behavior, NPD offers consumer panel and retail sales tracking services, special reports, modeling and analytics, and custom research. The NPD Group is headquartered in New York, with offices across the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union.