If entrepreneurship were a Hollywood commercial movie, it would have the following plot: three friends, a garage, and an idea that ends up making them millionaires and references. Obviously, their birthplace would be a small town in the United States and they would be used as examples in multiple TED talks on the subject. Without diminishing the merit of those entrepreneurs, in Spain there are also cases and success stories of friends coming together. Yuxus, a brand that defines itself as “young fashion,” is a clear example.
The brand’s concept is that of an “anonymous creator,” but Álvaro and Guillermo Ferre, along with Fernando Carrillo, decided to make an exception to that rule of ‘creator anonymity’ that is established at Yuxus to speak with eleconomista.es in one of the few interviews they grant.
All three are 22 years old and started with Yuxus in 2018. “We didn’t have a business plan, we didn’t identify an opportunity through in-depth study. We were simply 16 years old, three friends eager to start a business and have our own project,” explains Fernando. That’s why they started making sweatshirts and selling them among their acquaintances. “At that time, sweatshirts were becoming very popular, but there wasn’t as much supply, and especially, at that time there weren’t brands, let’s say, young brands or brands focused on a young audience.”
The script of the Yuxus story has been written gradually to the present day. As time went on, the brand gained more and more success among its target audience, reaching a turnover of “three million euros last year, and this year the estimate, and we are doing well, is 10 million,” Álvaro stated.
The business is booming to the point that they already have a physical store on Fuencarral street in Madrid and will open two corners at El Corte Inglés. One in Zaragoza and the other on Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid. In addition, this month they plan to open their second physical store in Valencia. Through their online store, they reach the entire globe. “We have partnered with a logistics company that now allows us to reach the whole world.”
The key to Yuxus is based on the philosophy of sustainable fashion, with local and timeless manufacturing. Strict guidelines that they strictly follow, to the point of prioritizing them over profitability. “We have hardly had any margin and have not been able to distribute dividends or any profit. This is because our garments are made in Portugal, at least more than 90%. With a very high cost for us due to the high quality of the product and the process. We produce in the European Union and with the highest standards of what is not, by any means, exploitation,” Fernando emphasizes.
In this sense, Álvaro explains that the key to timelessness and sustainability is immovable. “I think that is something that sets us apart from the competition. We do not launch collections every two weeks, as other brands do. We are not looking to have a lot of variety. If we compare ourselves to the sector, in fact, we have the least amount of product in the catalog, and that is our line to follow.”
Both Álvaro and Fernando are aware of their luck, but also of all the work that comes with being an entrepreneur. In the end, they consider each step they take a learning experience and are very aware of the possibilities of failure. In any case, the three of them are writing the script for Yuxus, and they are still in the introduction, hoping to solidify a good plot to generate a powerful ending.
