Today we’d like to introduce you to Rana Argenio.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Sure, I’d be happy to! My family has roots in the luxury textile industry that date back five generations; however, I didn’t immediately join the family business. Following the completion of my undergraduate degree at Wharton, I joined Goldman Sachs within their Investment Banking division, focusing on consumer retail companies both in the US and in Europe. While I learned a lot about the financing and structuring of large traditional consumer retail businesses, I left Goldman, with the desire to craft tangible products. I was particularly interested in the home, as it’s somewhere that’s so personal and unique to each one of us.
I started my transition by joining my family’s business within luxury textiles, to educate myself on every aspect of the industry–from spinning the yarn to weaving the fabric and designing collections, to the manufacturing of luxury bed, bath and table linens, and navigating the traditional wholesale supply chain.
During these four years on the wholesale and manufacturing side of the industry, I quickly learned about the inefficiency of the industry: it’s filled with middlemen and intermediaries, who mark up the product at every step of the process…a cost that ultimately gets passed to the consumer.
At the same time, I kept a close eye on the proliferation of online bedding brands, quickly realizing that the term “direct-to-consumer” had become massively diluted, if not entirely misused. I was dismayed to see consumers being seduced by stylish branding into buying mediocre products, which were produced using the same low-market quality, third party middlemen and high cost-markups as their incumbent retail equivalents. The price and quality offered by these “DTC” brands is analogous to those offered by Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel, simply wrapped in more eye-catching branding, and sold online.
As a result, I decided to launch 10 Grove with the mission to set a new standard for sustainable luxury. I believe that people deserve access to better quality products, made in a more efficient way so that they’re getting what they actually paid for.
In summary, our business model has allowed us to bring the same quality, craftsmanship and styles, currently only accessible at specialty linen stores and the likes of Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdale’s at a premium price ($1,200 for a sheet set), directly to the consumer, at the most honest price ($200 for the same sheet set).
Ultimately, your bed is the most personal part of your home. It’s where you wake up every morning, and where you return to every night. 10 Grove is here to take you on a journey of rediscovering what home, and your bed, truly mean to you.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In building any business, you’re signing up for the good, the bad and the unexpected. It comes with the territory of entrepreneurship. Each day is it’s own rollercoaster!
However, with that being said, we’ve been very fortunate have experienced such positive response in our first year. Quality bedding is one of those things that you didn’t know you’ve been missing until you experience it first hand….and when you do, you can’t help but return back. This is what we’ve seen: customers test us out and within a few weeks, they return to buy a second set for their bedroom, followed by new bedding for the rest of their rooms in their house.
It makes us so happy to see that they appreciate the difference in quality.
With that being said, it’s not always straigthforward! In early February, we first started to feel the impact of COVID-19 as it spread in Italy. We weave all of our luxury fabrics in Italy and saw risks of our supplies being cut off. We needed to be flexible and plan ahead. We decided to stock up on fabrics and keep them at our US warehouse, ready to put into production. By having our own manufacturing right here in Houston, we’ve been so fortunate to be able to continue to fulfill orders “per usual.” In fact, we’ve seen an uptick in orders, as more consumer spend time at home and invest in the pieces they use most.
10 Grove – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
When we founded 10 Grove, we committed to building a product-first company, based on quality, craftsmanship, transparency, and sustainability.
We simply believe in making better product in the best possible way. In order to do this, we realized we needed to control our production from beginning to end. With on-demand manufacturing, at our own Texas factory and a sustainable, vertically-integrated supply chain, we’re able to deliver true luxury Italian linens, at an unprecedented price.
Here’s a high level overview of our business, and what makes us so different from all the other players in our industry.
Luxury Quality and Craftsmanship | We weave our extra-long staple, Egyptian Cotton Sateen and Percale fabrics with Italy’s most renowned mill, who exclusively partners with the legacy brands, including Frette, Sferra and Matouk. Each product is then crafted in-house, allowing for luxury design details, previously only available at a high price point.
On-Demand Production | Our Texas-based factory allows us to produce all our inventory on-demand, offering the advantages of made-to-order, without the long lead times and high mark-ups. In comparison, other brands work with overseas factories to produce large inventory batches, months in advance of demand, leaving them saddled with excess product that is ultimately discounted and dumped in landfills, resulting in significant pollution.
Longevity | We do not believe in offering the lowest cost, but rather the lowest cost per use. We are committed to pursuing a level of quality that will stand the test of time, with products that will last for years before being discarded. (Note: The average life of bedding from other D-to-C brands and mass market retailers is 1-2 years, compared to 5-10 years for 10 Grove bedding.)
Limited Carbon Footprint | Our vertically integrated supply chain allows us to eliminate middlemen, their respective third-party mark-ups and the associated carbon emissions that result from additional legs of transportation. Our supply chain allows us to warehouse, produce and distribute from the same location, whereas traditional retailers and other d-to-c brands face 5+ legs of transportation (i.e., additional costs and pollution).
Ethical Production | By owning our US factory, we personally ensure our work environment surpasses industry standards daily. We provide our employees a livable wage, access to health care and retirement benefits, paid vacation, cross-training, as well as a healthy work environment and hours that are flexible for their personal family needs.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Recently, with everything we’ve faced around COVID-19, we’ve been so happy to be able to contribute back to our community. Since mid-March, we’ve dedicated all our excess capacity to making washable, fabric face masks, which we’ve donated to local hospitals and shelters. In addition, starting on April 20th, and until the government indicates otherwise, we’re including a complimentary face mask with all bedding orders placed on our website. It feels so good to be able to use our local manufacturing to contribute in a broader way to our community.
Pricing:
- 10 Grove Queen Sheet Set is $130, compared to the equivalent for $400 at retail
- 10 Grove Fitted Sheet is $85, compared to the equivalent for $250 at retail
- 10 Grove Pillowcases are $50, compared to the equivalent for $150 at retail
Contact Info:
- Website: www.10Grove.com
- Email: hello@10grove.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/10_grove/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/10Grove/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/10grove/
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
